Granted Patent B1

US 8,429,364 · App. 13/475,933 · Granted Apr 23, 2013

Abstract

Claims (44)

1. A computer-implemented method for identifying the presence of sensitive data in backups, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing system comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:

identifying a backup;

identifying sensitive data in the backup;

creating metadata that identifies both the presence of the sensitive data in the backup and at least one characteristic of the sensitive data;

associating the metadata with the backup to signal the presence of the sensitive data in the backup;

wherein at least a portion of the metadata is stored in a manner that enables the presence of the sensitive data in the backup to be identified even after the backup has been encrypted or compressed.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the sensitive data in the backup comprises identifying a file in the backup that contains the sensitive data.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein identifying the file in the backup that contains the sensitive data comprises:

scanning the file before it is added to the backup;

identifying the sensitive data in the file.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the sensitive data in the backup comprises identifying a digital signature for the sensitive data in the backup.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein associating the metadata with the backup comprises storing the metadata in the backup.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein associating the metadata with the backup comprises:

storing the metadata in a file that is separate from the backup;

associating the file with the backup.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the metadata comprises a digital signature for the sensitive data.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising transmitting a notification to at least one other computing system that indicates the presence of the sensitive data in the backup.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the metadata is stored in an unencrypted and uncompressed format.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising preventing, based on the metadata that identifies the presence of the sensitive data in the backup, the sensitive data from being distributed to an unauthorized location.

11. A system for identifying the presence of sensitive data in backups, the system comprising:

a sensitive-data-detection module programmed to:

identify a backup;

identify sensitive data in the backup;

a metadata module programmed to:

create metadata that identifies both the presence of the sensitive data in the backup and at least one characteristic of the sensitive data;

associate the metadata with the sensitive data identified in the backup to signal the presence of the sensitive data in the backup;

wherein at least a portion of the metadata is stored in a manner that enables the presence of the sensitive data in the backup to be identified even after the backup has been encrypted or compressed;

at least one processor configured to execute the sensitive-data-detection module and the metadata module.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein at least a portion of the metadata is stored in an unencrypted and uncompressed format.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing information that identifies the presence of sensitive data in a backup, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:

backup data that comprises sensitive data;

metadata that identifies both the presence of the sensitive data in the backup data and at least one characteristic of the sensitive data;

wherein the metadata is associated with the backup data to signal the presence of the sensitive data in the backup data;

wherein at least a portion of the metadata is stored in a manner that enables the presence of the sensitive data in the backup data to be identified even after the backup data has been encrypted or compressed.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the metadata comprises a digital signature for the sensitive data.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the metadata is stored in at least one of:

the backup data;

a file that is separate from the backup data.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein at least a portion of the metadata is stored in an unencrypted and uncompressed format.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13 , wherein the backup data comprises at least one of:

a partial backup;

a full backup;

an incremental backup;

a differential backup.

Assignments (13)