Patents by Inventor Mary Ellen Zurko

Mary Ellen Zurko has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9009815
    Abstract: An approach is provided to increase password strength in a group of users. The approach detects a password event corresponding to one of the users. In response to the detected password event, the approach identifies a strength of the user's password and compares it to one or more password strength metrics that correspond to the group of users. The password strength comparison data is then transmitted as feedback back to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Olgierd Stanislaw Pieczul, Mary Ellen Zurko
  • Patent number: 8984593
    Abstract: A system, and computer usable program product for securing asynchronous client server transactions are provided in the illustrative embodiments. A request including an application identifier and a version of a second application is received at a first application. A service identifier is generated if a session with the second application is valid. A registry is generated at the first application. A catalog is generated based on the registry and the service identifier and the catalog are sent to the second application. A sub-request including the service identifier is received as part of an asynchronous client server transaction. Validity of the sub-request is determined by determining whether the service identifier has expired, whether the sub-request requests a service that is permissible according to the catalog, whether the service identifier is used in conjunction with the second application, or a combination thereof. If the sub-request is valid, the service is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 17, 2015
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven A. Bade, Harold Moss, Mary Ellen Zurko
  • Publication number: 20150046972
    Abstract: These and other objectives are attained with a method and system for evaluating an access policy change. The method comprises the step of providing an access control mechanism having a first policy, and an audit log having entries of accesses made under that first policy. The method comprises the further steps of submitting a second policy to the access control mechanism, comparing the log entries to the second policy, and based on the results of the comparing step, taking one of a predetermined number of actions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 23, 2014
    Publication date: February 12, 2015
    Inventors: Mary Ellen Zurko, George R. Blakley, III
  • Publication number: 20140372474
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method of employing organizational context within a collaborative tagging system can include receiving at least one tag for an artifact from a user, determining at least one attribute of the user, and storing a tag record including the tag, the attribute of the user, and an association of the tag with the artifact.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2014
    Publication date: December 18, 2014
    Inventors: Mustansir Banatwala, Mary Ellen Zurko
  • Patent number: 8903360
    Abstract: The illustrative embodiments provide a method, apparatus, and computer program product for validating a mobile device. Voice data is received from the mobile device. The voice data comprises a recording of a pass phrase spoken by a user at the mobile device. A determination is made as to whether the mobile device is a valid mobile device using the voice data. An access code to the mobile device is sent in response to a determination that the mobile device is the valid mobile device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Joseph Celi, Jr., Brett Gavagni, Mary Ellen Zurko
  • Patent number: 8904476
    Abstract: These and other objectives are attained with a method and system for evaluating an access policy change. The method comprises the step of providing an access control mechanism having a first policy, and an audit log having entries of accesses made under that first policy. The method comprises the further steps of submitting a second policy to the access control mechanism, comparing the log entries to the second policy, and based on the results of the comparing step, taking one of a predetermined number of actions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mary Ellen Zurko, George R. Blakley, III
  • Patent number: 8874660
    Abstract: A system and method for circumventing a do-not-disturb status of an instant messaging user including defining a policy of circumvention rights for circumventing do-not-disturb status in instant messaging. A do-not-disturb status of an instant messaging user is identified, and the do-not-disturb status of the instant messaging user is circumvented based upon the policy of circumvention rights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2014
    Assignee: Internatonal Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Gary Denner, Patrick Joseph O'Sullivan, Ruthie D. Lyle, Mary Ellen Zurko, Cynthia E. Barber-Mingo
  • Patent number: 8856874
    Abstract: A web application decomposed into one or more domain sandboxes ensures that the contents of each sandbox are protected from attacks on the web application outside that sandbox. Sandboxing is achieved on a per-element basis by identifying content that should be put under protection, generating a secure domain name for the identified content, and replacing the identified content with a unique reference (e.g., an iframe) to the generated secure domain. The identified content is then served only from the generated secure domain using a content handler.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: October 7, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Olgierd Pieczul, Mark Alexander McGloin, Mary Ellen Zurko
