Protecting against spam and over-representation in submission of confidential data

Abstract

In an embodiment, a submission history table is maintained by tracking an identification of each user making a submission of a confidential data value and a timestamp of when the corresponding submission was made. A first confidential data value submission is received from a user having a first identification. Member usage information for the user having the first identification, are retrieved based on the first identification. The submission history table is referenced to determine a length of time since the user having the first identification last made a submission of confidential data. It is determined that the user having the first identification is not permitted to submit confidential information based on the member usage information and the length of time since the user having the first identification last made a submission of confidential data. In response to the determining, the first confidential data value is discarded.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computerized method for protecting against over-communication in a computer system, the method comprising:
 maintaining a communication history table by tracking identifications of users sending communications via the computer system and timestamps of when the corresponding communication was sent;   receiving a first communication from a first user sent via the computer system;   retrieving usage information for the first user, based on an identification of the first user, the usage information comprising tracked interactions between the first user and the computer system;   referencing the communication history table to determine a length of time since the first user last made a communication via the computer system;   determining that the first user is not permitted to send a communication via the computer system based on the usage information and the length of time since the first user last sent a communication via the computer system, wherein the determining includes passing usage information and entries in the communication history table for the first user to a communication model trained by a machine learning algorithm to extract features from the usage information and making a determination that the first user is not permitted to send a communication via the computer system based on the features and the length of time since the first user last sent a communication via the computer system; and   in response to the determining, determining not to continue processing the first communication.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the length of time since the user having the first identification last made a submission of confidential data is compared to a frequency that varies based on industry in which the user having the first identification works. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the determining that the first user is not permitted to send a communication is further based on a user profile of the first user. The method of  claim 3 , wherein the determining that the first user is not permitted to send a communication is further based on how recently the user profile has been updated. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the determining that the first user is not permitted to send a communication is further based on a degree in the user profile. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the determining that the first user is not permitted to send a communication is further based on an industry in which the first user works, as described in the user profile. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the determining that the first user is not permitted to send a communication is further based on a job function of the first user, as described in the user profile. 
     
     
         8 . A system comprising:
 a computer-readable medium having instructions stored there on, which, when executed by a processor, cause the system to perform operations comprising:   maintaining a communication history table by tracking identifications of users sending communications via the computer system and timestamps of when the corresponding communication was sent;   receiving a first communication from a first user sent via the computer system;   retrieving usage information for the first user, based on an identification of the first user, the usage information comprising tracked interactions between the first user and the computer system;   referencing the communication history table to determine a length of time since the first user last made a communication via the computer system;   determining that the first user is not permitted to send a communication via the computer system based on the usage information and the length of time since the first user last sent a communication via the computer system, Wherein the determining includes passing usage information and entries in the communication history table for the first user to a communication model trained by a machine learning algorithm to extract features from the usage information and making a determination that the first user is not permitted to send a communication via the computer system based on the features and the length of time since the first user last sent a communication via the computer system; and   in response to the determining, determining not to continue processing the first communication.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the length of time since the user having the first identification last made a submission of confidential data is compared to a frequency that varies based on industry in which the user having the first identification works. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the determining that the first user is not permitted to send a communication is further based on a user profile of the first user. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the determining that the first user is not permitted to send a communication is further based on how recently the user profile has been updated. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the determining that the first user is not permitted to send a communication is further based on a degree in the user profile. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the determining that the first user is not permitted to send a communication is further based on an industry in which the first user works, as described in the user profile. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the determining that the first user is not permitted to send a communication is further based on a job function of the first user, as described in the user profile. 
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions, which when implemented by one or more machines, cause the one or more machines to perform operations comprising:
 maintaining a communication history table by tracking identifications of users sending communications via the computer system and timestamps of when the corresponding communication was sent;   receiving a first communication from a first user sent via the computer system;   retrieving usage information for the first user, based on an identification of the first user, the usage information comprising tracked interactions between the first user and the computer system;   referencing the communication history table to determine a length of time since the first user last made a communication via the computer system;   determining that the first user is not permitted to send a communication via the computer system based on the usage information and the length of time since the first user last sent a communication via the computer system, Wherein the determining includes passing usage information and entries in the communication history table for the first user to a communication model trained by a machine learning algorithm to extract features from the usage information and making a determination that the first user is not permitted to send a communication via the computer system based on the features and the length of time since the first user last sent a communication via the computer system; and   in response to the determining, determining not to continue processing the first communication.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the length of time since the user haying the first identification last made a submission of confidential data is compared to a frequency that varies based on industry in which the user having the first identification works. 
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 15 , wherein the determining that the first user is not permitted to send a communication is further based on a user profile of the first user. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the determining that the first user is not permitted to send a communication is further based on how recently the user profile has been updated. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the determining that the first user is not permitted to send a communication is further based on a degree in the user profile. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of  claim 17 , wherein the determining that the first user is not permitted to send a communication is further based on an industry in which the first user works, as described in the user profile.