SITUATION AWARE SECURITY SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MOBILE DEVICES

• US 20120309354A1
• Filed: 11/17/2011
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Syracuse University
• Original Assignee: Syracuse University
• Inventors: Du, Wenliang
• Application Number:
  US13/298,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20120309354A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• 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 12/67 Risk-dependent, e.g. selecting a security level depending on risk profiles

Abstract

A mobile communication device can comprise a microprocessor, a memory, and one or more sensors, all coupled to a system bus. A sensor can be provided by a GPS receiving device, an accelerometer, an image sensor, a radio frequency transceiver, or a magnetic card reading device. The mobile communication device can be configured, responsive to receiving sensor data from one or more sensors, to select a corresponding security alert level. The mobile communication device can be further configured to perform at least one security-related action corresponding to the selected security alert level.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device comprising:

a microprocessor coupled to a system bus;

a memory coupled to said system bus;

one or more sensors coupled to said system bus, said one or more sensors selected from the group consisting of;

a GPS receiving device, an accelerometer, an image sensor, a radio frequency transceiver, a magnetic card reading device;

wherein said mobile communication device is configured, responsive to receiving sensor data from said one or more sensors, to select a security alert level based on said sensor data; and

wherein said mobile communication device is further configured to perform at least one security-related action corresponding to said security alert level.

2. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein said radio frequency transceiver is provided by one of:

an RFID reading device, an NFC reading device, a Bluetooth communication interface, an IEEE802.11-compliant communication interface.

3. The mobile communication device of claim 1, further configured to signal said security alert level to one or more applications executed by said mobile computing device.

4. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein said alert level is defined by one or more conditions selected from the group consisting of:

a known Bluetooth device having been detected, a known RFID tag having been detected, a known NFC tag having been detected, a known LAN having been detected, a pre-defined geographical area having been detected, and a pre-defined movement pattern having been detected.

5. The mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein said security-related action is selected from the group consisting of:

erasing a browser history, erasing a browser cache, erasing browser cookies, erasing application data, erasing a contact list, erasing stored application credentials, encrypting application data, encrypting a contact list, locking said mobile communication device.

6. A mobile communication device comprising:

a microprocessor coupled to a system bus;

a memory coupled to said system bus;

one or more sensors coupled to said system bus, said one or more sensors selected from the group consisting of;

a GPS receiving device, an accelerometer, an image sensor, a radio frequency transceiver, a magnetic card reading device;

wherein said mobile communication device is configured, responsive to receiving sensor data from said one or more sensors, to select a device authentication level based on said sensor data.

7. The mobile communication device of claim 6, wherein said radio frequency transceiver is provided by one of:

an RFID reading device, an NFC reading device, a Bluetooth communication interface.

8. The mobile communication device of claim 6, wherein said receiving sensor data comprises one of:

successfully validating a data item received from said radio frequency transceiver, failing to successfully validate a data item received from said radio frequency transceiver, and failing to receive a data item from said radio frequency transceiver within a pre-defined timeout.

9. The mobile communication device of claim 6, wherein said authentication level is provided by one of:

requiring a user-entered password to unlock said mobile communication device, lifting a requirement of a user-entered password to unlock said mobile communication device.

10. A mobile communication device comprising:

a microprocessor coupled to a system bus;

a memory coupled to said system bus;

a radio frequency transceiver coupled to said system bus;

wherein said mobile communication device is configured, responsive to successfully validating a data item received from said radio frequency transceiver, to unlock said mobile communication device without requiring a user-entered password; and

wherein said mobile communication device is configured, responsive to failing to successfully validate a data item received from said radio frequency transceiver, to request a user-entered password in order to unlock said mobile communication device.

11. The mobile communication device of claim 10, wherein said radio frequency transceiver is provided by one of:

an RFID reading device, an NFC reading device, a Bluetooth communication device.

12. A mobile communication device comprising:

a microprocessor coupled to a system bus;

a memory coupled to said system bus;

a wireless communication interface coupled to said system bus;

a radio frequency transceiver coupled to said system bus;

wherein said mobile communication device is configured to encrypt a first data item stored in said memory using an encryption key derived from a second data item received by said radio frequency transceiver from one of;

an RFID tag, an NFC target, a Bluetooth device; and

wherein said mobile communication device is further configured, responsive to receiving a request from an application executed by said mobile communication device, to decrypt said first data item yielding a decrypted data item, and to provide said decrypted data item to said application.

13. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein said radio frequency transceiver is provided by one of:

an RFID reading device, an NFC reading device, a Bluetooth communication device.

14. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein said first data item includes one or more data items selected from the group consisting of:

a user credential, an access token, a payment data item, and a postal address.

15. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein said encryption key is derived from said second data item and at least one of:

a user-provided data item, an application-specific data item.

16. The mobile communication device of claim 12, wherein said encryption key is derived from said second data item and at least one of:

a user-provided data item stored in said memory, an application-specific data item stored in said memory; and

wherein said mobile communication device is further configured to erase from said memory said user-provided data item responsive to receiving one of;

a user interface command, a pre-defined message via said wireless communication interface.

17. A mobile communication device comprising:

a microprocessor coupled to a system bus;

a memory coupled to said system bus;

a wireless communication interface coupled to said system bus;

a radio frequency transceiver coupled to said system bus;

wherein said mobile communication device is configured to poll radio frequency targets using said radio frequency transceiver; and

wherein said mobile communication device is further configured, responsive to successfully validating a data item received from said radio frequency transceiver, to perform one of;

unlocking said mobile communication device, unlocking an application executed by said mobile communication device, and unlocking a function of an application executed by said mobile communication device.

18. The mobile communication device of claim 17, wherein said radio frequency transceiver is provided by one of:

an RFID reading device, an NFC reading device, a Bluetooth communication device.

19. The mobile communication device of claim 17, wherein said validating is performed by calculating a pre-defined hash function of said data item.

20. The mobile communication device of claim 17, wherein said validating is performed by comparing said data item to a value stored in said memory.

21. The mobile communication device of claim 17, wherein said mobile communication device is further configured, responsive to expiration of a pre-defined timeout, to lock one of:

said mobile communication device, an application executed by said mobile communication device, and a function of an application executed by said mobile communication device.

22. A mobile communication device comprising:

a microprocessor coupled to a system bus;

a memory coupled to said system bus;

one or more sensors coupled to said system bus, said one or more sensors selected from the group consisting of;

a GPS receiving device, an accelerometer, an image sensor, a radio frequency transceiver, a magnetic card reading device;

wherein said mobile communication device is configured to validate a sensor data pattern, responsive to receiving sensor data from said one or more sensors, said one or more sensors including said radio frequency transceiver; and

wherein said mobile communication device is further configured, responsive to successfully validating a sensor data pattern, to perform at least one action corresponding to said sensor data pattern.

23. The mobile communication device of claim 22, wherein said radio frequency transceiver is provided by one of:

an RFID reading device, an NFC reading device, a Bluetooth communication device.

24. The mobile communication device of claim 22, wherein said sensor data received from said one or more sensors comprises two or more sensor data items received from two or more sensors.

25. The mobile communication device of claim 22, wherein said sensor data received from said one or more sensors comprises two or more sensor data items received from said radio frequency transceiver.

26. The mobile communication device of claim 22, wherein said at least one action is selected from the group consisting of:

launching an application, performing an application function, and passing a parameter to an application, said parameter derived from said sensor data.