  • Publication number: 20140282939
    Abstract: An approach is provided to increase password strength in a group of users. The approach detects a password event corresponding to one of the users. In response to the detected password event, the approach identifies a strength of the user's password and compares it to one or more password strength metrics that correspond to the group of users. The password strength comparison data is then transmitted as feedback back to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Olgierd Stanislaw Pieczul, Mary Ellen Zurko
  • Patent number: 8819787
    Abstract: A method for securing asynchronous client server transactions is provided in the illustrative embodiments. A request including an application identifier and a version of a second application is received at a first application. A service identifier is generated if a session with the second application is valid. A registry is generated at the first application. A catalog is generated based on the registry and the service identifier and the catalog are sent to the second application. A sub-request including the service identifier is received as part of an asynchronous client server transaction. Validity of the sub-request is determined by determining whether the service identifier has expired, whether the sub-request requests a service that is permissible according to the catalog, whether the service identifier is used in conjunction with the second application, or a combination thereof. If the sub-request is valid, the service is provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven A Bade, Harold Moss, Mary Ellen Zurko
  • Patent number: 8819066
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method of employing organizational context within a collaborative tagging system can include receiving at least one tag for an artifact from a user, determining at least one attribute of the user, and storing a tag record including the tag, the attribute of the user, and an association of the tag with the artifact.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mustansir Banatwala, Mary Ellen Zurko
  • Patent number: 8756665
    Abstract: A user authenticates to a Web- or cloud-based application from a browser-based client. The browser-based client has an associated rich client. After a session is initiated from the browser-based client (and a credential obtained), the user can discover that the rich client is available and cause it to obtain the credential (or a new one) for use in authenticating the user to the application (using the rich client) automatically, i.e., without additional user input. An application interface provides the user with a display by which the user can configure the rich client authentication operation, such as specifying whether the rich client should be authenticated automatically if it detected as running, whether and what extent access to the application by the rich client is to be restricted, if and when access to the application by the rich client is to be revoked, and the like.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 17, 2014
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Olgierd Stanislaw Pieczul, Mark Alexander McGloin, Mary Ellen Zurko
  • Publication number: 20130310002
    Abstract: The illustrative embodiments provide a method, apparatus, and computer program product for validating a mobile device. Voice data is received from the mobile device. The voice data comprises a recording of a pass phrase spoken by a user at the mobile device. A determination is made as to whether the mobile device is a valid mobile device using the voice data. An access code to the mobile device is sent in response to a determination that the mobile device is the valid mobile device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Publication date: November 21, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Joseph Celi, Jr., Brett Gavagni, Mary Ellen Zurko
  • Publication number: 20130297681
    Abstract: A system, and computer usable program product for securing asynchronous client server transactions are provided in the illustrative embodiments. A request including an application identifier and a version of a second application is received at a first application. A service identifier is generated if a session with the second application is valid. A registry is generated at the first application. A catalog is generated based on the registry and the service identifier and the catalog are sent to the second application. A sub-request including the service identifier is received as part of an asynchronous client server transaction. Validity of the sub-request is determined by determining whether the service identifier has expired, whether the sub-request requests a service that is permissible according to the catalog, whether the service identifier is used in conjunction with the second application, or a combination thereof. If the sub-request is valid, the service is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: STEVEN A. BADE, HAROLD MOSS, MARY ELLEN ZURKO
  • Patent number: 8555339
    Abstract: A technique that identifies registered or guest users in web meetings of the type wherein users must follow a supplied URL to attend the meeting. Registered and guest users are provided different forms of the meeting invite URL. Each registered user receives a common web meeting link (a URL) that he must follow to join the meeting. This link forces the registered user to authenticate to the service when used. A guest user invitee receives a unique URL for the meeting that is generated with a nonce value associated with the guess user's contact information. The nonce value does not expose the contact information. To join the meeting, each registered user must follow the common web meeting link and authenticate to the service. True identities of the web meeting participants are displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Date of Patent: October 8, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Mark Alexander McGloin, Olgierd Stanislaw Pieczul, Mary Ellen Zurko
