Systems and methods for securing computing devices that are not in users' physical possessions

• US 10,140,440 B1
• Filed: 12/13/2016
• Issued: 11/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Newstadt, Keith, Sokolov, Ilya
• Primary Examiner(s): Hirl, Joseph P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Gundry, Stephen T
• Application Number:
  US15/376,968
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0205 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular conditions and different types of body conditions, e.g. heart and respiratory condition
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1032 Determining colour for diagnostic purposes measuring colour in general G01J3/46
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1075 for measuring dimensions by non-invasive methods, e.g. for determining thickness of tissue layer A61B8/0858 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/117 Identification of persons methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4875 Hydration status, fluid retention of the body
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules

Abstract

The disclosed computer-implemented method for securing computing devices that are not in users'"'"' physical possessions may include (i) taking, at a computing device of a user while the user is in physical possession of the computing device, a first measurement of a biological attribute of the user'"'"'s body, (ii) taking, at the computing device, a second measurement of the same biological attribute, (iii) analyzing, at the computing device, the second measurement relative to the first measurement to determine that the user is no longer in physical possession of the computing device, and (iv) performing, at the computing device in response to determining that the user is no longer in physical possession of the computing device, a security action. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for securing computing devices that are not in users'"'"' physical possessions, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device of a user comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:

configuring the computing device and an additional computing device of the user to exchange trusted heartbeat messages through the user'"'"'s body;

transmitting, from the additional computing device, a first heartbeat message through the user'"'"'s body;

receiving, at the computing device while the user is in physical possession of the computing device, the first heartbeat message through the user'"'"'s body;

transmitting, from the additional computing device after the first heartbeat message is transmitted, a second heartbeat message through the user'"'"'s body;

attempting, at the computing device, to receive the second heartbeat message through the user'"'"'s body;

failing, at the computing device, to receive the second heartbeat message through the user'"'"'s body;

determining, based at least in part on failing to receive the second heartbeat message through the user'"'"'s body, that the user is no longer in physical possession of the computing device; and

performing, at the computing device in response to determining that the user is no longer in physical possession of the computing device, a security action.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein

performing the security action comprises locking the computing device.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

taking, at the computing device while the user is in physical possession of the computing device, a first measurement of a biological attribute of the user'"'"'s body;

taking, at the computing device, a second measurement of the same biological attribute; and

analyzing, at the computing device, the second measurement relative to the first measurement to determine that the user is no longer in physical possession of the computing device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein:

a thief stole the computing device after the first measurement was taken;

the second measurement comprises a measurement of the same biological attribute of the thief'"'"'s body; and

analyzing the second measurement relative to the first measurement to determine that the user is no longer in physical possession of the computing device comprises determining that a difference between the second measurement and the first measurement indicates that the first measurement and the second measurement were taken from different individuals.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein:

the second measurement comprises an attempted measurement of the biological attribute of the user'"'"'s body; and

analyzing the second measurement relative to the first measurement to determine that the user is no longer in physical possession of the computing device comprises determining that a difference between the second measurement and the first measurement indicates that the second measurement was taken when the user was no longer in physical possession of the computing device.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the biological attribute comprises an electric signal.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the biological attribute comprises an electromagnetic field.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the biological attribute comprises a biological heartbeat.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the biological attribute comprises a hydration level.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the biological attribute comprises a stress level.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the biological attribute comprises an electrical impedance.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the biological attribute comprises a skin tone.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the biological attribute comprises a skin thickness.

14. A system for securing computing devices that are not in users'"'"' physical possessions, the system comprising:

a configuring module, stored in memory of a computing device of the user, that configures the computing device and an additional computing device of the user to exchange trusted heartbeat messages through the user'"'"'s body;

a transmitting module, stored in the additional computing device'"'"'s memory, that;

transmits, from the additional computing device, a first heartbeat message through the user'"'"'s body; and

transmits, from the additional computing device after the first heartbeat message is transmitted, a second heartbeat message through the user'"'"'s body,

a measuring module, stored in the computing device'"'"'s memory, that;

receives the first heartbeat message through the user'"'"'s body

attempts to receive the second heartbeat message through the user'"'"'s body; and

fails to receive the second heartbeat message through the user'"'"'s body;

an analyzing module, stored in the computing device'"'"'s memory, that determines, based at least in part on the second heartbeat message failing to be receive through the user'"'"'s body, that the user is no longer in physical possession of the computing device;

a security module, stored in the computing device'"'"'s memory, that performs, at the computing device in response to determining that the user is no longer in physical possession of the computing device, a security action; and

at least one physical processor that executes the measuring module, the analyzing module, and the security module.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein

the security module performs the security action by locking the computing device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein:

the measuring module further;

takes, at the computing device while the user is in physical possession of the computing device, a first measurement of a biological attribute of the user'"'"'s body; and

takes, at the computing device, a second measurement of the same biological attribute; and

the analyzing module further analyzes, at the computing device, the second measurement relative to the first measurement to determine that the user is no longer in physical possession of the computing device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein:

a thief stole the computing device after the first measurement was taken;

the second measurement comprises a measurement of the same biological attribute of the thief'"'"'s body; and

the analyzing module analyzes the second measurement relative to the first measurement to determine that the user is no longer in physical possession of the computing device by determining that a difference between the second measurement and the first measurement indicates that the first measurement and the second measurement were taken from different individuals.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein:

the second measurement comprises an attempted measurement of the biological attribute of the user'"'"'s body; and

the analyzing module analyzes the second measurement relative to the first measurement to determine that the user is no longer in physical possession of the computing device by determining that a difference between the second measurement and the first measurement indicates that the second measurement was taken when the user was no longer in physical possession of the computing device.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the biological attribute comprises at least one of:

an electric signal;

an electromagnetic field;

a biological heartbeat;

a hydration level;

a stress level;

an electrical impedance;

a skin tone; and

a skin thickness.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device of a user, cause the computing device to:

configure the computing device of the user to exchange trusted heartbeat messages with an additional computing device of the user through the user'"'"'s body;

receive, at the computing device while the user is in physical possession of the computing device, a first heartbeat message transmitted from the additional computing device through the user'"'"'s body;

attempt, at the computing device, to receive a second heartbeat message transmitted from the additional computing device through the user'"'"'s body;

fail, at the computing device, to receive the second heartbeat message through the user'"'"'s body;

determine, based at least in part on failing to receive the second heartbeat message through the user'"'"'s body, that the user is no longer in physical possession of the computing device; and

perform, at the computing device in response to determining that the user is no longer in physical possession of the computing device, a security action.