AUTOMATIC DATA ENCRYPTION AND ACCESS CONTROL BASED ON BLUETOOTH DEVICE PROXIMITY

• US 20110007900A1
• Filed: 07/13/2010
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Eisenbach, Andre
• Granted Patent: US 8,019,283 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/270
• 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 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• 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 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• 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: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and system for using Bluetooth devices to secure sensitive data on other Bluetooth devices is described. A Bluetooth device is paired with a “trusted” Bluetooth device. When contact with the trusted device is lost, designated sensitive data on the secured Bluetooth device is automatically encrypted. When contact is restored, the data is automatically decrypted. In an alternate embodiment, a secured device can be associated with multiple trusted devices, and the secured device designate different sensitive data for each trusted device. In this way, multiple users can share a common, “public” Bluetooth device without concern that the other users will access their sensitive data on the device when the device is not being used by that user.

Claims

8. A system for securing data on Bluetooth enabled devices, comprising two paired Bluetooth devices, wherein a first one of said devices is designated a “

trusted”

device and the second one of said devices contains sensitive data, and said second one of said devices encrypts said sensitive data when said first one of said devices leaves the proximity of said second one of said devices.

1. A method of securing a Bluetooth device comprising:

a. pairing two Bluetooth devices,

b. designating at least one of said paired Bluetooth devices as a trusted device for the other, a secured device;

c. designating at least a portion of the data storage on said secured device as sensitive data;

d. detecting when said trusted device is no longer in proximity with said secured device;

e. encrypting said sensitive data when said trusted device is no longer in proximity with said secured device; and

f. de-encrypting said sensitive data when said trusted device is detected as being in proximity with said secured device.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further comprises encrypting said sensitive data after a timer has expired.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said secured device is locked when said trusted device is no longer in proximity with said trusted device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said secured device is paired with more than one trusted device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the secured device is also a trusted device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the trusted device is also a secured device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the secured device designates different sensitive data for each of a plurality of trusted devices.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said second one of said devices encrypts said data after the expiration of a timer.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein said second one of said devices is locked when said first one of said devices is no longer in proximity with said first one of said devices.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein said system comprises additional trusted and secured devices.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein said second one of said devices is also a trusted device.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein said first one of said devices is also a secured device.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein said second one of said devices is paired with at least one more device than said first one of said devices.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein said second one of said devices contains separate sensitive data for each of said at least one more device and said first one of said devices.

16. An integrated circuit, said integrated circuit including an application layer that performs the method comprising:

a. pairing two Bluetooth devices,

b. designating at least one of said paired Bluetooth devices as a trusted device for the other, a secured device;

c. designating at least a portion of the data storage on said secured device as sensitive data;

d. detecting when said trusted device is no longer in proximity with said secured device;

e. encrypting said sensitive data when said trusted device is no longer in proximity with said secured device; and

f. de-encrypting said sensitive data when said trusted device is detected as being in proximity with said secured device.

17. The integrated circuit of claim 15, wherein said integrated circuit is incorporated into a dedicated security fob.

18. The integrated circuit of claim 15, wherein said integrated circuit is paired with additional said trusted devices.

19. The integrated circuit of claim 18, wherein said integrated circuit designates different sensitive data for each of said trusted devices.

20. The integrated circuit of claim 15, wherein said integrated circuit is also designated as a trusted device.

16-1. The integrated circuit of claim 15, further delaying the encrypting of sensitive data until the expiration of a timer.