Managing data on computer and telecommunications networks

Abstract

Protecting personal information by generating entity-specific aliases for use in communication with third parties is disclosed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 an alias data store operative to store a key value in association with an alias that is specific to an entity;   an alias generation engine, coupled to the alias data store, operative to:
 generate the alias from the key value; 
 store the key value in association with the alias in the alias data store; 
   an alias agent engine, coupled to the alias data store, operative to:
 receive a message having:
 a message source; 
 a first message destination that includes the alias; 
 
 replace the first message destination with a second message destination that includes the key value stored in association with the alias in the alias data store; 
 send the message to the second message destination; 
   whereby a recipient of the message can determine whether the entity sent the message using the alias that is specific to the entity.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the alias generation engine is operative to receive the key value from a client device. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the alias generation engine is operative to store an identifier of the entity in association with the alias in the alias data store. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the alias generation engine is operative to send the alias to a client device. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising an aliased information provisioning engine, coupled to the alias data store, operative to send aliased personal information that includes at least the alias to a third party. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , further comprising a personal information data store, coupled to the aliased information provisioning engine, wherein the aliased information provisioning engine is operative to store personal information in the personal information data store and wherein the aliased personal information includes some of the personal information. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a third party device;   a client device operative to send personal information to the third party device, wherein the personal information includes the alias.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the alias agent engine is operative to receive the message from a third party device. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a message server operative to:
 receive the message from the alias agent engine;   provide the message to a client device.   
     
     
         10 . A system comprising:
 an alias data mod store operative to store a key value in association with an alias that is specific to an entity;   an alias generation engine, coupled to the alias mod data store, operative to:
 generate the alias from the key value; 
 store the key value in association with the alias in the alias mod data store; 
   an aliased information provisioning engine, coupled to the alias mod data store, operative to provide the alias in the alias mod data store and personal information responsive to a personal information gathering prompt at a third party site, wherein the personal information gathering prompt includes a prompt for at least contact information to which the alias is responsive;   a message reception engine operative to receive a message that includes the alias and a message source;   whereby a recipient of the message can determine whether the entity sent the message using the alias that is specific to the entity.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the aliased information provisioning engine is further operative to provide updates from the alias mod data store to a controlled data management server. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising a user profile mod data store, coupled to the aliased information provisioning engine, wherein the aliased information provisioning engine is further operative to store the personal information responsive to the personal information gathering prompt at the third party site in the user profile mod data store. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the aliased information provisioning engine is further operative to provide updates from the user profile mod data store to a controlled data management server. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a site labeling engine operative to provide a label indicative of characteristics of an entity associated with the third party site;   a navigation engine, coupled to the site labeling engine, operative to display the label in association with the third party site.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the site labeling engine obtains information from an entity profile data store that includes information about the entity associated with the third party site. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 an entity profile data store operative to store information about an entity associated with the third party site;   an entity profile generation engine, coupled to the entity profile data store, operative to:
 obtain information about the entity associated with the third party site; 
 store the information in the entity profile data store. 
   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 an alias data store operative to store the key value in association with the alias;   a user profile updating engine, coupled to the alias data store, operative to:
 receive updates from the alias mod data store; 
   store the updates in the alias data store.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 a user profile data store operative to store personal information in association with the key value;   a user profile updating engine, coupled to the user profile data store, operative to:
 receive updates from the user profile mod data store; 
 store the updates in the user profile data store. 
   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 an alias agent engine, coupled to the message reception engine, operative to:
 receive a message having a message destination that includes the alias; 
 provide the message to the message reception engine. 
   
     
     
         20 . A method comprising:
 obtaining a key value for use in communication with a user;   generating from the key value an alias for use in communication with a third party;   receiving a message having a first message destination that includes the alias;   replacing the first message destination with a second message destination that includes the key value for use in communication with the user;   sending the message to the second message destination;   whereby the user can determine whether the third party sent the message using the alias for use in communication with the third party.