Patent ID: 8646072

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of detecting misuse of a trusted seal by a website having a plurality of images on a plurality of web pages, the method comprising: identifying a subset of pages of the plurality of web pages of the website that collect personally-identifiable information; detecting a plurality of images contained in the identified subset of pages that collect personally-identifiable information; responsive to detecting that a page in the identified subset collects personally-identifiable information, determining whether spatial dimensions of images contained in the page of the website are similar to spatial dimensions of images of trusted seals issued by known trusted parties to websites certified as using appropriate security procedures; selecting at least one image of the website for comparison responsive to spatial dimensions of the selected image being similar to spatial dimensions of an image of a trusted seal; comparing the selected image of the website to the image of the trusted seal; responsive to the comparison indicating that the selected image of the website matches the image of the trusted seal, verifying that the website is authorized to use the trusted seal; and responsive to the verification indicating that the website is not authorized to use the trusted seal, reporting that the website is misusing the trusted seal.