Patent Application
20180241878
The present invention relates generally to authentication and more particularly to authentication of communicators.
Vishing or voice phishing includes using the telephone to scam a user by pretending to be a legitimate business.
Pindrop.com offers a service, said to be patented, that “analyzes phone calls to identify malicious behavior and verify legitimate callers. Phoneprinting is at the heart of Pindrop's Call Center Anti-Fraud solutions, used by number of largest banks, insurers, brokerages and retailers in the US to detect fraud and verify customers. Phoneprinting takes an audio call and breaks it down into 147 unique call features to create a distinctive identifier for each caller. Pindrop Phoneprinting reveals: CALL TYPE: Is the caller using a cell, landline, or VoIP phone? Pindrop research indicates that 53% of fraudulent calls are made using a VoIP line, compared with only 7.2% of legitimate calls. GEO LOCATION: Where is this call really coming from? Is it international or domestic? Does the location indicated by the call audio match the phone number reported by Caller ID? UNIQUE PHONE: Has this caller been seen before? Fraudsters often change phone numbers, but it is much harder to change the audio characteristics that Pindrop uses to create a unique identifier for the call audio characteristics.
Certain embodiments seek to provide a system and method for monitoring communications and/or identifying imposters and/or confirming authenticity of a claim, made legitimately or alternatively by an imposter, of an affiliation between the legitimate person/entity or imposter, and a certain organization. For example, a telephone communicant or service provider making a house call may present herself or himself as being a service representative of company X.
There is thus provided, in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention, a system, method or computer product operative for monitoring communications and identifying imposter tx communicants who are pretending to contact an rx end user from a telephone line associated with an organization which the imposter tx is not really calling from.
There is also provided, in accordance with at least one embodiment of the present invention, a system, method or computer product operative for confirming authenticity of an organizational affiliation claim (claimed organizational affiliation), and comprising: Providing a database of organizations; Using a server/processor to access the database; and—Via a channel of communication to end-users—allowing end-users to receive from the processor an authentication of the claimed organizational affiliation.
Also provided, excluding signals, is a computer program comprising computer program code means for performing any of the methods shown and described herein when said program is run on at least one computer; and a computer program product, comprising a typically non-transitory computer-usable or -readable medium e.g. non-transitory computer-usable or -readable storage medium, typically tangible, having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement any or all of the methods shown and described herein. The operations in accordance with the teachings herein may be performed by at least one computer specially constructed for the desired purposes or general purpose computer specially configured for the desired purpose by at least one computer program stored in a typically non-transitory computer readable storage medium. The term “non-transitory” is used herein to exclude transitory, propagating signals or waves, but to otherwise include any volatile or non-volatile computer memory technology suitable to the application.
Any suitable processor/s, display and input means may be used to process, display e.g. on a computer screen or other computer output device, store, and accept information such as information used by or generated by any of the methods and apparatus shown and described herein; the above processor/s, display and input means including computer programs, in accordance with some or all of the embodiments of the present invention. Any or all functionalities of the invention shown and described herein, such as but not limited to operations within flowcharts, may be performed by any one or more of: at least one conventional personal computer processor, workstation or other programmable device or computer or electronic computing device or processor, either general-purpose or specifically constructed, used for processing; a computer display screen and/or printer and/or speaker for displaying; machine-readable memory such as optical disks, CDROMs, DVDs, BluRays, magnetic-optical discs or other discs; RAMs, ROMs, EPROMs, EEPROMs, magnetic or optical or other cards, for storing, and keyboard or mouse for accepting. Modules shown and described herein may include any one or combination or plurality of: a server, a data processor, a memory/computer storage, a communication interface, a computer program stored in memory/computer storage.
The term “process” as used above is intended to include any type of computation or manipulation or transformation of data represented as physical, e.g. electronic, phenomena which may occur or reside e.g. within registers and/or memories of at least one computer or processor. The term processor includes a single processing unit or a plurality of distributed or remote such units.
The above devices may communicate via any conventional wired or wireless digital communication means, e.g. via a wired or cellular telephone network or a computer network such as the Internet.
