Providing access levels to services based on mobile device security state

• US 20120084836A1
• Filed: 12/07/2011
• Published: 04/05/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lookout Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Lookout Incorporated
• Inventors: Mahaffey, Kevin, Hering, John G., Burgess, James
• Granted Patent: US 8,365,252 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/30 Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/577 Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2129 Authenticate client device independently of the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1416 Event detection, e.g. attack signature detection
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security

Abstract

A mobile device'"'"'s level of access to services provided by a service provider is based on a current security state assessment of the mobile device. Mobile devices are granted different access levels to services based on the security state of the device. A security component can assess the current security state of the mobile device by processing security data generated by the mobile device. In a specific embodiment, the security component is at the mobile device. In another specific embodiment, the security component is at a server.

Claims

1-8. -8. (canceled)

9. A method comprising:

on a mobile communications device, receiving a request for access to the mobile communications device from a service provider;

at the mobile communications device, assessing by a device security component a current security state of the mobile communications device based upon processing of security data generated by the mobile communications device; and

at the device security component, granting the requesting service provider access to the mobile communications device at an access level determined by the device security component depending upon the current security state assessment of the mobile communications device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the assessing the current security state of the mobile communications device step further includes, at the mobile communications device security component, processing security events data generated by the mobile communications device to assess a severity of any security events data generated by the mobile communications device to determine severity levels for the security events, and using this data as part of the current security state assessment for the mobile communication device.

10-11. -11. (canceled)

13-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A system comprising:

a server for assessing the security state of a mobile communications device, the server having a server security component in communication with the mobile communications device;

the server security component receiving from the mobile communications device security data generated by at least one application running on the mobile communications device;

the server security component processing the received data to assess a current security state of the mobile communications device; and

the server security component providing current security state assessment data to the mobile communication device for enforcement of an application-level security policy on the mobile device that determines whether to grant access to a service provider and at what level depending on the current security state assessment of the mobile communications device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the server security component communicates with a database containing received mobile communications device security data and compares the received mobile communications data to other data stored in the database to assess the security state of the mobile communications device.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the server security component assesses received security events on the mobile communications device to determine severity levels for the security events, and uses this data as part of the current security state assessment.

18. (canceled)

20. A method comprising:

providing a server security component in communication with a mobile communications device and with a service provider;

at the server security component, receiving a request for access to the service provider from the mobile communications device;

at the server security component, in response to the request for access, assessing the current security state of the mobile communications device by processing security data generated by at least one application running on the mobile communications device; and

determining whether to grant access to the service provider and at what level depending upon the current security state assessment of the mobile communications device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the step of assessing the security state of the mobile communications device further comprises:

at the server security component, providing access to a database containing mobile communications device security event information;

and

at the server security component, comparing the security data generated by at least one application running on the mobile communications device received by the server security component and stored in the database against mobile communications device security event data stored in the database to assess a current security state of the mobile communications device.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the assessing step further includes, at the server security component, processing the mobile communications device data received by the server security component to assess a severity of security events on the mobile communications device to determine severity levels for the security events, and using this data as part of the current security state assessment.

23. A method comprising:

providing a server security component in communication with a mobile communications device and a service provider;

at the server security component, receiving a request from the service provider for the current security state assessment of the mobile communications device;

at the server security component, assessing the current security state of the mobile communications device by processing security data generated by the mobile communications device; and

providing the security state of the mobile communications device to the service provider.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the step of assessing the security state of the mobile communications device further comprises:

at the server security component, providing access to a database containing mobile communications device security event information;

at the server security component, receiving data about security events on the mobile communications device; and

at the server security component, processing the event data received by the server security component to assess a security state of the mobile communications device.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the assessing step further includes, at the server security component, processing the security event data received by the server security component to assess a severity of the security events on the mobile communications device to determine severity levels for the security events, and using this data as part of the current security state assessment for the mobile communication device.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the request for the mobile communications device'"'"'s security state is received by a web API.

27. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing computer readable instructions comprising:

computer program code for, at a mobile communications device security component, receiving a request from a service provider for access to the mobile communications device;

computer program code for, at the mobile communications device security component, in response to the request by the service provider for access to the mobile communications device, assessing by the device security component a current security state of the mobile communications device by processing security data generated by the mobile communications device; and

,

computer program code for, at the device security component, granting to the service provider access to the mobile communications device at an access level depending upon the mobile communications device current security state.

28. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium containing computer readable instructions of claim 27 wherein the assessing a current security state of the mobile communications device includes, at the device security component, processing the security data to assess a severity of any security events on the mobile communications device to determine severity levels for the security events.

