Network support for mobile handset anti-virus protection

• US 20050138395A1
• Filed: 12/18/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: RPX Corporation
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Benco, David S., Sheen, Baoling S., Voight, Kenneth J., True, Sandra L., Overend, Kevin J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,949,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/188
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/145 the attack involving the propagation of malware through the network, e.g. viruses, trojans or worms
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/128 Anti-malware arrangements, e.g. protection against SMS fraud or mobile malware

Abstract

Embodiments of the method and system provide network support for automatic anti-virus protection by a telecommunication network for mobile terminals. The method may have the steps of: storing in the telecommunication network at least one anti-virus protection level for at least one mobile terminal; initiating, by the telecommunication network, a call setup for a call associated with the mobile terminal, the call having a data stream; using, by the communication network, the at least one anti-virus protection level to recognize a virus in the data stream intended for the mobile handset; and filtering, by the network, the recognized virus from the data stream before the data stream arrives at the mobile terminal. The system implements the method.

Claims

1. A method for providing network support for automatic anti-virus protection by a telecommunication network for mobile terminals, the method comprising the steps of:

storing in the telecommunication network at least one anti-virus protection level for at least one mobile terminal;

initiating, by the telecommunication network, a call setup for a call associated with the mobile terminal, the call having a data stream;

using, by the communication network, the at least one anti-virus protection level to recognize a virus in the data stream intended for the mobile terminal; and

filtering, by the network, the recognized virus from the data stream before the data stream arrives at the mobile terminal.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises the steps of:

storing the at least one anti-virus protection level for the at least one mobile terminal in a mobile subscriber database in the telecommunication network; and

retrieving, after the step of initializing, the anti-virus protection level from the mobile subscriber database for the mobile terminal.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein, the method further comprises automatically sending an alert to the mobile terminal before passing on potentially harmful instructions to the mobile terminal.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the alert is sent from the telecommunication network to the mobile terminal via at least one of email, SMS, and data for display on the mobile terminal.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises, before initiating a call setup, checking if the mobile terminal is a subscriber of an anti-virus protection feature having the at least one anti-virus protection level.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein indication of the anti-virus protection feature for a mobile terminal is stored in a subscriber database.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the anti-virus protection level comprises a block action, a prompt action, and a pass action.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the subscriber database, for storing the at least one anti-virus protection level, is configured with at least one of black lists, white lists, and individual levels of protection that are defined via the mobile terminal.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein indication of an anti-virus protection feature having the at least one anti-virus protection level for a mobile terminal is stored in the subscriber database.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the anti-virus protection level comprises a block action, a prompt action, and a pass action.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein the subscriber database, for storing the at least one anti-virus protection level, is configured with at least one of black lists, white lists, and individual levels of protection that are defined via the mobile terminal.

9. A method for providing network support for automatic anti-virus protection by a telecommunication network for mobile terminals, the method comprising the steps of:

storing in a mobile subscriber database in the telecommunication network at least one anti-virus protection level for at least one mobile terminal in the subscriber database;

initiating, by the telecommunication network, a call setup for a call associated with the mobile terminal, the call having a data stream;

retrieving the anti-virus protection level from the mobile subscriber database for the mobile terminal and storing the retrieved anti-virus protection level in a memory of the telecommunication system as part of the call setup;

using, by the telecommunication network, the retrieved anti-virus protection level to recognize a virus in the data stream intended for the mobile handset; and

filtering, by the telecommunication network, the virus from the data stream before the data stream arrives at the mobile terminal.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the method further comprises automatically sending an alert to the mobile terminal before passing on potentially harmful instructions to the mobile terminal.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the alert is sent from the telecommunication network to the mobile terminal via at least one of email, SMS, and data for display on the mobile terminal.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the method further comprises, before initiating a call setup, checking if the mobile terminal is a subscriber of an anti-virus protection feature having the at least one anti-virus protection level.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein indication of the anti-virus protection feature for a mobile terminal is stored in a subscriber database.

14. The method of claim 9 wherein the anti-virus protection level comprises a block action, a prompt action, and a pass action.

15. The method of claim 9 wherein the subscriber database, for storing the at least one anti-virus protection level, is configured with at least one of black lists, white lists, and individual levels of protection that are defined via the mobile terminal.

16. A system that provides network support for automatic anti-virus protection by a telecommunication network for mobile terminals, the system comprising:

a mobile subscriber database in the telecommunication network in which is stored at least one anti-virus protection level for at least one mobile terminal in the subscriber database;

a call controller in the telecommunication network that handles a call having a data stream, and that implements a call setup for the call, the call being associated with the mobile terminal, the call setup being initiated by the call controller;

a retrieving module in the telecommunication network operatively connected to the mobile subscriber database and to the call controller, the retrieving module retrieving the anti-virus protection level from the mobile subscriber database for the mobile terminal and storing the retrieved anti-virus protection level in a memory of the telecommunication system as part of the call setup;

a recognition module in the telecommunication network operatively connected to the call controller and to the memory, the recognition module using the retrieved anti-virus protection level stored in the memory to recognize a virus in the data stream intended for the mobile terminal; and

a filter module in the telecommunication network operatively connected to the memory and to the call controller, the filter module filtering the recognized virus from the data stream before the data stream arrives at the mobile terminal.