APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ASSURING COMMUNICATIONS OF CORPORATE USERS

• US 20130254830A1
• Filed: 03/22/2012
• Published: 09/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/22/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Moganti, Madhav, Pandit, Mayuresh, Sankalia, Anish, Hannon, Joe
• Application Number:
  US13/427,668
• Publication Number:
  US 20130254830A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

A secure communication capability is disclosed. The secure communication capability is adapted to assure communications by or otherwise associated with a corporate user. The communications by or associated with the corporate user may be supported using a corporate user device(s) and/or a personal user device(s). The communications by or associated with the corporate user may be assured regardless of various elements or factors (e.g., regardless of one or more of a user device used for the communication, a communication channel used for the communication, a communication medium used for the communication, a communication mode used for the communication, and the like). In this manner, a secure blanket is imposed over all communication mechanisms used to support communication by or otherwise associated with the corporate user regarding corporate matters and/or personal matters.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the processor configured to;

receive, from a user device of a corporate user, communication request information associated with a communication request initiated via the user device, the communication request information specifying a context of the requested communication

select a communication context-based security profile for the requested communication based on the communication request information; and

propagate an indication of the selected communication context-based security profile toward at least one of the user device and a network device for use in applying at least one security mechanism to the requested communication.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication request information comprises at least one of a type of communication of the requested communication, an identity of the corporate user, a role of the corporate user, relationship-based information associated with the corporate user, a device type of the user device used by the corporate user, a network type of a network to be used to support the requested communication, an identifier identifying the user device being used by the corporate user for the requested communication, a recipient type of an intended recipient of the requested communication, an identity of an intended recipient of the requested communication, a subject of the requested communication, and one or more details of the requested communication.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the relationship-based information associated with the corporate user comprises at least one of an indication of a relationship of the corporate user to at least one of a corporation employing the corporate user, an organization within the corporation, a group within the corporation, a project of the corporation, a supplier of the corporation, and a customer of the corporation.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the communication context-based security profile specifies at least one security mechanism, the at least one security mechanism comprising at least one of an encryption/decryption mechanism, a secure tunneling mechanism, and a Virtual Private Networking (VPN) mechanism.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the requested communication comprises at least one of a voice call, an e-mail message, a text message, a video communication, and a web-related communication.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the user device is a corporate user device or a personal user device, wherein the requested communication is a corporate-related communication of the corporate user or a personal communication of the corporate user.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

determine, from the selected communication context-based security profile, a security grade to be applied for the requested communication; and

propagate the indication of the selected communication context-based security profile toward the user device via propagation of an indication of the security grade.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

update the communication context-based security profile based on application of the at least one security mechanism to the requested communication.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

detect initiation of a derived instance of the requested communication.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the derived instance of the requested communication comprises a service or a communication.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to:

initiate application of the at least one security mechanism to the derived instance of the requested communication.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the communication context-based security profile is a first communication context-based security profile, wherein the processor is configured to:

select a second communication context-based security profile for the derived instance of the requested communication; and

propagate an indication of the selected second communication context-based security profile toward at least one of the user device and a network device for use in applying at least one security mechanism to the derived instance of the requested communication.

13. A method, comprising:

using a processor for;

receiving, from a user device of a corporate user, communication request information associated with a communication request initiated via the user device, the communication request information specifying a context of the requested communication

selecting a communication context-based security profile for the requested communication based on the communication request information; and

propagating an indication of the selected communication context-based security profile toward at least one of the user device and a network device for use in applying at least one security mechanism to the requested communication.

14. An apparatus, comprising:

a processor and a memory communicatively coupled to the processor, the processor configured to;

detect initiation of a communication request at a user device;

determine communication request information associated with the communication request;

propagate the communication request information toward a communication assurance agent; and

receive, from the communication assurance agent, an indication of a communication context-based security profile selected by the communication assurance agent for use by the user device in applying at least one security mechanism to the requested communication.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the communication request information comprises at least one of a type of communication of the requested communication, an identity of the corporate user, a role of the corporate user, relationship-based information associated with the corporate user, a device type of the user device used by the corporate user, a network type of a network to be used to support the requested communication, an identifier identifying the user device being used by the corporate user for the requested communication, a recipient type of an intended recipient of the requested communication, an identity of an intended recipient of the requested communication, a subject of the requested communication, and one or more details of the requested communication

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the communication context-based security profile specifies at least one security mechanism, the at least one security mechanism comprising at least one of an encryption/decryption mechanism, a secure tunneling mechanism, and a Virtual Private Networking (VPN) mechanism.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the requested communication comprises at least one of a voice call, an e-mail message, a text message, a video communication, and a web-related communication.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the user device is a corporate user device or a personal user device, wherein the requested communication is a corporate-related communication of the corporate user or a personal communication of the corporate user.

19. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to:

initiate the requested communication using the at least one security mechanism.

20. A method, comprising:

using a processor for;

detecting initiation of a communication request at a user device;

determining communication request information associated with the communication request;

propagating the communication request information toward a communication assurance agent; and

receiving, from the communication assurance agent, an indication of a communication context-based security profile selected by the communication assurance agent for use by the user device in applying at least one security mechanism to the requested communication.