INCREMENTAL COMPLIANCE REMEDIATION

• US 20140282829A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Omnissa, LLC
• Original Assignee: Sky Socket Llc (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: DABBIERE, ALAN, STUNTEBECK, ERICH
• Granted Patent: US 10,652,242 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0631 Resource planning, allocation, distributing or scheduling for enterprises or organisations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

Disclosed are various embodiments for enforcing device compliance parameters by inhibiting access to devices, networks or resources. Methods may include associating a compliance rule with a client device. If the compliance rule is violated, a setting associated with the client device may be altered. The altered setting may inhibit access to the client device, a network, a client device resource and/or a network resource. For example, necessary password complexities may be increased, password lifetimes may be decreased and/or resources may be restricted based on a geofence, a time of day and/or a day of the week.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

associating a compliance rule with a client device;

determining whether the compliance rule is violated; and

altering a setting associated with the client device based on the compliance rule being violated,

wherein the altered setting inhibits access to at least one of the client device, a network, a client device resource and a network resource.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said altering the setting comprises increasing a required password complexity for at least one of the client device or the network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said altering the setting comprises decreasing a password lifetime for at least one of the client device or the network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said altering the setting comprises restricting access to at least one of the client device resource or the network resource based on at least one of a geofence, a date, a time of day and a day of week.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining is performed on the client device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining is performed on a remote server.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said altering is performed based on instructions provided by a remote server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said altering inhibits access to at least one of the client device resource or the network resource, the at least one of the client device resource or the network resource including at least one of an application, a computer folder, a data file, an electronic document and a network address.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising at least one of sending or receiving an alert from the client device to a remote server including an indication of said altering.

10. An apparatus, comprising:

a two-way communication device;

a display; and

a processor, configured to;

associate a compliance rule with the apparatus; and

alter a setting associated with the apparatus based on the compliance rule being violated,

wherein, the altered setting inhibits access to at least one of the apparatus, a network, an apparatus resource and a network resource.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein altering the setting comprises at least one of:

increasing a required password complexity for at least one of the apparatus or the network; and

decreasing a password lifetime for at least one of the client device or the network.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein altering the setting comprises restricting access to at least one of the apparatus resource or the network resource based on at least one of a geofence, a date, a time of day and a day of week.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein altering the setting comprises restricting access to the at least one of the apparatus, network, apparatus resource and network resource based on a geofence, and further includes at least one of:

blocking outgoing calls;

blocking outgoing messages;

routing inbound calls to an alternate number, address or device;

routing some inbound calls to an alternate number, address or device, and allowing other inbound calls to be received; and

disabling inbound calls, and providing an automated response to a source of the inbound calls.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein altering the setting comprises restricting access to the at least one of the apparatus, network, apparatus resource and network resource based on an NFC geofence, and further includes at least one of:

blocking outgoing calls via a first carrier;

routing outgoing calls to an NFC-enabled device; and

routing incoming calls to the NFC-enabled device.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to at least one of:

determine whether the compliance rule is violated; and

receive an indication that the compliance rule is violated from a remote server.

16. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the altering is performed based on instructions provided by a remote server.

17. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein altering the setting comprises inhibiting access to a communication function of the apparatus and further includes at least one of:

blocking outgoing calls during predetermined time periods;

blocking outgoing messages during predetermined time periods;

routing inbound calls to an alternate number, address or device during predetermined time periods;

routing some inbound calls to an alternate number, address or device, and allowing other inbound calls to be received, during predetermined time periods; and

disabling inbound calls, and providing an automated response to a source of the inbound calls, during predetermined time periods.

18. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to send an alert to a remote server including an indication of the altered setting.

19. An apparatus comprising:

a two-way communication device;

a storage device; and

a processor, configured to;

set a compliance rule, and store the compliance rule on the storage device;

provide the compliance rule to a client device via the two-way communication device;

determine if the client device has violated the compliance rule; and

provide an instruction for altering a setting associated with the client device based on the compliance rule being violated; and

wherein, the altered setting inhibits access to at least one of the client device, a network, a client device resource and a network resource.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said altering the setting comprises at least one of:

increasing a required password complexity for the client device;

increasing a required password complexity for the network;

decreasing a password lifetime for the client device;

decreasing a password lifetime for the network;

restricting access to the client device resource based on a geofence;

restricting access to the network resource based on the geofence;

restricting access to the client device resource based on a time of day; and

restricting access to the network resource based on the time of day.