Social Media Security System for Preventing Unintended Information Disclosure

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Current digital security solutions fail to address the emerging risk of unintended information disclosure through social media, where users inadvertently share sensitive information that can lead to harmful consequences, such as identity theft, reputational damage, and regulatory violations, due to a lack of awareness and technological countermeasures.

Innovation Solution

A system and method that scans and analyzes social media content in real-time or batch mode to detect potentially harmful information, warns users, and automatically or manually modifies or removes such content, while also providing incentives for users to improve their security through a reward mechanism.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If traditional digital security solutions are used to protect against technical vulnerabilities, then technical security is improved, but protection against unintended information disclosure through social media is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetechnical securityVSAvoidunintended information disclosure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary scanning and analysis of social media content before it is published, detecting potentially harmful information in advance. This preliminary action allows the system to warn users and prevent unintended information disclosure before it occurs, addressing the limitation of traditional security solutions that react after technical vulnerabilities are exploited.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary security system that sits between the user and social media platforms. This intermediary analyzes content, provides warnings, and can block publication of harmful information, serving as a mediator that enhances protection against unintended disclosure without requiring changes to the underlying social media infrastructure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Measurement precision

If real-time scanning and analysis of social media content is implemented, then detection of harmful information is improved, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedetection accuracyVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The security system is segmented into distinct functional modules: scanning module, analysis module, warning module, and blocking module. Each module performs a specific function in the content review process, making the overall complex system manageable and maintainable while achieving high detection accuracy through specialized processing at each stage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system employs automated scanning and analysis algorithms that operate independently without requiring constant human intervention. The self-service capability allows the system to continuously monitor and analyze social media content in real-time, maintaining high detection accuracy while reducing the operational complexity burden on users.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

3Reliability

If automated content modification and removal is implemented, then prevention of information leaks is improved, but user control is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation leak preventionVSAvoiduser control
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system provides feedback to users when potentially harmful content is detected, presenting warnings and recommendations before automatic modification or removal occurs. This feedback mechanism maintains user control by allowing users to review decisions and override automated actions if they believe the content should be published, thus balancing leak prevention with user autonomy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies preliminary anti-action by blocking or modifying potentially harmful content before it can cause damage, but only after user confirmation or within configurable parameters. This approach prevents information leaks by acting in advance while preserving user control through configurable automation levels and approval workflows.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

4Reliability

If comprehensive security monitoring and scanning is performed, then security coverage is improved, but processing time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity coverageVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs periodic scanning and analysis of social media content at scheduled intervals and triggered events, rather than continuously monitoring all content in real-time. This periodic action maintains comprehensive security coverage for published content while reducing processing time and resource consumption compared to continuous real-time analysis of all user activities.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #19Periodic action

Data Source

PatentUS11438334B2Systems and methods for securing social media for users and businesses and rewarding for enhancing security
Publication Date: 2022.09.06 SECUREMYSOCIAL INC
  • US11438334B2 patent drawing
  • US11438334B2 patent drawing
  • US11438334B2 patent drawing

AI summary

The disclosed system and method enhances security of people, organizations, and other entities that use what has been termed “social media.” Recent trends have shown that information posted to social media may cause tremendous damage to individuals and other entities. This includes information that was posted deliberately or unintentionally, including social security numbers, financial data and other sensitive information. Further, information that previously may have been viewed as innocuous, such as location data, has caused harm on certain occasions and may need to be protected. The disclosed system provides a novel method of screening, identifying, and preventing certain information from being posted on social media and other public locations. In addition, the disclosed system and method improves security by motivating people to use security software by offering rewards for its use.