Systems, devices and methods for protecting and exchanging electronic computer files

Abstract

Embodiments described herein provide a system and method for controlling access to electronic files by linking the files to a file access monitoring system, called the file access monitor in this application. The file access monitor then authorizes the use of the one or more files by performing one or more qualifying steps on the accessing computer system. The file access monitor may be a standalone program or an embedded logic within a closed system like an application, an operating system (O/S), an external device like a printer, a web browser or a web browsing application. Access to electronic files can include the exchange, modification, execution, printing, viewing, listening, copying and replication of these files to name a few. A given protected electronic file is transferred from a sending computer system to a receiving computer system for eventual access. The receiving computer may also become the accessing computer should a user on the receiving computer wish to access the transferred file. To access a given protected file one or more qualifying steps must be performed to grant access and to unlock the file. In some cases the qualifying step involves a specific activity called a system attribute identification process.