Automated classification of applications for mobile devices

• US 10,148,667 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2017
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Appthority Incorporated (Gen Digital Inc.)
• Inventors: Padidar, Sasan, Hanna, Steve, Watkins, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Vy, Hung T
• Application Number:
  US15/470,717
• Publication Number:
  US 20170250994A1
• Time in Patent Office: 617 Days
• Field of Search: 707740, 707737, 709224, 709203, 709223, 706 12, 723 22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/285 Clustering or classification
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/51 at application loading time, e.g. accepting, rejecting, starting or inhibiting executable software based on integrity or source reliability
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/033 Test or assess software
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1425 Traffic logging, e.g. anomaly detection

Abstract

Automated classification of applications (“apps”) for mobile devices is provided. In some embodiments, automated classification of apps for mobile devices includes receiving an application (“app”); performing an analysis of the app using a classification engine; and determining an app category for the app based on the analysis performed using the classification engine.

Claims

1. A system for automated classification of applications (“

apps”

) for mobile devices, comprising;

a processor configured to;

receive an application (“

app”

);

perform an analysis of the app using a classification engine, comprising to;

extract at least one feature of the app;

determine an app category for the app based on the analysis performed using the classification engine, comprising to;

determine the app category for the app based on the at least one feature, wherein the determining of the app category comprises to;

in response to a determination that the app relates to a plurality of app categories, select a first app category or a second app category to be the app category depending on whether a first probability value of the first app category is higher than a second probability value of the second app category or the second probability value of the second app category is higher than the first probability value of the first app category, respectively, the first app category being different from the second app category, wherein the plurality of app categories includes the first app category and the second app category, wherein a probability value is determined based on the at least one feature;

determine whether the app is a blacklisted app for the determined app category based on an app policy; and

in response to a determination that the app is the blacklisted app for the determined app category, suggest another app in the determined app category that is not blacklisted; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.

2. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

automatically classify the app into the app category using the classification engine.

3. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

automatically classify the app with the probability value that the app is associated with the app category using the classification engine.

4. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

automatically classify the app with the probability value based on an app behavior that the app is associated with the app category using the classification engine.

5. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate a report with at least one app categorization for the app.

6. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate a report with at least one app categorization for the app, wherein the report includes at least one suggested app for the app category as an alternative to the app that is not approved for the app category.

7. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate a report with at least one app categorization, wherein the app is not approved based on an app policy, and wherein the report includes at least one suggested app for the app category based on the app policy.

8. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate a report with at least one app categorization, wherein the app is not approved based on an enterprise app policy, and wherein the report includes at least one suggested app for the app category based on the enterprise app policy.

9. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate a report with at least one app categorization, wherein the app is not approved based on an enterprise app policy, wherein the report includes at least one suggested app for the app category based on the enterprise app policy, and wherein the enterprise app policy is configurable by an enterprise for managing apps on mobile devices associated with the enterprise.

10. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

generate a report with at least one app categorization, wherein the app is not approved based on an app policy, wherein the report includes at least one suggested app for the app category based on the app policy, wherein the app is a blacklisted app for the app category based on the app policy, and the at least one suggested app for the app category is a whitelisted app for the app category based on the app policy.

11. A method of automated classification of applications (“

apps”

) for mobile devices, comprising;

receiving an application (“

app”

);

performing an analysis of the app using a classification engine executed on a processor, comprising;

extracting at least one feature of the app;

determining an app category for the app based on the analysis performed using the classification engine, comprising;

determining the app category for the app based on the at least one feature, wherein the determining of the app category comprises;

in response to a determination that the app relates to a plurality of app categories, selecting a first app category or a second app category to be the app category depending on whether a first probability value of the first app category is higher than a second probability value of the second app category or the second probability value of the second app category is higher than the first probability value of the first app category, respectively, the first app category being different from the second app category, wherein the plurality of app categories includes the first app category and the second app category, wherein a probability value is determined based on the at least one feature;

determining whether the app is a blacklisted app for the determined app category based on an app policy; and

in response to a determination that the app is the blacklisted app for the determined app category, suggesting another app in the determined app category that is not blacklisted.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

automatically classifying the app into the app category using the classification engine.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

automatically classifying the app with the probability value that the app is associated with the app category using the classification engine.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

automatically classifying the app with the probability value based on an app behavior that the app is associated with the app category using the classification engine.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a report with at least one app categorization for the app.

16. A computer program product for automated classification of applications (“

apps”

) for mobile devices, the computer program product being embodied in a tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for;

receiving an application (“

app”

);

performing an analysis of the app using a classification engine, comprising;

extracting at least one feature of the app;

determining an app category for the app based on the analysis performed using the classification engine, comprising;

determining the app category for the app based on the at least one feature, wherein the determining of the app category comprises;

in response to a determination that the app relates to a plurality of app categories, selecting a first app category or a second app category to be the app category depending on whether a first probability value of the first app category is higher than a second probability value of the second app category or the second probability value of the second app category is higher than the first probability value of the first app category, respectively, the first app category being different from the second app category, wherein the plurality of app categories includes the first app category and the second app category, wherein a probability value is determined based on the at least one feature;

determining whether the app is a blacklisted app for the determined app category based on an app policy; and

in response to a determination that the app is the blacklisted app for the determined app category, suggesting another app in the determined app category that is not blacklisted.

17. The computer program product recited in claim 16, further comprising computer instructions for:

automatically classifying the app into the app category using the classification engine.

18. The computer program product recited in claim 16, further comprising computer instructions for:

automatically classifying the app with the probability value that the app is associated with the app category using the classification engine.

19. The computer program product recited in claim 16, further comprising computer instructions for:

automatically classifying the app with the probability value based on an app behavior that the app is associated with the app category using the classification engine.

20. The computer program product recited in claim 16, further comprising computer instructions for:

generating a report with at least one app categorization for the app.