Computer, computer security setting method, and program

• US 20060090200A1
• Filed: 04/07/2003
• Published: 04/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Oie, Masaki
• Application Number:
  US10/510,913
• Publication Number:
  US 20060090200A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/67 Risk-dependent, e.g. selecting a security level depending on risk profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 28/18 Negotiating wireless communication parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 64/00 Locating users or terminals or network equipment for network management purposes, e.g. mobility management
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A technique for reliably changing settings according to the usage environment to increasingly ensure a high-security network connection environment. A PC judges the usage environment of the PC by searching for addresses of nearby devices such as Bluetooth devices and, depending on the usage environment, automatically changes the security level setting. Even when the PC is in a usage environment in which the security level should be “home” or “office” but any devices that should be in that usage environment are not detected during usage environment judgment processing, the level is set to the “mobile” security level at which high security is ensured.

Claims

1. Apparatus comprising:

a communication controller which acquires identification information of an other device by communicating with the other device;

an environment module which determines the environment under which the computer apparatus is located based on the acquired identification information; and

a control module which selects a setting of the computer apparatus based on the determined environment.

2. Apparatus of claim 1, wherein the environment module determines the environment by identifying the other device existing in periphery of the computer apparatus based on the identification information.

3. Apparatus of claim 2, wherein the communication controller acquires a Bluetooth device address as the identification information from the other device being capable of Bluetooth communication.

4. Apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control module selects a security setting of the computer apparatus based on the determined environment.

5. Apparatus of claim 4, wherein the control module:

selects a security setting corresponding to the determined environment if the environment is a prescribed environment; and

selects a security setting with a security level higher than that for the prescribed environment if the determined environment is not the prescribed environment.

6. Apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control module selects a setting for controlling power consumption in the computer apparatus according to the determined environment.

7. A method comprising:

acquiring information about an environment in which a computer is located; and

selecting a security setting of the computer on the basis of the acquired information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the acquisition comprises acquiring identification information about a device in the vicinity of the computer, the identification information being transferred from the device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the selection comprises selecting the level of the security setting according to whether the identification information about the device is registered beforehand.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein if the identification information about the device is not registered, the level of the security setting is changed to a level higher than a current level.

11. A method comprising:

acquiring device information about a device capable of communicating with a computer apparatus;

receiving a security setting specified for an environment in which the device information can be acquired; and

associating and storing the specified security setting with the device information.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein, after storing the security setting and the device information, the computer apparatus further performs acts which include:

acquiring device information about a device ready to communicate with the computer apparatus;

invoking the security setting associated with the obtained device information; and

changing the current security setting on the computer apparatus to the invoked security setting.

13. A product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable program code stored therein for causing a computer apparatus to perform a predetermined process, the computer readable program code in said product being effective to;

acquire address information about a device found in the vicinity of the computer apparatus through Bluetooth-based communication with the device; and

select settings on the computer apparatus on the basis of the acquired address information.

14. The product of claim 13, wherein the selection comprises a change to a security setting on the computer apparatus.

15. The product of claim 14, wherein the selection comprises a change to the level of the security setting according to whether the address information is registered beforehand.

16. The product of claim 15, wherein the change comprises a change to the level of the security setting to a higher level if the address information about the device is not registered beforehand.