Abstract: Financial data associated with a consumer is obtained and analyzed to generate merchant watch list data associated with consumer. Sale events data is obtained associated with one or more sale events being sponsored by one or more merchants. Geographic position data associated with the consumer is the monitored and obtained. The merchant watch list data, the sale events data, and the geographic position data associated with the consumer, is then analyzed to identify matched sale event data representing sale events being sponsored by one or more merchants identified in the merchant watch list data and having sale event location data indicating a sale event location within a defined threshold distance of the approximate current geographic location of the consumer, and/or an anticipated future geographic location of the consumer. Sale event alert data is then provided to the consumer.

Abstract: Instructions for monitoring and detecting one or more trigger events in assets used to implement an application are generated. Instructions for implementing at least one responsive action associated with each of the one or more trigger events is generated. At least part of instructions for monitoring and detecting the one or more trigger events is provided to an asset used to implement the application. The at least part of the instructions for monitoring and detecting the one or more trigger events are used by the asset to detect a trigger event. The instructions for implementing the at least one responsive action associated with each of the one or more trigger events is then used to automatically implement the at least one responsive action associated with the detected trigger event.

Abstract: External events are correlated with patterns of characteristics in virtual assets. Upon detection of a pattern in a different asset that matches a pattern corresponding to an event, that detection is treated as a trigger event, with resulting responsive action(s) and other process operations. Security threats are managed in a similar manner, with first security threats being added to a collection of security threats. When a virtual asset detects a change in operating characteristics, a request is provided for the collection of current security threats, and the collection of security threats is provided responsive to the request.

Abstract: An encryption proxy is instantiated in a first computing environment and includes encryption proxy authentication data for identifying itself to a secrets distribution management system in a second computing environment as a trusted virtual asset to receive and cache encryption key data in a secure encryption key cache outside the second computing environment. The encryption proxy requests one or more encryption keys to be cached and is then provided encryption key data representing the requested encryption keys in the encryption key cache. The encryption proxy then receives application request data from a second virtual asset instantiated in the first computing environment requesting one or more encryption keys be applied to second virtual asset data. The encryption proxy then obtains the required encryption keys from the secure secrets cache and coordinates the application of the encryption keys to the second virtual asset data.

Abstract: A method for providing messages to a user during a call includes receiving a call from a user. The method may further include retrieving, based on the call, a unique identifier of the user, and placing the user in a call queue in an order defined by when the call is received. While the user is in the call queue, user data matching the unique identifier of the user is retrieved, the user data is analyzed to identify, based on the prior interaction, a problem of the user with the software application. The method may further include generating, in response to identifying the problem of the user, user data messages, and initiating presentation of the user data messages to the user while the user is in the call queue.

Abstract: Some embodiments of the present invention provide a system that facilitates interactivity during automated web-site accesses. During operation, the system executes a script which automatically accesses one or more websites. While executing the script, the system retrieves user-specific data associated with a user. The system then uses the user-specific data to access a target website. While accessing the target website, the system receives an interactivity request which the system presents to the user. The system then receives a response to the interactivity request from the user, and forwards the response to the website.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates use of a website. During operation, the system enrolls a claim containing an assertion of a characteristic of the website with a central authority. To enroll the claim, the system obtains the claim from an issuer of the claim and includes a first secure attribute with the claim, wherein the first secure attribute is signed with a first private key of the central authority. Next, the system enables verification of the claim using the first secure attribute and a first public key of the central authority.

Abstract: A method for managing a plurality of financial documents using a financial management application (FMA). The method includes performing a plurality of activities of the FMA, recording, in an activity feed, the plurality of activities and metadata describing characteristics of performing the plurality of activities, selecting, in response to a user request to undo a first activity of the plurality of activities, the first activity from the activity feed, selecting, based on the metadata and from the plurality of financial documents, a first financial document that was accessed by the FMA when performing the first activity, identifying, based on the metadata, a first result of the first activity on the first financial document, and modifying the first financial document to remove the first result of the first activity.

Abstract: A method and system applies a probabilistic topic model to content in a tax environment to improve user satisfaction with a question and answer customer support system, according to one embodiment. The probabilistic topic model may be the Latent Dirichlet allocation algorithm or other implementations of probabilistic topic models, according to various embodiments. The method and system include receiving submission content from a user, according to one embodiment. The method and system include applying a probabilistic topic model to the submission content to determine submission content topics and submission content statistics, according to one embodiment. The method and system include generating and providing customer support content at least partially based on the submission content topics and at least partially based on the submission content statistics, to facilitate use of the question and answer customer support system by the user, according to one embodiment.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that facilitates testing of an insecure computing environment. During operation, the system obtains a real data set comprising a set of data strings. Next, the system determines a set of frequency distributions associated with the set of data strings. The system then generates a test data set from the real data set, wherein the test data set comprises a set of random data strings that conforms to the set of frequency distributions. Finally, the system tests the insecure computing environment using the test data set.

