Systems and methods for providing security in smart buildings

• US 10,447,736 B1
• Filed: 06/09/2016
• Issued: 10/15/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gen Digital Inc.
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Jiang, Kevin, Sokolov, Ilya, Gu, Lei, Shavell, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Jung W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Stoica, Adrian
• Application Number:
  US15/177,428
• Time in Patent Office: 1,223 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/04 Access control involving a hierarchy in access rights
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/08 With time considerations, e.g. temporary activation, valid time window or time limitations
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/63 Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00571 operated by interacting with a central unit
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/38 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for providing security in smart buildings may include (1) detecting the presence of a user in a smart building, (2) determining that the user is unauthorized to access at least one resource in a smart building network within the smart building, (3) in response to determining that the user is unauthorized to access the resource in the smart building network, selecting an authentication policy that provides heightened security within the smart building network, and (4) increasing security within the smart building network to reflect the presence of the user by implementing the authentication policy within the smart building network. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing security in smart buildings, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:

detecting the physical presence of a user in a smart building, wherein the user is authorized to enter the smart building;

determining that the user is unauthorized to access at least one resource of an Internet of Things device in a smart building network within the smart building;

in response to determining that the user is unauthorized to access the at least one resource of the Internet of Things device in the smart building network, selecting a stricter authentication policy that provides heightened security within the smart building network compared to a previous authentication policy with lower security; and

increasing security within the smart building network to reflect the physical presence of the user by implementing the stricter authentication policy within the smart building network, wherein implementing the stricter authentication policy comprises directly pushing the stricter authentication policy to all Internet of Things devices in the entire smart building network such that each Internet of Things device selects a method to control access to the Internet of Things device based on the stricter authentication policy and a type of the Internet of Things device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein detecting the physical presence of the user comprises at least one of:

detecting biometric information of the user; and

detecting a device of the user.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein detecting the device of the user comprises at least one of:

scanning for devices broadcasting a signal;

detecting an attempt to connect to the smart building network;

detecting hardware in the smart building; and

correlating the device to the user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein correlating the device to the user comprises at least one of:

detecting an identifier of the device;

determining the identifier belongs to the user; and

determining a physical proximity of the user and the device.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein determining that the user is unauthorized to access the at least one resource comprises at least one of:

determining that the user is not registered with the smart building network;

determining that the device is not registered with the smart building network; and

determining that a permission level of the user does not allow access to the at least one resource.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one resource comprises at least one of:

hardware in the smart building;

software in the smart building network;

a user account in the smart building network; and

data in the smart building network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the stricter authentication policy comprises at least one of:

an access protocol;

a security policy; and

a registration policy.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein pushing the stricter authentication policy to the Internet of Things devices in the entire smart building network comprises pushing the stricter authentication policy to a central policy provider.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein pushing the stricter authentication policy to the Internet of Things devices comprises distributing the stricter authentication policy from the central policy provider to the Internet of Things devices via the smart building network.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

verifying that the user is a trusted user within the smart building network; and

reverting to the previous authentication policy with lower security within the smart building network.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein verifying that the user is a trusted user comprises at least one of:

determining that the user is registered with the smart building network; and

detecting a registration of a new device of the user with the smart building network.

12. A system for providing security in smart buildings, the system comprising:

a detection module, stored in memory, that detects the physical presence of a user in a smart building, wherein the user is authorized to enter the smart building;

a determination module, stored in memory, that determines that the user is unauthorized to access at least one resource of an Internet of Things device in a smart building network within the smart building;

a selection module, stored in memory, that, in response to determining that the user is unauthorized to access the at least one resource of the Internet of Things device in the smart building network, selects a stricter authentication policy that provides heightened security within the smart building network compared to a previous authentication policy with lower security;

a security module, stored in memory, that increases security within the smart building network to reflect the physical presence of the user by implementing the stricter authentication policy within the smart building network, wherein implementing the stricter authentication policy comprises directly pushing the stricter authentication policy to all Internet of Things devices in the entire smart building network such that each Internet of Things device selects a method to control access to the Internet of Things device based on the stricter authentication policy and a type of the Internet of Things device; and

at least one processor that executes the detection module, the determination module, the selection module, and the security module.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the detection module detects the physical presence of the user by at least one of:

detecting biometric information of the user; and

detecting a device of the user.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein detecting the device of the user comprises at least one of:

scanning for devices broadcasting a signal;

detecting an attempt to connect to the smart building network;

detecting hardware in the smart building; and

correlating the device to the user.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein correlating the device to the user comprises at least one of:

detecting an identifier of the device;

determining the identifier belongs to the user; and

determining a physical proximity of the user and the device.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the determination module determines that the user is unauthorized to access the at least one resource by at least one of:

determining that the user is not registered with the smart building network;

determining that the device is not registered with the smart building network; and

determining that a permission level of the user does not allow access to the at least one resource.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the stricter authentication policy comprises at least one of:

an access protocol;

a security policy; and

a registration policy.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein pushing the stricter authentication policy to the Internet of Things devices in the entire smart building network comprises pushing the stricter authentication policy to a central policy provider.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein pushing the stricter authentication policy to the Internet of Things devices comprises distributing the stricter authentication policy from the central policy provider to the Internet of Things devices via the smart building network.

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, cause the computing device to:

detect the physical presence of a user in a smart building, wherein the user is authorized to enter the smart building;

determine that the user is unauthorized to access at least one resource of an Internet of Things device in a smart building network within the smart building;

in response to determining that the user is unauthorized to access the at least one resource of the Internet of Things device in the smart building network, select a stricter authentication policy that provides heightened security within the smart building network compared to a previous authentication policy with lower security; and

increase security within the smart building network to reflect the physical presence of the user by implementing the stricter authentication policy within the smart building network, wherein implementing the stricter authentication policy comprises directly pushing the stricter authentication policy to all Internet of Things devices in the entire smart building network such that each Internet of Things device selects a method to control access to the Internet of Things device based on the stricter authentication policy and a type of the Internet of Things device.