System and Method for Limiting Spyware Activity

摘要

A system and method of detecting and limiting unsolicited data uploads. Downloaded content such as web pages and emails are scanned for web forms and/or links. A watermark is added where appropriate and the modified downloaded content is forwarded to the person who requested the content. A check is made to determine whether information received from a user includes appropriate watermarks. If so, the watermark is removed and the information is forwarded to its destination.

主权项

1. A machine readable medium, on which are stored instructions for limiting unsolicited data uploads over a network, comprising instructions that when executed cause a gateway to:
detect a web form contained in a file, wherein the file is an email or a web page downloaded by a user device; attach a watermark to the web form to form a trusted web form responsive to detecting the web form, wherein the watermark includes enough data to verify that data uploaded via the web form belongs to the trusted web form; transfer the file containing the trusted web form to the user device; receive uploaded web form data at the gateway from the user device; determine that the uploaded web form data originated from a human responsive to the uploaded web form data including the watermark of the trusted web form; determine that the uploaded web form data is unsolicited web form data responsive to the uploaded web form data not including the watermark of the trusted web form; and allow transfer of only uploaded web form data that originated from a human.