Method and apparatus for data protection for mobile devices

• US 20070294529A1
• Filed: 06/20/2006
• Published: 12/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Blair, Colin, Chan, Kevin, Gentle, Christopher Reon, Hepworth, Neil, Lang, Andrew W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,172 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/160
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/1458 Management of the backup or restore process
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0894 Escrow, recovery or storing of secret information, e.g. secret key escrow or cryptographic key storage

Abstract

A method and apparatus protect data stored in a device by storing data from the device on a backup system upon the device being connected to the backup system; detecting that the device has been lost or stolen; encrypting a set of data stored on the device that has not been stored on the backup system using an encryption key based on another set of data stored on the device and also stored on the backup system; and deleting the other set of data and encryption key from the device.

Claims

1. A method for protecting data stored in a device, comprising:

storing data from the device on a backup system upon the device being connected to the backup system;

detecting that the device has been lost or stolen;

encrypting a set of data stored on the device that has not been stored on the backup system using an encryption key based on another set of data stored on the device and also stored on the backup system; and

deleting the other set of data and encryption key from the device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the encrypting comprises generating the encryption key from the other set of data upon the detection that the device has been lost or stolen.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprises re-connecting the device to the backup system;

re-generating the encryption key from the other set of data stored on the backup system; and

recovering the encrypted set of data stored on the device by decrypting using the re-generated encryption key.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the encrypting comprises generating the encryption key from the other set of data by the backup system upon the device being connected to the backup system;

and

storing the encryption key in the device by the backup system.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the generating the encryption key comprises storing the encryption key on the backup system and the method of claim 3 further comprises re-connecting the device to the backup system;

and

recovering the encrypted set of data stored on the device by decrypting using the stored encryption key.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting comprises determining a gait of an individual carrying the device;

and

indicating that the device has been lost or stolen upon the determined gait being different from an user of the device.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the indicating comprises requesting a password or personal identification number upon the gait not being that of the user of the device;

and

giving no indication of the device being lost or stolen if the password or personal identification number is correct.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting comprises determining that the device has not contacted a central system.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the deleting further comprises allowing the central system to determine whether to delete the data.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting comprises determining that an incorrect password or personal identification number was incorrectly entered in response to a prompt to enter a password or personal identification number.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting comprises determining that the device has not periodically connected to a specified device within a predefined period of time.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the detecting comprises determining that the device has not periodically connected to a specified network within a predefined period of time.

13. A processor-readable medium for protecting data stored in a device, comprising processor-executable instructions configured for:

storing data from the device on a backup system upon the device being connected to the backup system;

detecting that the device has been lost or stolen;

encrypting a set of data stored on the device that has not been stored on the backup system using an encryption key based on another set of data stored on the device and also stored on the backup system; and

deleting the other set of data and encryption key from the device.

14. The processor-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the processor-executable instructions for encrypting comprise processor-executable instructions for generating the encryption key from the other set of data upon the detection that the device has been lost or stolen.

15. The processor-readable medium of claim 14 further comprises processor-executable instructions for re-connecting the device to the backup system;

processor-executable instructions for re-generating the encryption key from the other set of data stored on the backup system; and

processor-executable instructions for recovering the encrypted set of data stored on the device by decrypting using the re-generated encryption key.

16. The processor-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the processor-executable instructions for encrypting comprise processor-executable instructions for generating the encryption key from the other set of data by the backup system upon the device being connected to the backup system;

and

processor-executable instructions for storing the encryption key in the device by the backup system.

17. The processor-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the processor-executable instructions for generating the encryption key comprise processor-executable instructions for storing the encryption key on the backup system and the processor-readable medium of claim 15 further comprises processor-executable instructions for re-connecting the device to the backup system;

and

processor-executable instructions for recovering the encrypted set of data stored on the device by decrypting using the stored encryption key.

18. The processor-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the processor-executable instructions for detecting comprise processor-executable instructions for determining a gait of an individual carrying the device;

and

processor-executable instructions for indicating that the device has been lost or stolen upon the determined gait being different from an user of the device.

19. The processor-readable medium of claim 18 wherein the processor-executable instructions for indicating comprise processor-executable instructions for requesting a password or personal identification number upon the gait not being that of the user of the device;

and

processor-executable instructions for giving no indication of the device being lost or stolen if the password or personal identification number is correct.

20. The processor-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the processor-executable instructions for detecting comprise processor-executable instructions for determining that the device has not contacted a central system.

21. The processor-readable medium of claim 20 wherein the processor-executable instructions for deleting further comprise processor-executable instructions for allowing the central system to determine whether to delete the data.

22. The processor-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the processor-executable instructions for detecting comprise processor-executable instructions for determining that an incorrect password or personal identification number was incorrectly entered in response to a prompt to enter a password or personal identification number.

23. The processor-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the processor-executable instructions for detecting comprise processor-executable instructions for determining that the device has not periodically connected to a specified device within a predefined period of time.

24. The processor-readable medium of claim 13 wherein the processor-executable instructions for detecting comprise processor-executable instructions for determining that the device has not periodically connected to a specified network within a predefined period of time.