Patent ID: 8347396

Claim:
A computer implemented method for protecting sensitive content, the computer implemented method comprising: responsive to receiving a selection of content, determining that the content contains an email address; generating, by a computer processor, a sensitive content reference for publication of the content containing the email address on a web page; responsive to receiving a request from a requestor for the content containing the email address, obfuscating the email address using a selected obfuscation algorithm to form obfuscated content; returning the obfuscated content to the requestor, wherein the obfuscated content is published on the web page in place of the content, and wherein publishing the obfuscated content protects the email address from detection by a data collection bot; and responsive to receiving a threshold number of unsolicited emails at the email address, identifying the selected obfuscation algorithm as unsafe, wherein the threshold number is specified in an obfuscation algorithm policy, wherein the selected obfuscation algorithm is selected according to one or more conditions specified in the obfuscation algorithm policy, wherein the one or more conditions comprise a type of the content and an amount of time that the obfuscation algorithm has been used.