METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROTECTING DATA IN A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE

• US 20120025978A1
• Filed: 10/07/2011
• Published: 02/02/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bran Ferren, W. Daniel Hillis
• Original Assignee: Bran Ferren, W. Daniel Hillis
• Inventors: FERREN, Bran, Hillis, W. Daniel
• Granted Patent: US 8,870,971 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/539.13
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1409 for removal detection of electrical appliances by detecting their physical disconnection from an electrical system, e.g. using a switch incorporated in the plug connector
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• 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 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning

Abstract

Data in a portable electronic device is protected by using external and internal status detection means to determine if the device is misplaced, lost, or stolen. The device then takes, singly or in combination, one of several actions to protect the data on the device, including declaring its location to an owner or service provider, locking the device or specific functions of the device to disable all data retrieval functionality, erasing or overwriting all the stored data in the device or, where the data has been stored in the device in an encrypted format, destroying an internally-stored encryption key, thereby preventing unauthorized access to the encrypted data in the device.

Claims

1. A method for protecting stored data in a portable electronic device, wherein the data is encrypted with an encryption key stored in the portable electronic device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a direct call at the portable electronic device from a user who is entitled to protect the data on the portable electronic device;

receiving an explicit indication from the user over the received direct call that the portable electronic device is any of misplaced, lost or stolen;

responsive to the receipt of the explicit indication, destroying the encryption key at the portable electronic device, wherein access to the encrypted stored data is prevented.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving the encryption key from the user; and

restoring access to the data in response to the encryption key received from the user.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

responsive to the receipt of the explicit indication, taking at least one additional action to protect the stored data on the portable electronic device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one additional action comprises declaring the location of the portable electronic device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the step of declaring the location of the portable electronic device comprises any of:

transmitting the location of the portable electronic device to a service provider, or

communicating the location of the portable electronic device to the user who is entitled to protect the data.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one additional action comprises locking the portable electronic device.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one additional action comprises locking one or more functions of the portable electronic device.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one additional action comprises disabling all data retrieval functionality at the portable electronic device.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one additional action comprises erasing the stored encrypted data.

10. A method for protecting stored data in a portable electronic device, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a direct call at the portable electronic device from an authorized user of the portable electronic device;

receiving an explicit indication from the authorized user over the received direct call that the portable electronic device is any of misplaced, lost or stolen; and

responsive to receipt of the explicit indication, taking at least one action at the portable electronic device to protect the stored data on the portable electronic device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the explicit indication comprises a predetermined code.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one action comprises declaring the location of the portable electronic device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of declaring the location of the portable electronic device comprises any of:

transmitting the location of the portable electronic device to a service provider;

or

communicating the location of the portable electronic device to the user who is entitled to protect the data.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one action comprises locking the portable electronic device.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one action comprises locking one or more functions of the portable electronic device.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one action comprises disabling all data retrieval functionality at the portable electronic device.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the at least one action comprises erasing the stored data.

18. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a mechanism for storing an encryption key;

a mechanism for storing data, wherein at least a portion of the data is encrypted with the stored encryption key;

a mechanism for receiving an incoming call;

at least one processor, wherein the processor is programmed to destroy the encryption key if an incoming call is received by a user who is entitled to protect the data on the portable electronic device, wherein the incoming call comprises an explicit indication that the portable electronic device is any of misplaced, lost, or stolen; and

wherein destruction of the encryption key prevents access to the encrypted stored data.

19. A portable electronic device, comprising:

a mechanism for storing data; and

at least one processor, wherein the processor is programmed to

determine a current status of the portable electronic device, and

take one or more actions to protect the stored data on the device, based upon the determined current status, when the determined current status indicates that the portable electronic device is any of misplaced, stolen, or lost.

20. The portable electronic device of claim 19, further comprising:

a mechanism for receiving a wireless signal directly from a user who is entitled to protect the data on the portable electronic device;

wherein the determination of the current status of the portable electronic device is responsive to the received wireless signal when the wireless signal comprises an explicit indication that the portable electronic device is any of misplaced, stolen, or lost.

21. A method for protecting data in a portable electronic device, the method comprising the steps of:

encrypting the data in the portable electronic device with an encryption key that is stored in the portable electronic device;

determining the current status of the portable electronic device; and

destroying the encryption key whenever the status of the portable electronic device is determined to be undesirable, to protect the stored encrypted data.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a direct call at the portable electronic device from a user who is entitled to protect the data on the portable electronic device; and

receiving a predetermined code from the user;

wherein the step of determining the current status of the portable electronic device determines that the current status of the portable electronic device is undesirable based upon the receipt of the predetermined code.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the user comprises any of a person who owns the portable electronic device, or an authorized user of the portable electronic device.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of determining the current status of the portable electronic device comprises observing an activity level of the portable electronic device.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of determining the current status of the portable electronic device comprises observing a dialing pattern of the portable electronic device.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein a region wherein the portable electronic device is intended to be used is predefined by the a user who is entitled to protect the data on the portable electronic device, and wherein the method further comprises the step of:

determining the current location of the portable electronic device, wherein if the current location is outside the predefined region of operation, the device determines that the current status of the portable electronic device is undesirable.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein the current location is determined by any of a GPS unit, wireless triangulation, or time-of-flight calculations.

28. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of:

declaring the current location of the portable electronic device.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the step of declaring the current location of the portable electronic device comprises any of:

transmitting the current location to a service provider;

or

transmitting the current location to the owner of the portable electronic device.

30. The method of claim 21, wherein the step of determining the current status of the portable electronic device takes place external to the of the portable electronic'"'"', device, and comprises any of:

receiving a notification from the owner through a wireless signal that the portable electronic device is any of misplaced, lost, or stolen;

or

receiving a notification from a service provider that the portable electronic device is any of misplaced, lost, or stolen.