MANAGING APPLICATIONS RELATED TO SECURE MODULES

• US 20100050271A1
• Filed: 01/31/2007
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Saarisalo, Mikko Antero
• Granted Patent: US 11,275,826 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/28
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/50 Monitoring users, programs or devices to maintain the integrity of platforms, e.g. of processors, firmware or operating systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/52 during program execution, e.g. stack integrity ; Preventing unwanted data erasure; Buffer overflow
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6209 to a single file or object, e.g. in a secure envelope, encrypted and accessed using a key, or with access control rules appended to the object itself
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality

Abstract

An apparatus capable of hosting a secure module. The hosting apparatus is configured to provide connectivity to the secure module, and comprises a memory for storing secure module related applications. A processing module is configured to check whether an application chosen or activated by the user of the apparatus is a secure module related application. In case the chosen or activated application is a secure module related application, the processing module is 101 configured to restrict user rights concerning the application.

Claims

1. An apparatus capable of hosting a secure module, the apparatus comprising:

a memory configured to store secure module related applications; and

a processing module configured to check whether an application is a secure module related application, wherein

in case an application chosen or activated by a user of the apparatus is a secure module related application, the processing module is configured to restrict user rights concerning that application.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing module is configured to check whether the application chosen or activated by the user of the apparatus is a counterpart application for an application residing in a secure module hosted by the apparatus, wherein

in case the chosen or activated application is a counterpart application, the processing module is configured to restrict user rights concerning that application.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the counterpart application is a secure module user interface application or another secure module managing application.

4. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing module is configured to restrict user rights by applying security measure(s), deletion protection, or installation or update restriction(s).

5. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing module is configured to restrict user rights by implementing a separate application class for secure module related applications.

19. A computer program product according to claim 1S, further comprising:

code for writing data from or a replica of a secure module resident registry into a hosting apparatus memory, and

code for using said data or replica in said checking whether an application is a secure module related application.

6. A secure module capable to be hosted by a hosting apparatus, the secure module comprising:

a processing unit for installing a secure module application into the secure module, and

a memory for storing an indication about a compatible counterpart application which is needed in the hosting apparatus, wherein

the processing unit is configured to communicate said indication to the hosting apparatus, the indication causing the hosting apparatus to restrict user rights concerning said counterpart apparatus.

7. A method, comprising:

checking by an apparatus capable of hosting a secure module whether an application is a secure module related application; and

in case an application chosen or activated by a user of the apparatus is a secure module related application, restricting user rights concerning that application.

8. A method according to claim 7, wherein the method comprises:

checking whether an application chosen or activated by the user of the apparatus is a counterpart application for a corresponding secure module resident application, and

in case the chosen or activated application is a counterpart application, restricting user rights concerning that application.

9. A method according to claim 7, wherein the counterpart application is a secure module user interface application or another secure module managing application.

11. A method according to claim 7, wherein the method comprises restricting user rights by using a separate application class for secure module related applications.

12. A method according to claim 7, wherein the method comprises:

writing data from or a replica of a secure module resident registry into a hosting apparatus memory, and

using said data or replica in said checking whether an application is a secure module related application.

10. A method according to claim wherein the method comprises restricting user rights by applying security measure(s), deletion protection, or installation or update restriction(s).

13-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A computer program product comprising computer executable program code stored in a computer readable storage medium, the computer executable program code comprising;

code for storing secure module related applications;

code for checking whether an application is a secure module related application; and

code for restricting user rights concerning that application in case an application chosen or activated by a user of the apparatus is a secure module related application.

16. A computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising:

code for checking whether an application chosen or activated by the user of the apparatus is a counterpart application for a corresponding secure module resident application, and

code for restricting user rights concerning that application in case the chosen or activated application is a counterpart application.

17. A computer program product according to claim 15, further comprising;

code for restricting user rights by applying security measure(s), deletion protection, or installation or update restriction(s).

18. A computer program product according claim 15, further comprising:

code for restricting user rights by using a separate application class for secure module related applications.