Patent ID: 7412724
Filing Date: 2008-08-12
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for checking nodes or information stored at nodes of a data network, said nodes being connected with data transmission paths, said method comprising: providing an automatically searchable mark located at a first node for association with one or both of: a stored information and the first node, the automatically searchable mark corresponding to a privacy policy for controlling storage of, transfer of, or access to the stored information or, controlling access to the first node; said automatically searchable mark further defining one or more of: a permissible storage place where a marked information is permissibly stored, a permissible data transmission path for accessing the marked information or a marked node or, a permissible data transmission path in which the marked information could be permissibly transferred, said automatically searchable mark enabling a prior determination where in said data network a data may reside; and, traversing, by a search engine, said data network to detect and analyze an automatically searchable mark in said data network for detecting the places on which the marked information is stored in said data network and detecting possible data transmission paths for accessing the marked information or the marked node or, detecting a possible data transmission path for transferring the marked information in said data network; comparing, by the search engine, the detected storage place of the marked information with the permissible storage place that is defined by the automatically searchable mark of the marked information and checking whether the privacy policy is maintained, and comparing the detected possible data transmission paths for transferring the marked information or for accessing the marked information or the marked node with the data transmission paths that are defined by the automatically searchable mark of the marked information or by the automatically searchable mark of the marked node, and determining whether the privacy policy is maintained, and generating, by the search engine, an alarm upon determining a privacy policy violation.