Abstract: A client communicates with private websites and/or public websites via a network. The client includes a security engine that prevents a user from unknowingly exposing private information. The security engine monitors web browsing for user submittal of information to a website. The security engine determines a category for the website and analyzes the information submitted to the website. The security engine determines if there is a risk of exposing information from the submittal and performs enforcement if it is determined that there is a risk.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring sensitive data on a computer network is described. In one embodiment, a method for protecting sensitive data from being leaked to a computer network comprises monitoring data related to a user that is presented on one or more web pages through a common interface, which enables a search for sensitive data on the one or more web pages of the one or more web sites and determining a disclosure of the sensitive data on a web page of one or more web pages.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for determining a file set. The method may include identifying a file set. The method may also include identifying a first file in the file set. The first file may comprise a first value in a first property field. The method may further comprise identifying a second file in the file set. The second file may comprise a second value in the first property field. The first value may be different than the second value. The method may include transmitting a first file identifier of the first file and a second file identifier of the second file from a first computing device to a second computing device. The second computing device may identify a set of known-good-file identifiers. The second computing device may transmit the set of known-good-file identifiers to the first computing device. Corresponding systems and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for enforcing parental-control policies on user-generated content may include identifying a web document with user-generated content and identifying a set of links in the web document that relate to the user-generated content in the web document. The method may also include identifying a target web document for each link in the set of links and determining a parental-control rating for each link in the set of links based on the target web document. The method may further include generating a composite rating of the web document based on the parental-control rating of each link in the set of links. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable-storage media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for managing power usage of a computing device based on power-management information from a power grid may comprise: 1) receiving power-management information from a power grid, 2) identifying power-usage requirements of the computing device, and then 3) determining, by analyzing the power-management information and the power-usage requirements of the computing device, whether to adjust power usage of the computing device. The method may also comprise adjusting the power usage of the computing device in accordance with the power-management information. Corresponding systems and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: As will be described in greater detail below, the instant disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for reducing the amount of time required to reconnect to a computing network. In one example, an exemplary method for accomplishing this task may include: 1) initiating a DHCP request for an IP address and then, while waiting for the DHCP request to resolve, 2) identifying a prior IP address previously used by the computing device to access the computing network, 3) probing the computing network to ensure that the prior IP address is not currently in use by other devices within the computing network, and 4) accessing the computing network using the prior IP address. Corresponding systems and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: Computer-implemented methods for delegating access to online accounts and for facilitating delegates' access to these online accounts are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for delegating access to an online account comprises receiving a request to delegate access to a first online account to a first delegate, identifying the first online account, identifying a contact record for the first delegate, and delegating access to the first online account to the first delegate by associating the contact record for the first delegate with the first online account. Corresponding systems and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for emulating the behavior of a user in a computer-human interaction environment is described. An image of a window and data relating to positions of clicks executed within the image are received. A probabilistic model is created to estimate a probability of a click being executed in a region of a window. Clicks, in accordance with the probabilistic model, are executed within windows associated with a plurality of applications. A clicks distribution model is created based on the position of the clicks executed within the windows of the plurality of applications. Clicks, in accordance with the clicks distribution model, are executed within a window associated with an application being tested.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for providing information associated with service providers using a social network is described. In one embodiment, a method of providing indicia of familiarity with the service providers comprises identifying one or more relationships between one or more service providers and a user using a social network associated with the user and generating information regarding the one or more relationships, wherein the information comprises a social distance between the user and each service provider of the one or more service providers where the social distance represents an indicia of familiarity between the user and each service provider of the one or more service providers.

