Protection of data to be stored in the memory of a device

• US 20060168658A1
• Filed: 12/27/2005
• Published: 07/27/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/29/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Kallio, Visa
• Application Number:
  US11/320,174
• Publication Number:
  US 20060168658A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/21
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1458 by checking the subject access rights
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72436 for text messaging, e.g. short messaging services [SMS] or e-mails
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/183 Processing at user equipment or user record carrier

Abstract

A method for defining the rights of access to user-specific data to be stored in the memory (MEM) of a communication device (1), which communication device comprises a user-specific authentication module (SIM) with an individual identification code. In connection with the storing of the data, the protection of the data is arranged on the basis of the identification code of the authentication module (SIM), wherein the data stored in the memory (MEM) of the device (1) is only accessible by using the identification code for the authentication module used for the storing of the data. Furthermore, the invention relates to a corresponding communication device, a computer program, and a software product.

Claims

1. A method for defining right of access to user-specific data to be stored in a memory of a communication device, which communication device comprises a user-specific authentication module with an individual identification code, by means of which a user is identified in a mobile communication network, wherein in connection with the storing of the data, the method comprises protecting the data based on the identification code of the authentication module, and making the data stored in the memory of the device only accessible by using the identification code for the authentication module used for the storing of the data.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user-specific data is encrypted with an encryption key formed of the identification code of the authentication module before the storing of the data in the memory of the device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user-specific data is supplemented with a user-specific identification formed of the identification code of the authentication module before the storing in the memory of the device.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the user-specific data is stored in a data file for which a user-specific identification is formed from the identification code of the authentication module.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the device is at least one of the following:

a mobile station, a mobile phone, a palmtop computer, a personal digital assistant.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the authentication module is one of the following:

a subscriber identification module, a universal subscriber identity module, a removable user identity module.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the identification code of the authentication module is an international mobile subscriber identification code.

8. A communication device comprising:

a control unit for controlling a function of the device,

a memory for storing at least user-specific data,

a user-specific authentication module for identifying a user,

which authentication module comprises an individual identification code, by means of which the user is identified in a mobile communication network,

wherein

the control unit comprises an encryption unit which is adapted to form protection data based on the identification code of the authentication module,

the control unit is adapted to protect the user-specific data with the protection data in connection with the storing in the memory, wherein the data stored in the memory can be accessed with the identification code of the authentication module used for the storage of the data.

9. The communication device according to claim 8, wherein before the storing in the memory, the control unit is adapted to encrypt the user-specific data with an encryption key formed at least partly of the identification code of the authentication module.

10. The communication device according to claim 8, wherein the control unit is adapted to supplement the user-specific data with a user-specific identification formed of the identification code of the authentication module before the storing in the memory of the device.

11. The communication device according to claim 8, wherein the control unit is adapted to store the user-specific data in a data file in the memory of the device, the file being equipped with a user-specific identification formed of the identification code of the authentication module.

12. The communication device according to claim 8, wherein the device is at least one of the following:

a mobile station, a mobile phone, a palmtop computer, a personal digital assistant.

13. The communication device according to claim 8, wherein the authentication module is one of the following:

a subscriber identification module, a universal subscriber identity module, a removable user identity module.

14. The communication device according to claim 8, wherein the identification code of the authentication module is an international mobile subscriber identification.

15. A computer program embodied in a computer readable medium for defining rights of access to user-specific data to be stored in memory of a communication device, which communication device comprises a user-specific authentication module with an individual identification code, by means of which a user is identified in a mobile communication network, wherein the program comprises program instructions, by which, in connection with storing of the data, protection of the data is arranged based on the identification code of the authentication module, wherein data stored in the memory of the device is only accessible by using the identification code for the authentication module used for the storing of the data.

16. The program according to claim 15, wherein the program comprises program instructions, by which the user-specific data is encrypted with an encryption key formed of the identification code of the authentication module before the data is stored in the memory of the device.

17. The program according to claim 15, wherein the program comprises program instructions, by which the user-specific data is supplemented with a user-specific identification formed of the identification code of the authentication module before the data is stored in the memory of the device.

18. The program according to claim 15, wherein the program comprises program instructions, by which the user-specific data is stored in a data directory equipped with a user-specific identification from the identification code of the authentication module.

19. A software product comprising a memory means for storing a computer program according to claim 15.

20. The software product according to claim 19, wherein it is arranged to be run in at least one of the following:

a mobile station, a mobile phone, a palmtop computer, a personal digital assistant.