The apparatus of the present invention may include, according to certain embodiments of the invention, machine readable memory containing or otherwise storing a program of instructions which, when executed by the machine, implements some or all of the apparatus, methods, features and functionalities of the invention shown and described herein. Alternatively or in addition, the apparatus of the present invention may include, according to certain embodiments of the invention, a program as above which may be written in any conventional programming language, and optionally a machine for executing the program such as but not limited to a general purpose computer which may optionally be configured or activated in accordance with the teachings of the present invention. Any of the teachings incorporated herein may where-ever suitable operate on signals representative of physical objects or substances.
The embodiments referred to above, and other embodiments, are described in detail in the next section.
Any trademark occurring in the text or drawings is the property of its owner and occurs herein merely to explain or illustrate one example of how an embodiment of the invention may be implemented.
Unless specifically stated otherwise, as apparent from the following discussions, it is appreciated that throughout the specification discussions, utilizing terms such as, “processing”, “computing”, “estimating”, “selecting”, “ranking”, “grading”, “calculating”, “determining”, “generating”, “reassessing”, “classifying”, “generating”, “producing”, “stereo-matching”, “registering”, “detecting”, “associating”, “superimposing”, “obtaining” or the like, refer to the action and/or processes of at least one computer/s or computing system/s, or processor/s or similar electronic computing device/s, that manipulate and/or transform data represented as physical, such as electronic, quantities within the computing system's registers and/or memories, into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computing system's memories, registers or other such information storage, transmission or display devices. The term “computer” should be broadly construed to cover any kind of electronic device with data processing capabilities, including, by way of non-limiting example, personal computers, servers, embedded cores, computing system, communication devices, processors (e.g. digital signal processor (DSP), microcontrollers, field programmable gate array (FPGA), application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), etc.) and other electronic computing devices.
The present invention may be described, merely for clarity, in terms of terminology specific to particular programming languages, operating systems, browsers, system versions, individual products, and the like. It will be appreciated that this terminology is intended to convey general principles of operation clearly and briefly, by way of example, and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to any particular programming language, operating system, browser, system version, or individual product.
Elements separately listed herein need not be distinct components and alternatively may be the same structure. A statement that an element or feature may exist is intended to include (a) embodiments in which the element or feature exists; (b) embodiments in which the element or feature does not exist; and (c) embodiments in which the element or feature exist selectably e.g. a user may configure or select whether the element or feature does or does not exist.
Any suitable input device, such as but not limited to a sensor, may be used to generate or otherwise provide information received by the apparatus and methods shown and described herein. Any suitable output device or display may be used to display or output information generated by the apparatus and methods shown and described herein. Any suitable processor/s may be employed to compute or generate information as described herein and/or to perform functionalities described herein and/or to implement any engine, interface or other system described herein. Any suitable computerized data storage e.g. computer memory may be used to store information received by or generated by the systems shown and described herein.
Functionalities shown and described herein may be divided between a server computer and a plurality of client computers. These or any other computerized components shown and described herein may communicate between themselves via a suitable computer network.
Methods and systems included in the scope of the present invention may include some (e.g. any suitable subset) or all of the functional blocks shown in the specifically illustrated implementations by way of example, in any suitable order e.g. as shown.
Computational, functional or logical components described and illustrated herein can be implemented in various forms, for example, as hardware circuits such as but not limited to custom VLSI circuits or gate arrays or programmable hardware devices such as but not limited to FPGAs, or as software program code stored on at least one tangible or intangible computer readable medium and executable by at least one processor, or any suitable combination thereof. A specific functional component may be formed by one particular sequence of software code, or by a plurality of such, which collectively act or behave or act as described herein with reference to the functional component in question. For example, the component may be distributed over several code sequences such as but not limited to objects, procedures, functions, routines and programs and may originate from several computer files which typically operate synergistically.
Each functionality or method herein may be implemented in software, firmware, hardware or any combination thereof. Functionality or operations stipulated as being software-implemented may alternatively be wholly or fully implemented by an equivalent hardware or firmware module and vice-versa. Any logical functionality described herein may be implemented as a real time application if and as appropriate and which may employ any suitable architectural option such as but not limited to FPGA, ASIC or DSP or any suitable combination thereof.
