Patent ID: 7822851
Filing Date: 2010-10-26
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method of computer usage monitoring comprising: (a) causing a user computer to be in communication with a server computer via a computer network; (b) causing a listing of keywords, phrases, applications and/or programs to reside on the user computer; (c) causing the user computer to automatically monitor for at least one of the following: keywords or phrases input into an application running on the user computer; the presence of keywords or phrases in a file received by the user computer via the computer network; or the launching of one or more applications or programs on the user computer; (d) in response to the user computer detecting (1) the input of one or more of the listed keywords or phrases into an application running on the user computer, (2) the presence of one or more of the listed keywords or phrases in a file received by the user computer via the computer network, or (3) the launching of one or more of the listed applications or programs on the user computer, causing the user computer to record a digital form of at least one visual image appearing on a video monitor of the user computer; (e) causing the user computer to dispatch the digital form of the recorded image to the server computer via the computer network; (f) causing biometric data regarding a user of the user computer to be stored in the user computer via a biometric device coupled to the user computer; (g) causing the user computer to output on the video monitor of the user computer a re-authentication prompt for biometric input into the biometric device; (h) responsive to a lack of biometric input into the biometric device within a predetermined interval of time following the output of the re-authentication prompt on the video monitor of the user computer or an input of biometric data that does not match the biometric data stored in the user computer, dispatching an indication of said lack of biometric input or an indication that the input biometric data does not match the biometric data stored in the user computer to the server computer via the computer network; and (i) concurrent with the user computer outputting on the video monitor the re-authentication prompt for biometric input into the biometric device, causing a mouse and keyboard of the user computer to be disabled.