  • Patent number: 8544068
    Abstract: A method to manage access to end user-protected resources hosted in a shared pool of configurable computing resources, such as a cloud computing environment, begins by registering a particular application or service into the environment. The application or service is one that is being permitted to access resources on behalf of end users via a delegated authorization protocol, such as OAuth. For at least one end user associated with the organization, a permission is set, preferably by an organization entity, such as an organization administrator. The permission determines whether the application or service is permitted to access one or more resources associated with the end user. Then, in response to a request by the third party application to access a resource, where the request is received via the delegated authorization protocol, the permission is then used to determine whether the third party application is permitted to access the resource.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2010
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Robert Leslie Yates, Prashant S. Kulkarni, Mary Ellen Zurko
  • Publication number: 20130246515
    Abstract: A method for securing asynchronous client server transactions is provided in the illustrative embodiments. A request including an application identifier and a version of a second application is received at a first application. A service identifier is generated if a session with the second application is valid. A registry is generated at the first application. A catalog is generated based on the registry and the service identifier and the catalog are sent to the second application. A sub-request including the service identifier is received as part of an asynchronous client server transaction. Validity of the sub-request is determined by determining whether the service identifier has expired, whether the sub-request requests a service that is permissible according to the catalog, whether the service identifier is used in conjunction with the second application, or a combination thereof. If the sub-request is valid, the service is provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 7, 2013
    Publication date: September 19, 2013
    Applicant: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven A. BADE, Harold MOSS, Mary Ellen ZURKO
  • Publication number: 20130238789
    Abstract: A monitoring tool can monitor network location of a digital asset hosted by a cloud service provider. Movement of the digital asset from a first network location to a second network location is detected. In response to detecting that the digital asset moves, a geographic location that corresponds to the second network location is determined. It is then determined that the geographic location deviates from a geographic setting configured for the digital asset. A notification that the digital asset has been moved to the geographic location that deviates from the geographic setting is generated.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2013
    Publication date: September 12, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Steven A. Bade, Harold Moss, III, Mary Ellen Zurko
  • Patent number: 8527633
    Abstract: A technique for addressing geographical location issues in a computing environment includes receiving, at a data processing system, location information indicating a permissible geographical location in which a virtual machine image for a consumer may be deployed. A request for an exception to deploy the virtual machine image outside of the permissible geographical location is issued, from the data processing system. An exception grant or an exception denial is received, at the data processing system, from the consumer in response to the request. The virtual machine image is deployed, using the data processing system, to one or more servers in the computing environment that are outside of the permissible geographical location in response to receipt of the exception grant. The virtual machine image is deployed, using the data processing system, to one or more servers in the computing environment that are within the permissible geographical location in response to receipt of the exception denial.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2013
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Steven A. Bade, Harold Moss, III, Mary Ellen Zurko
  • Publication number: 20130179941
    Abstract: A technique that identifies registered or guest users in web meetings of the type wherein users must follow a supplied URL to attend the meeting. Registered and guest users are provided different forms of the meeting invite URL. Each registered user receives a common web meeting link (a URL) that he must follow to join the meeting. This link forces the registered user to authenticate to the service when used. A guest user invitee receives a unique URL for the meeting that is generated with a nonce value associated with the guess user's contact information. The nonce value does not expose the contact information. To join the meeting, each registered user must follow the common web meeting link and authenticate to the service. True identities of the web meeting participants are displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 6, 2012
    Publication date: July 11, 2013
    Applicant: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mark Alexander McGloin, Olgierd Stanislaw Pieczul, Mary Ellen Zurko