Any hardware component mentioned herein may in fact include either one or more hardware devices e.g. chips, which may be co-located or remote from one another.
Any method described herein is intended to include within the scope of the embodiments of the present invention also any software or computer program performing some or all of the method's operations, including a mobile application, platform or operating system e.g. as stored in a medium, as well as combining the computer program with a hardware device to perform some or all of the operations of the method.
Data can be stored on one or more tangible or intangible computer readable media stored at one or more different locations, different network nodes or different storage devices at a single node or location.
It is appreciated that any computer data storage technology, including any type of storage or memory and any type of computer components and recording media that retain digital data used for computing for an interval of time, and any type of information retention technology, may be used to store the various data provided and employed herein. Suitable computer data storage or information retention apparatus may include apparatus which is primary, secondary, tertiary or off-line; which is of any type or level or amount or category of volatility, differentiation, mutability, accessibility, addressability, capacity, performance and energy use; and which is based on any suitable technologies such as semiconductor, magnetic, optical, paper and others.
The following methods are provided, according to certain embodiments (Each flow herein may include some or all of the specified operations, suitably ordered e.g. as shown):
An example integration procedure that an integrator might perform when s/he integrates or registers organization x, e.g. preparatory to performing the methods of Flowcharts 1, 2, is described further on; the flowcharts 1, 2 below assume that the server has already registered organization x, which has 1000 extensions (say), in the system.
210: genuine tx calls rx from cellphone xxx or extension 111 of registered organization x. rx's extension is 222 in registered organization y (or x).
220: server processes flow of outgoing calls from all registered organizations. Inter alia, the flow indicates that cellphone xxx or extension 111 of registered organization x has called a number which is recognized to be 222 in registered organization y (or x).
230: Server notifies extension 222 in registered organization y (or x) that cellphone xxx or extension 111 of registered organization x has called him
310: imposter tx calls rx, seemingly from (say) cellphone xxx or extension 111 of registered organization x. rx's extension is 222 in registered organization y (or x).
320: server processes flow of incoming calls to all extensions in all registered organizations. Inter alia, the flow indicates that someone claiming to be cellphone xxx or extension 111 of registered organization x has called extension 222 in registered organization y (or x). server reviews flow of outgoing calls from all registered organizations and fails to find any call, at that time, from cellphone xxx or extension 111 of registered organization x to extension 222 in registered organization y (or x)
330: server disconnects call between imposter and rx @ extension 222, and/or warns rx @ extension 222 in registered organization y (or x) e.g.: warning!! Person who is seemingly calling you from cellphone xxx/extension 111 of registered organization x is actually an Imposter! (notification is typically be sent via multiple channels (for example to the user's desktop chat application, or to the user's mobile phone when the call is on his desktop phone, etc.) that are not blocked by the incoming call; alternatively or in addition, the call may be disconnected if the platform supports this).
The applicability of the above flowcharts is in no way limited to calls that originate from an actual extension, in the sense of a phone connected to the organization's phone exchange. As the flowcharts indicate, calls may also come from a mobile phone or VOIP client (a.k.a. “soft phone”) e.g. as described in detail below.
Certain embodiments' solution allows users to confirm the authenticity of any service representative or “claimant” claiming to belong to a certain organization or corporation. Whenever a service representative makes such a claim (on a telephone call, a house visit, via a text message, email, etc.) the user simply asks the representative to use certain embodiments' solution to confirm that he actually belongs to the organization which he claims to represent. The representative then provides the user's mobile phone number to certain embodiments' Confirmation of Authenticity Service (CoAS), or the end-user provides his contact particulars e.g. email, phone, facebook etc., directly to the CoAS or in some way not via the claimant. This can be done via:
The CoAS then sends the user a secure message using any suitable communication technology, protocol or channel, confirming that the representative indeed works for the claimed organization/corporation.
Certain embodiment's solution further allows corporate employees to confirm the authenticity of any call made from a corporate number (IT, HR, security, etc.) or employee claiming to belong to an organization or corporation. Certain embodiments' solution handles both intra-corporate and inter-corporate calls.
