RULES BASED ACTIONS FOR MOBILE DEVICE MANAGEMENT

• US 20130007245A1
• Filed: 07/02/2012
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taasera Licensing LLC (Quest Patent Research Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Fiberlink Communications Corporation (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: MALIK, Jatin, SINGH, Ratnesh, BOPALLI, Rajakumar
• Granted Patent: US 9,071,518 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/223
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1433 Vulnerability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications

Abstract

Utilizing a server-based rules-based action framework, methods and systems gather status and configuration information about each of a plurality of mobile devices, which include devices from different mobile platforms. At the server, software processes monitor status information and respond automatically to changes, causing administrator-selected rules to be evaluated to determine if an action should automatically be initiated.

Claims

1. A method for providing device management services comprising steps of:

gathering, from a network, status information related to each of a plurality of mobile devices, each mobile device utilizing one of a plurality of different mobile operating systems;

storing the status information in an electronic database accessible to a server;

evaluating a first compliance state of at least one of the mobile devices from the status information using a plurality of administrator-defined rules; and

initiating at least one action defined by the user-defined rules in response to the step of evaluating,

wherein the step of evaluation is performed by a server automatically, in response to changes in the status information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one action is selectable from a plurality of actions, comprising blocking access by the at least one of the mobile devices to a corporate resource.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one action is selectable from a plurality of actions, comprising blocking e-mail access for the at least one of the mobile devices.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one action is selectable from a plurality of actions, comprising wiping information from the at least one of the mobile devices.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one action is selectable from a plurality of actions, comprising warning a user of the at least one of the mobile devices that further action may be taken.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of gathering status information, for the at least one mobile device, comprises gathering information from that mobile device and at least one other source on the network.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of subsequently evaluating a second compliance state of at least one of the mobile devices to determine if the at least one action should be revoked.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of different mobile operating systems comprise at least Android and iOS.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the status information comprises location information about each mobile device.

10. A method for providing device management services comprising steps of:

making a determination that an attribute of a mobile device has changed;

evaluating the attribute, by a processor at a server in response to the determination, to determine if it triggers at least one of a plurality of administrator defined rules, which indicates that the attribute is out of compliance; and

automatically initiating, at the server, an action defined by the at least one of a plurality of administrator defined rules if the attribute is out of compliance,

wherein the attribute is stored in a data store accessible to the server, that includes substantially real-time data pertaining to a plurality of attributes of a plurality of mobile devices, comprising devices having different mobile operating systems.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the step of automatically initiating an action comprises warning a user of the mobile device that the device is out of compliance and subsequently causing the action to be performed if the attribute remains out of compliance after a period of time defined in the at least one rule.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of automatically revoking the action if the attribute is brought back into compliance.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of automatically revoking the action comprises determining if another of the plurality of rules is triggered.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of gathering the plurality of attributes for at least one of the plurality of mobile device by gathering attribute information from that mobile device and at least one other source on a network.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of different mobile operating systems comprise at least Android and iOS.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the attribute comprises location information about the mobile device.

17. A system for providing device management services comprising:

a data store configured to be accessible by a server;

computer readable instructions for execution on the server comprising instructions configured to;

make a determination that an attribute of a mobile device stored in the data store has changed;

evaluate the attribute, in response to the determination, to determine if it triggers at least one of a plurality of administrator defined rules, which indicates that the attribute is out of compliance; and

automatically initiate an action defined by the at least one of a plurality of administrator defined rules if the attribute is out of compliance,

wherein the data store is configured to include substantially real-time data pertaining to a plurality of attributes of a plurality of mobile devices, comprising devices having different mobile operating systems.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the computer readable instructions further comprise instructions configured to present a user interface to an administrator to allow selection of at least one attribute and one available action to define the at least one of the plurality of administrator defined rules.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein at least one of the actions comprises warning a user of the mobile device that the device is out of compliance and causing subsequent action to be performed if the attribute remains out of compliance after a period of time defined in the at least one rule.

20. The system of claim 17, wherein the computer readable instructions further comprise instructions configured to automatically revoke the action if the attribute is brought back into compliance.

21. The system of claim 17, wherein the computer readable instructions further comprise instructions configured to gather the plurality of attributes for at least one of the plurality of mobile device by gathering attribute information from that mobile device and at least one other source on a network.

22. The system of claim 17, wherein the plurality of different mobile operating systems comprise at least Android and iOS.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the attribute comprises location information about the mobile device.