Abstract: A system processes a set of instructions, each of which indicates an action to perform on a user interface. The system does not have prior information concerning the layout of the user interface, nor does the system interact with the user interface through an automation API. For each instruction in the set, the system automatically performs the indicated action on the user interface. To do so, the system identifies the selected control on an active window, and determines whether it is the control to activate in order to perform the indicated action. If so, the system generates an input signal configured to activate the selected control, and sends the input signal to the user interface. If not, the system selects a new control and determines whether it is the desired one. The system cycles through the controls to find the desired one to activate.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method may include identifying a first communication between a child and a contact and categorizing content of the first communication to create a first categorization. The method may also include identifying a second communication between the child and the contact and categorizing content of the second communication to create a second categorization. The method may further include rating, based at least in part on the first and second categorizations, an online relationship of the child and the contact and providing the rating of the online relationship to a guardian of the contact. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for accessing local system resources from a browser is described. The method for providing access to local computer system resources through a browser includes processing network traffic associated with a browser to identify at least one command parameters and communicating the at least one command parameter for execution using local computer system resources.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method comprising identifying a tag, receiving a setting, and associating the setting with the tag. The tag may be associated with an object. The computer-implemented method may also comprise performing an action based on the setting, and the action may be performed with respect to the object. A computer-implemented method may comprise receiving a tag from a user interface, identifying a module, and associating the tag with a module. Corresponding systems and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: Identities of owners of electronic communication aliases are collected from a plurality of client computers across a parental control system. Each collected identity corresponds to an electronic communication aliases used by at least one child associated with the originating client computer. The collected identities and the corresponding electronic communication aliases are stored. Response to receiving a collected identity, previously stored identities corresponding to the same electronic communication alias are retrieved, and compared to the received identity. The more previously stored identities match the received identity, the more likely the received identity is to be accurate. Therefore, based upon the comparison results, it can be determined whether the received identity is accurate or not. If it is determined that the received identity is false, the relevant parents are automatically notified.

Abstract: An exemplary method for providing recommendations to improve boot performance based on community data is disclosed. In one embodiment, such a method may comprise: 1) identifying at least one startup item on a computing device that is scheduled to run at boot time, 2) requesting startup-recommendation information for the startup item from a server, 3) receiving the startup-recommendation information for the startup item from the server, the startup-recommendation information being based on data gathered from a community of users, and then 4) presenting the startup-recommendation information for the startup item to a user. Corresponding systems and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: Computer-implemented methods and systems for detecting and automatically installing missing software components are disclosed. In one example, an exemplary method for performing such a task may comprise: 1) detecting a failed attempt by a process to load a shared object, 2) identifying the shared object requested in the failed attempt, 3) automatically obtaining the shared object from a network-accessible storage device, 4) installing the shared object on the computing device, and then 5) successfully loading the shared object.

Abstract: A method involves generating a business rule; the business rule indicates whether a file should be included in a backup operation. Data is accumulated in a file history database, and the data represents one or more associations of the file. A result is determined, indicating whether the business rule indicates the file should be included in the backup operation. The result is based, at least in part, on the data in the file history database. The result is reported.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method for using geo-location information in sensitive Internet transactions is disclosed. In one example, such a method may include: 1) receiving, from a client device, a request to conduct an Internet transaction, 2) requiring geo-location information from the client device in order to conduct the Internet transaction, 3) receiving the geo-location information from the client device, 4) verifying the validity of the geo-location information, and then 5) conducting the Internet transaction. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Abstract: Outbound network traffic originating from a client is filtered, to check for files targeted for upload to remote sites. When a file targeted for upload to a remote site is detected, a remote storage location at which the client's backup data is stored is checked for a copy of the detected file. If a copy of the file is located at the remote backup site, that copy is substituted for the client copy in the network transmission to the target remote site. By uploading online copies of files when available, the client upload experience is much faster, and local bandwidth is preserved for other tasks.

Abstract: A self access management system allows users to self-grant access rights to resources. An access policy specifies which users have what levels of access to which resources. In addition to specifying conventional access rights, the access policy specifies that at least one user has self management rights to at least one resource. A request from a user to access a resource to which the user does not have conventional access rights is received. The access policy is consulted, to determine whether the user has self management rights to the resource. If so, it is further determined whether criteria specified by the self management rights for accessing the resource are met. Responsive to the criteria being met, the access policy is updated to grant the user access rights to the resource, according to the terms of the self management rights.