The certain embodiments' intra-corporate solution provides the means to automatically send identity authentication information when a call is made between corporate users. This can be done when:
These calls can be made via:
Certain embodiments' Certification of Authenticity Service (CoAS) then sends the called parties a secure or personalized message confirming that the caller indeed works for the organization/corporation. The message can be sent via any communication technology, protocol or channel appropriate for corporate users (e.g. desktop clients, corporate IM services, personalized text messages, security-token based notification (time-synchronized OTP), notifications with voice signatures, pagers) which may also take into consideration the user's presence and location information (e.g. at their workstation or away from it, at a meeting, out of the office).
Certain embodiments' inter-corporate solution further provides the means to validate incoming calls when a call is made between two corporate users belonging to separate organizations. This can be done when a corporate user receives a call via:
When this happens the client (or PABX) sends the incoming call's caller-ID information to the certain embodiments' Confirmation of Authenticity Service (CoAS) which will indicate whether the call is legitimate, fake, or unknown to the certain embodiments' service.
Flows may include registration flows and/or Confirmation of Authenticity (CoA) flows.
Registration flows for end-user may be provided and may include some or all of the following. Suitable registration flows for organizations to which affiliation is to be authenticated, may also be provided. The end user registration flow may be identical for all employees of the corporate, be they callers or the called party.
SmartPhone Flow—Stand Alone App May Include Some or all of the Following Operations, Suitably Ordered e.g. as Shown:
Additional operations may include some or all of:
SmartPhone Flow—SDK May Include Some or all of the Following Operations, Suitably Ordered e.g. as Shown:
Additional operations may include some or all of:
Web Browser Flow—Facebook May Include Some or all of the Following Operations:
Confirmation of Authenticity (CoA) flows may include some or all of the following flows:
Phone Call Flow May Include Some or all of the Following Operations, Suitably Ordered e.g. as Shown:
SMS Flow May Include Some or all of the Following Operations, Suitably Ordered e.g. as shown:
Home Service Flow (Physical Presence of Claimant and End-User at Same Premises) May Include Some or all of the Following Operations, Suitably Ordered e.g. as Shown:
Web Site Flow May Include Some or all of the Following Operations, Suitably Ordered e.g. as Shown:
Flow for Automatically Sending a CoA (Triggered by a Corporate User Call) e.g. with Reference to
Flow for Validating Inter-Corporate Incoming Call e.g. with Reference to
Flow for Determining Notification Channel to Use for CoA Sending e.g. with Reference to
When the CoAS needs to determine which notification channel to use to send a CoA to a user's device it goes through some or all of the following operations:
Many Technological variations are possible, such as but not limited to various technologies for triggering the sending of a Confirmation of Authenticity (CoA).
Representatives may for example use any of the following to send a CoA to users:
The system may use any of the following triggers to automatically send a CoA to users:
The system may use any of the following triggers to validate incoming calls made to its users:
End-Users may use any of the following to request a CoA:
The user may for example use any of the following to securely receive CoA (Confirmation of Authenticity) from our service:
The CoAS may rely on several mechanisms to determine which notification channel to use to send a CoA to the user, some of which are:
The flows for
Issuing a CoA
The system may issue a CoA to organizations (e.g. private and government entities) that satisfy the requirements e.g. some or all of those specified below. Typically, a vetting process will verify the applicant's legal existence and identity. The validation process is extensive and rigorous to ensure that our CoA will only be awarded to trustworthy and non-fraudulent entities.
Application Process
An entity which wishes to register with our service to become a certified entity may be prompted to submit an application form through our web site. The form may elicit suitable data e.g. some or all of the following information:
A confirmation email may automatically be sent to the applicant, stating that the request has been received and is being processed.
Vetting Process
The system typically does not rely on any kind of self-reported data (such as address and phone numbers) during the validation process. All data provided by an applicant hoping to obtain our CoA is typically checked against reliable third-party sources, e.g. using some or all of the processes specified below.
