Patent ID: 7640308

Claim:
A method for removing metadata and hidden information from a file attached to an electronic mail, the method comprising: allowing a user to attach the file to an electronic mail using a computer including a processor executing the following steps: when the file is attached to the electronic mail, making a temporary copy of the file, and automatically checking a file type of the file to determine if the file type is recognized; if the file type is recognized, searching for metadata and hidden information by parsing an extensible markup language portion of the file; if the metadata or hidden information is found in the file, adding a banner to a header of the electronic mail prior to the user selecting to send the electronic mail to alert the user of the metadata and hidden information to remove; allowing the user to select the banner to initiate removal of the metadata and hidden information from the file; upon selection of the banner, providing a user a list of different types of the metadata and hidden information associated with the file attached to the electronic mail; allowing the user to select which of the different types of the metadata and hidden information to remove from the file; and scrubbing the file to remove the selected metadata and hidden information prior to the user selecting to send the electronic mail.