29. A method comprising:

at a server in communication with a mobile communication device and with a service provider, receiving a request from the mobile communications device for access to the service provider;

in response to the request for access to the service provider, requesting by a server security component current security state assessment data concerning the mobile communications device requesting access to the service provider;

if the server security component determines that the mobile communications device security state assessment data is not current, assessing the current security state of the mobile communications device by the server security component obtaining from the mobile communications device security data generated by the mobile communications device; and

,

at the server security component, granting access to the requested service provider by the mobile communications device at an access level depending upon the current security state assessment of the mobile communications device.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the assessing step further includes, at the server security component, processing the security data obtained by the server security component to assess a severity of any security events on the mobile communications device to determine severity levels for security events and using this data as part of the current security state assessment for the mobile communications device.

31. A system comprising:

a server having a security component for communicating with a mobile communications device and with a service provider, the server security component further accessing a database available to store security data about the mobile communications device;

the server security component receiving from the mobile communications device security data generated by the mobile communications device and causing the received mobile communications device security data to be stored in the database accessible to the server security component;

the server security component processing the received mobile communications device security data to assess a current security state of the mobile communications device; and

in response to a request from the mobile communications device for access to the service provider, the server security component providing current security state assessment data to the requested mobile communications device for enforcement of an application-level security policy on the mobile communication device that determines whether access to the service provider is to be granted to the mobile communication device and at what level.

32. A system comprising:

a server having a security component for communicating with a mobile communications device and with a service provider, the server security component further accessing a database available to store security data generated by the mobile communications device;

the server security component receiving from the mobile communications device security data generated by the mobile communications device and causing the received mobile communications device security data to be stored in the database accessible to the server security component;

the server security component processing the received mobile communications device security data to assess a current security state of the mobile communications device; and

in response to a request from a service provider for access to the mobile communications device, the server security component providing current security state assessment data to the requested mobile communications device for enforcement of an application-level security policy on the mobile communications device that determines whether access to the mobile communications device is to be granted to the mobile communications device and at what level.

33. A system comprising:

at a server security component in communication with a mobile communications device and with a service provider, receiving security data generated by at least one application running on the mobile communications device;

at the server security component, processing the received security data to assess a current security state of the mobile communications device; and

,

at the server security component, providing mobile communications device current security state assessment data to the service provider so that the service provider can determine whether the mobile communications device should be granted access to the service provider and at what level.

34. A method comprising:

at a server security component in communication with a mobile communications device, receiving security data generated by at least one application running on the mobile communications device;

at the server security component, processing the received security data to assess a current security state of the mobile communications device;

at the service security component, receiving a request from the mobile communications device to access a service provider; and

,

in response to request for access, at the server security component, determining whether to grant the requested access to the service provider and at what level depending upon the current security state assessment for the mobile communications device.

35. A method comprising:

at a server security component in communication with a mobile communications device, receiving security data generated by at least one application running on the mobile communications device;

at the server security component, processing the received security data to assess a current security state of the mobile communications device;

at the server security component, receiving a request from a service provider to access the mobile communications device; and

,

in response to request for access, at the server security component, determining whether to grant the requested access to the mobile communications device and at what level depending upon the current security state assessment for the mobile communications device.

36. A system comprising:

at a server security component in communication with a mobile communications device and with a service provider, receiving security data generated by at least one application running on the mobile communications device;

at the server security component, processing the received security data to assess as current security state of the mobile communications device; and

,

at the server security component, providing mobile communications device current security state assessment data to the service provider so that the service provider can determine whether the mobile communications device should be granted access to the service provider and at what level.

37. A method comprising:

at a server security component in communication with a mobile communications device, receiving security data generated by at least one application running on the mobile communications device;

at the server security component, processing the received security data to assess a current security state of the mobile communications device;

at the service security component, receiving a request from the mobile communications device to access a service provider; and

,

in response to request for access, at the server security component, determining whether to grant the requested access to the service provider and at what level depending upon the current security state assessment for the mobile communications device.

38. A method comprising:

at a server security component in communication with a mobile communications device, receiving security data generated by at least one application running on the mobile communications device;

at the server security component, processing the received security data to assess a current security state of the mobile communications device;

at the server security component, receiving a request from a service provider to access the mobile communications device; and

,

in response to request for access, at the server security component, determining whether to grant the requested access to the mobile communications device and at what level depending upon the current security state assessment for the mobile communications device.