Legal Existence and Identity
Check to make sure that the applicant is legally recognized and that the formal name matches the official government records. In cases where a trading name is used, verify any alternative names that differ from the legal name of the applicant in qualified databases.
Physical Existence
Cross-check the address listed in the application against a qualified government database. If the listed address cannot be verified by consulting the government database, an on-site visit may be necessary to investigate the discrepancy. Investigators may need to take photos of the facility and business operations or speak with company personnel.
Operational Existence
To verify the applicant's operational existence:
Telephone Number
Confirm that the telephone number listed on the application is the primary telephone number for the requesting organization. This is accomplished by calling the number directly and by checking phone directory listings.
Domain Name (Optional)
An applicant wishing to obtain a CoA for use with our widget on their website or through our browser extension must own and control the relevant domain name. We will check website registration records (Whois database) or we may ask the applicant to make a change to the website under the domain name.
Individual's Authorization
Verify that the individual applying for the CoA is acting as a legitimate agent for the applicant. Verify the identity of the contract signer (in most cases this will be a C-level management person). Usually this is verified with written documentation.
One way that we may verify this data is by contacting the applicant's human resources department. We may additionally require a face-to-face validation in which the individual must present the following documentation directly:
After the vetting process is complete the entity may be prompted to register each of their representatives in the system via our web portal. For each representative at least the following information is registered:
Code Verification API
Following is one example of an API that can support the code verification process required in the registration flow.
API requests and responses are transported over HTTP (optionally over HTTPS) using the HTTP GET and POST methods. Reponses are usually represented using JSON.
The server may reply with any of the following response codes:
Requests made to the server should include the following HTTP headers:
The API supports the following operations:
CoA Trigger/Verify API
Following is one example of an API that can support the triggering of sending a CoA to a customer by a representative as described in the CoA flows.
API requests and responses are transported over HTTP (optionally over HTTPS) using the HTTP GET and POST methods. Reponses are usually represented using JSON.
The server may reply with any of the following response codes:
The API supports the following operations:
An example integration procedure that an integrator might perform when s/he integrates or registers organization x, e.g. preparatory to performing the methods of Flowcharts 1, 2 above, is now described (it is appreciated that when each new organization is registered the operations performed may depend on requirements defined for that specific organization). Some or all of the following operations may be performed:
It is appreciated that the specific implementation of certain embodiments may be protocol-specific.
The following example assumes that the CoAS sends CoA to users' desktop Instant Messaging (IM) applications via via the XMPP protocol. Other implementations may be developed mutatis mutandis, for other protocols.
1. Corporate Instant Messaging System
The CoAS may send CoA to users' desktop Instant Messaging (IM) applications via such protocols as XMPP. In order to send messages via the XMPP protocol some or all of the following operations may to be performed.
1.1. Basic Integration
When the CoAS is first integrated a dedicated user may be assigned to the CoAS for communication with the XMPP platform.
1.2. Per-User Configuration
When a new corporate user is added to the corporate systems the CoAS will generate a “subscription request” (a request from a user for authorization to permanently subscribe to a contact's presence information). Such requests will be of the form:
These subscription requests may be approved in one of two modes:
1.3. Data Exchange
When the need arises to send a CoA to a user via IM, the CoAS initiates a One-to-One session with the user with a type attribute of ‘headline’ (to indicate that the message provides an alert/notification to which no reply is expected) by sending a message of the form:
2. Corporate Presence Information System Example
The CoAS may use presence information via such protocols as XMPP. In order to gather presence information via the XMPP protocol some or all of the following operations may be performed.
2.1. Basic Integration
When the CoAS is first integrated a dedicated user may be assigned to the CoAS for communication with the XMPP platform.
2.2. Per-User Configuration
When a new corporate user is added to the corporate systems the CoAS will generate a “subscription request” (a request from a user for authorization to permanently subscribe to a contact's presence information). This will enable the CoAS to retrieve the presence information for the user. Such requests will be of the form:
These subscription requests may be approved in one of two modes:
2.3. Data Exchange
When the need arises to retrieve a user's presence the CoAS generates a presence probe request, such as the following:
The presence information is then returned to the CoAS—such information may of the form:
3. Physical Access Control System (PACS/PIAM)
The CoAS may use Physical Access Control System information in order to detect whether a user is currently on premises or not. In order to gather such information via the LDAP protocol the operations described in the “Corporate Directory” section herein, may be performed.
