PRIVACY MANAGEMENT FOR TRACKED DEVICES

• US 20100014676A1
• Filed: 07/17/2009
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Absolute Software Corporation
• Original Assignee: Absolute Software Corporation
• Inventors: Wiebe, Trevor, McCarthy, Charles Chad, Loveland, Damien
• Granted Patent: US 8,625,799 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/277
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/552 involving long-term monitoring or reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6272 by registering files or documents with a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2109 Game systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2151 Time stamp
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/08 Key distribution or management, e.g. generation, sharing or updating, of cryptographic keys or passwords network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting key management in a packet data network H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/30 Public key, i.e. encryption algorithm being computationally infeasible to invert or user's encryption keys not requiring secrecy
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• 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 4/20 Services signaling; Auxiliary data signalling, i.e. transmitting data via a non-traffic channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A device, method, system and computer readable medium for the protection of private data while permitting the monitoring or tracking of electronic devices that are shared for both business and private purposes.

Claims

1. A method performed by a user computing device to enable a location of the user computing device to be monitored from a remote location, the method comprising:

obtaining location data reflective of a current location of the user computing device;

determining, based upon the operation of a conditional data encryption rule, whether to encrypt the location data with a private key of a user of the user computing device;

when a determination is made to encrypt the location data with the private key, encrypting the location data with the private key to generate encrypted location data, and transmitting the location data on a network to a monitoring system; and

when a determination is made not to encrypt the location data with the private key, transmitting the location data on the network to a monitoring system without first encrypting the location data with the private key;

wherein the method is performed under the control of program code executed by the user computing device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the determination is based at least partly on a time of day associated with the location data.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the determination is based further on a day of week associated with the location data.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the determination is based further on date associated with the location data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is performed as a background task substantially invisibly to the user.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises transmitting application data to said monitoring system to enable said application data to be remotely backed up, said application data being distinct from said location data.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising determining, based upon the operation of a conditional data encryption rule, whether to encrypt the application data with the private key prior to transmission to the monitoring system.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the determination is based at least partly on a time of day associated with the application data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the determination is based further on a day of week associated with the location data.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the determination is based further on date associated with the location data.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the location data comprises Global Positioning System (GPS) data generated by a GPS receiver of the user computing device.

12. A computer readable medium which stores program code that instructs a user computing device to perform a method that comprises:

obtaining location data reflective of a current location of the user computing device;

determining, based upon the operation of a conditional data encryption rule, whether to encrypt the location data with a private key of a user of the user computing device;

when a determination is made to encrypt the location data with the private key, encrypting the location data with the private key to generate encrypted location data, and transmitting the location data on a network to a monitoring system; and

when a determination is made not to encrypt the location data with the private key, transmitting the location data on the network to a monitoring system without first encrypting the location data with the private key.

13. A system for the protection of private data while monitoring an electronic device, the system comprising:

a. remote memory;

b. an electronic device comprising a processor, a memory in which resides data; and

a network interface;

c. an encryption module installed in said electronic device; and

d. a conditional encryption rule stored in said device;

wherein said device is configured to;

i. determine that the data is private data or non-private data;

ii. encrypt private data; and

iii. transmit non-private data and encrypted private data to the remote memory via the network interface.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said device is configured to determine automatically that the data is private data or non-private data based on a schedule.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said device is configured to determine that the data is private data during a time period and that the data is non-private data after said time period.