Data Security in Mobile Devices

• US 20090150680A1
• Filed: 12/05/2007
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: iAnywhere Solutions Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Original Assignee: Sybase Incorporated (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Peacock, Gary, Buchanan, Bruce
• Granted Patent: US 8,639,941 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/189
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/00 Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols

Abstract

Systems, methods for computer program products for securely storing data in a data store or in an external data store associated with a mobile device are described herein. Data that is being sent from an application module to a data store, on the mobile device or an external data store used by the mobile device is first encrypted by a security manager. The security manager encrypts data based on an encryption algorithm that may be selected by a user. Data received from an application module is thus stored in an encrypted form on a data store. When an application requests data from the data store, the security manager decrypts the data and provides the data to the application module in its decrypted form. All data that is transmitted to or received from a data store or an external data store is intercepted by the security manager for encryption and decryption respectively.

Claims

1. A method of securing data used by a mobile device, comprising:

obtaining data from an application module;

encrypting said data to generate encrypted data; and

storing said encrypted data in a data store.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining said encrypted data from said data store upon a request from said application module;

decrypting said encrypted data to generate decrypted data; and

providing said decrypted data to said application module.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said obtaining step comprises;

receiving a request from said application module to store data in said data store.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said encrypting step comprises encrypting said data using an encryption algorithm.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

enabling a user to select said encryption algorithm.

6. A method of securely storing data in a mobile device comprising:

intercepting data from an application module;

encrypting said intercepted data using an encryption algorithm to generate encrypted data; and

storing said encrypted data in a data store.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising;

intercepting data provided by said data store, wherein said provided data was requested by said application module;

decrypting said provided data to generate decrypted data; and

providing said decrypted data to the application module.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein said data store is an external data store.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein said storing step comprises:

forwarding a request to an OS process.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said OS process is a file system process.

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

controlling data displayed by said application module using a graphics process.

12. A system for securing data used by a mobile device, comprising:

a data store;

an application module;

a security manager to encrypt data received from said application module, and to decrypt data received from said data store; and

an OS process that stores and receives data from said data store.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the OS process further comprises:

a file system process that assists said application module to interact with a file system on said data store;

a device process that assists said application module to interact with external media; and

a graphics process that assists said application module to interact with graphics and windowing events in said mobile device.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the data store is an external data store.

15. A computer program product having control logic stored therein, said control logic enabling a processor to securely exchange data between an application module and a data store on a mobile device, said control logic comprising;

instantiating means for enabling a processor to instantiate a security manager for each process in said mobile device;

encrypting means for enabling a processor to encrypt data using said security manager; and

storing means for enabling a processor to store said encrypted data in said data store.