4. Corporate Calendar System
The CoAS may use calendar information via such protocols as CalDAV. This is usually done in order to determine whether a user is currently busy (in a meeting) or not. In order to gather such information via the CalDAV protocol some or all of the following operations may be performed.
4.1. Basic Integration
When the CoAS is first integrated a dedicated user may be assigned to the CoAS for communication with the calendar server.
The CALDAV:read-free-busy privilege should be granted on calendar collections, regular collections, and calendar object resources.
4.2. Per-User Configuration
In order for the CoAS to access the correct calendar information for the user one of several approaches may be performed:
4.3. Data Exchange
When the need arises to retrieve a user's free/busy information the CoAS generates a free-busy-query report for the current timestamp, such as the following:
The free/busy information is then returned to the CoAS—such information may be of the form:
5. Corporate Directory
The CoAS may retrieve a user's settings and information from the corporate directory via such protocols as LDAP. In order to gather such information via the LDAP protocol some or all of the following operations may be performed.
5.1. Basic Integration
When the CoAS is first integrated a dedicated user may be assigned to the CoAS for communication with the corporate directory.
In addition certain parameters (e.g. Base DN, specific LDAP schema attribute names) may be provided by the corporate IT department so that the CoAS can successfully search for user information in the corporate directory.
5.2. Per-User Configuration
The CoAS user should have at least read-only access to the information of all corporate users for which the service is to be enabled.
5.3. Data Exchange
When the need arises to retrieve a user's information the CoAS queries this information from the corporate directory via the LDAP protocol, using some or all of the following operations:
The information returned by the server may contain multiple attributes which may be used by the CoAS in the performance of its role. Some examples:
6. Corporate PABX
The CoAS may detect an outgoing or incoming call to a corporate PABX system. This is done by integrating the two platforms. For example, such an integration with the Cisco Unified Call Manager (CUCM) system for this purpose could be done via JTAPI. When using JTAPI, the CoAS serves as a JTAPI client and CUCM acts as the JTAPI server. In this integration scheme the CoAS listens to events and when an outgoing call is detected a notification is sent to the callee according to CoAS's standard notification flow.
6.1. Basic Integration
An application user may be created on CUCM with access to CTI enable. The CoAS then registers as a listener to all JTAPI events.
6.2. Per-User Configuration
The application user may be granted access to all extensions that need to be so monitored.
6.3. Data Exchange
Any or all of computerized sensors, output devices or displays, processors, data storage and networks may be used as appropriate to implement any of the methods and apparatus shown and described herein.
It is appreciated that terminology such as “mandatory”, “required”, “need” and “must” refer to implementation choices made within the context of a particular implementation or application described herewithin for clarity and are not intended to be limiting since in an alternative implantation, the same elements might be defined as not mandatory and not required or might even be eliminated altogether.
Components described herein as software may, alternatively, be implemented wholly or partly in hardware and/or firmware, if desired, using conventional techniques, and vice-versa. Each module or component or processor may be centralized in a single physical location or physical device or distributed over several physical locations or physical devices.
