Patent ID: 7577995

Claim:
A system to control access to computer applications, comprising: a processor communicating with memory; the processor monitoring a request to launch a computer application, wherein the computer application is running on a computer operating system stored in the memory; locally storing a user profile in the memory that is associated with a user, the user profile comprising a listing of prohibited computer applications to which access is denied; the processor querying the user profile for the requested computer application; if the requested computer application is not found in the user profile, then the processor launches the requested computer application, as the user is authorized to access the requested computer application; if the requested computer application is found in the user profile, then the processor intercepts a message for opening a window associated with the requested computer application before receipt thereof by the computer operating system; the processor prohibits opening the window associated with the requested computer application when the requested computer application is found in the user profile, thus terminating the launch of the requested computer application, as the user is not authorized to access the requested computer application; and when the requested computer application is launched, then the processor opens the window associated with the requested computer application and presents information associated with the requested computer application.