Abstract: In general, in one aspect, the invention relates to a method for populating a field on a form. The method includes: establishing a communication session between a first computing device and a second computing device; receiving, from a user of the first computing device, a selection of source data; transferring, over the secure communication session, the source data from the first computing device to the second computing device; matching, based on a matching criterion, the source data to the field in the second computing device; calculating, after matching the source data to the field, a value for the field based on the matching criterion and the source data; and populating the field with the value.

Abstract: A method and system transfers the hosting of financial services to a virtual asset computing environment from a hardware asset computing environment, according to one embodiment. The method and system transfers a secondary copy of application data to a storage device, and delivers the storage device to a second computing system from the first computing system using a parcel courier, according to one embodiment. The method and system receives, with the second computing system, the secondary copy of the application data from the storage device, and configures virtual assets to execute a second instance of the financial services application to enable the second computing system to provide the financial services to the multiple users, according to one embodiment. The method and system configures the second computing system as a primary service provider, according to one embodiment.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that manages access to an online user account. During operation, the system uses stored authentication credentials for a user to access the online user account of the user. Next, the system aggregates financial data for the user from the online user account. Upon detecting an error associated with aggregating the financial data, the system obtains error information describing the error from a web page associated with the error. Next, when the user subsequently accesses the aggregated financial data, the system displays the error information to the user to facilitate resolution of the error by the user.

Abstract: During operation of a system, a financial transaction of an individual is associated with one or more predefined categories based on scores that indicate the likelihood of association. For example, a given predefined category may include a merchant name (such as the name of a potential counterparty in the financial transaction) and/or an attribute associated with one or more merchants. The score for a given predefined category may be determined based on financial-transaction preferences of the individual, where the financial-transaction preferences are specified by financial transactions in a financial-transaction history of the individual. The financial-transaction preferences may include a business-size preference (such as local versus national chains) and/or predefined categories in the financial-transaction history.

Abstract: A method and system personalizes and facilitates an electronic tax return preparation interview in a tax return preparation system, using a multi-sectional view of interview content, according to one embodiment. The method and system displays first user income information at least partially based on user data, and displays characteristics for the first user income information in a first section of a user interface to indicate to the user which of the first user income information has been identified by an electronic tax return preparation system, according to one embodiment. The method and system, in a second section of the user interface, acquires second user income information from the user, and updates the first section of the user interface with the second user income information acquired from the user within the second section of the user interface.

Abstract: A method is provided for generating unique content using information received from a user. The method includes receiving, from a user, data. The data includes restrictions for content and information associated with a business entity. Further, the method includes analyzing the data to identify a subject matter of the content. The method also includes obtaining a content template that corresponds with the subject matter. The content template comprises a block of text with a plurality of blanks. The method further includes accessing and analyzing a terminology library to identify a required data item. Moreover, the method includes generating search terms based on the required data item, and searching the Internet using the search terms to obtain the required data item. Still yet, the method includes identifying a subset of additional terminology, which is used to generate raw content. Furthermore, the method includes obtaining unique content by modifying the raw content.

Abstract: The disclosed embodiments provide a system that processes data. During operation, the system obtains a data set and metadata corresponding to a data model. Next, the system displays, within a user interface, a visualization of the data model to a user independently of a domain of the data set. The system then uses the metadata to provide a glossary of terms related to the data model in the user interface without requiring configuration of the glossary for use with the data model.

Abstract: An application is implemented in the production environment in which the application will be used. Fabricated user data associated with the application implemented in the production environment is then generated and provided to the application as implemented in the production environment. The fabricated user data is then processed by the application in the production environment to transform the fabricated user data into fabricated user results data. In one embodiment, the fabricated user results data is then analyzed to evaluate the production environment and/or operation of the application in the production environment.

Abstract: A method and system for correlating patterns of operating virtual assets with external events includes receiving an identification of one of the external events, from one or more electronic sources, and receiving first patterns from one or more first virtual assets, according to one embodiment. The method and system include populating a database with the first patterns and the identification of the one of the external events to map the one of the external events to the first patterns, according to one embodiment. The method and system include receiving second patterns from one or more second virtual assets, and comparing the second patterns to the first patterns, according to one embodiment. The method and system include distributing the identification of the one of the external events to the one or more second virtual assets, if the second patterns are similar to the first patterns, according to one embodiment.