Included in the scope of the present disclosure, inter alia, are electromagnetic signals in accordance with the description herein. These may carry computer-readable instructions for performing any or all of the operations of any of the methods shown and described herein, in any suitable order including simultaneous performance of suitable groups of operations as appropriate; machine-readable instructions for performing any or all of the operations of any of the methods shown and described herein, in any suitable order; program storage devices readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform any or all of the operations of any of the methods shown and described herein, in any suitable order; a computer program product comprising a computer useable medium having computer readable program code, such as executable code, having embodied therein, and/or including computer readable program code for performing, any or all of the operations of any of the methods shown and described herein, in any suitable order; any technical effects brought about by any or all of the operations of any of the methods shown and described herein, when performed in any suitable order; any suitable apparatus or device or combination of such, programmed to perform, alone or in combination, any or all of the operations of any of the methods shown and described herein, in any suitable order; electronic devices each including at least one processor and/or cooperating input device and/or output device and operative to perform e.g. in software any operations shown and described herein; information storage devices or physical records, such as disks or hard drives, causing at least one computer or other device to be configured so as to carry out any or all of the operations of any of the methods shown and described herein, in any suitable order; at least one program pre-stored e.g. in memory or on an information network such as the Internet, before or after being downloaded, which embodies any or all of the operations of any of the methods shown and described herein, in any suitable order, and the method of uploading or downloading such, and a system including server/s and/or client/s for using such; at least one processor configured to perform any combination of the described operations or to execute any combination of the described modules; and hardware which performs any or all of the operations of any of the methods shown and described herein, in any suitable order, either alone or in conjunction with software. Any computer-readable or machine-readable media described herein is intended to include non-transitory computer- or machine-readable media.
Any computations or other forms of analysis described herein may be performed by a suitable computerized method. Any operation or functionality described herein may be wholly or partially computer-implemented e.g. by one or more processors. The invention shown and described herein may include (a) using a computerized method to identify a solution to any of the problems or for any of the objectives described herein, the solution optionally include at least one of a decision, an action, a product, a service or any other information described herein that impacts, in a positive manner, a problem or objectives described herein; and (b) outputting the solution.
The system may if desired be implemented as a web-based system employing software, computers, routers and telecommunications equipment as appropriate.
Any suitable deployment may be employed to provide functionalities e.g. software functionalities shown and described herein. For example, a server may store certain applications, for download to clients, which are executed at the client side, the server side serving only as a storehouse. Some or all functionalities e.g. software functionalities shown and described herein may be deployed in a cloud environment. Clients e.g. mobile communication devices such as smartphones may be operatively associated with but external to the cloud.
The scope of the present invention is not limited to structures and functions specifically described herein and is also intended to include devices which have the capacity to yield a structure, or perform a function, described herein, such that even though users of the device may not use the capacity, they are if they so desire able to modify the device to obtain the structure or function.
Features of the present invention, including operations, which are described in the context of separate embodiments may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. For example, a system embodiment is intended to include a corresponding process embodiment and vice versa. Also, each system embodiment is intended to include a server-centered “view” or client centered “view”, or “view” from any other node of the system, of the entire functionality of the system, computer-readable medium, apparatus, including only those functionalities performed at that server or client or node. Features may also be combined with features known in the art and particularly although not limited to those described in the Background section or in publications mentioned therein.
Conversely, features of the invention, including operations, which are described for brevity in the context of a single embodiment or in a certain order may be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination, including with features known in the art (particularly although not limited to those described in the Background section or in publications mentioned therein) or in a different order. “e.g.” is used herein in the sense of a specific example which is not intended to be limiting. Each method may comprise some or all of the operations illustrated or described, suitably ordered e.g. as illustrated or described herein.
Devices, apparatus or systems shown coupled in any of the drawings may in fact be integrated into a single platform in certain embodiments or may be coupled via any appropriate wired or wireless coupling such as but not limited to optical fiber, Ethernet, Wireless LAN, HomePNA, power line communication, cell phone, Smart Phone (e.g. iPhone), Tablet, Laptop, PDA, Blackberry GPRS, Satellite including GPS, or other mobile delivery. It is appreciated that in the description and drawings shown and described herein, functionalities described or illustrated as systems and sub-units thereof can also be provided as methods and operations therewithin, and functionalities described or illustrated as methods and operations therewithin can also be provided as systems and sub-units thereof. The scale used to illustrate various elements in the drawings is merely exemplary and/or appropriate for clarity of presentation and is not intended to be limiting.
Priority is claimed from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/207,444 entitled “System and method for confirming authenticity of an organizational affiliation claim” and filed 20 Aug. 2015 and from U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/256,204 entitled “Systems and methods for monitoring communications including identification of imposters” filed 17 Nov. 2015, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/IL2016/050912 | 8/18/2016 | WO | 00 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62207444 | Aug 2015 | US | |
| 62256204 | Nov 2015 | US |
