METHOD FOR DETECTING A SECURITY EVENT ON A PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND ESTABLISHING AUDIO TRANSMISSION WITH A CLIENT COMPUTER

• US 20140338006A1
• Filed: 07/23/2014
• Published: 11/13/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/17/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: F-Secure Corporation (F-Secure Oyj)
• Original Assignee: Lookout Incorporated
• Inventors: Richardson, David, Mandal, Ayan, Mangat, Cherry, Mahaffey, Kevin Patrick, Grkov, Vance
• Granted Patent: US 9,569,643 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/14 for detecting or protecting against malicious traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42161 via computer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/245 from a network towards a terminal

Abstract

Mobile devices typically have some form of audio capabilities designed to be operated by the device'"'"'s user, for example to place phone calls; however, if a device is misplaced or stolen, the user may wish to operate those audio capabilities remotely. Methods are provided for detecting that a security event has occurred on a portable electronic device and then establishing an audio transmission between the device and one or more clients, and in some embodiments, sending a command to initiate the audio transmission. The detection of a security event may be based on, for example, detecting that the device has been turned on, detecting movement of the device, detecting that an incorrect password has been entered, the device camera has been used, contacts have been added or deleted, the SIM card as been removed or replaced, application programs have been installed or uninstalled from the device, or uncharacteristic behavior has been detected.

Claims

1. A method on a portable electronic device comprising:

at the portable electronic device, detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device; and

in response to the detected security event, at the portable electronic device, determining that an audio transmission should be established between the portable electronic device and a client computer.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device comprises:

detecting that a screen of the portable electronic device has been turned on.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device comprises:

detecting movement of the portable electronic device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device comprises:

detecting that an incorrect password has been entered at the portable electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device comprises:

detecting that a contact has been added to a directory of the portable electronic device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device comprises:

detecting that a contact in a directory of the portable electronic device has been deleted.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device comprises:

detecting that a contact in a directory of the portable electronic device has been updated.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device comprises:

detecting that a SIM card of the portable electronic device has been removed.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device comprises:

detecting that a SIM card of the portable electronic device has been replaced with a different SIM card.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device comprises:

detecting that the portable electronic device has been connected to a computer.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device comprises:

detecting an attempt to uninstall a mobile application program on the portable electronic device.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device comprises:

detecting an attempt to delete data from the portable electronic device.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device comprises:

detecting uncharacteristic behavior.

4. The method of claim 30 wherein the step of detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device comprises:

detecting that a camera of the portable electronic device has been used.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps of a method comprising:

at a portable electronic device, detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device; and

in response to the detected security event, at the portable electronic device, determining that an audio transmission should be established between the portable electronic device and a client computer.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the method step of detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device comprises:

detecting that a screen of the portable electronic device has been turned on.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the method step of detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device comprises:

detecting movement of the portable electronic device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the method step of detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device comprises:

detecting that a camera of the portable electronic device has been used.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the method step of detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device comprises:

detecting that an incorrect password has been entered at the portable electronic device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the method step of detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device comprises:

detecting that a contact has been added to a directory of the portable electronic device.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the method step of detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device comprises:

detecting that a contact in a directory of the portable electronic device has been deleted.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the method step of detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device comprises:

detecting that a contact in a directory of the portable electronic device has been updated.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the method step of detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device comprises:

detecting that a SIM card of the portable electronic device has been removed.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the method step of detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device comprises:

detecting that a SIM card of the portable electronic device has been replaced with a different SIM card.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the method step of detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device comprises:

detecting that the portable electronic device has been connected to a computer.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the method step of detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device comprises:

detecting an attempt to uninstall a mobile application program on the portable electronic device.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the method step of detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device comprises:

detecting an attempt to delete data from the portable electronic device.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15 wherein the method step of detecting a security event occurring at the portable electronic device comprises:

detecting uncharacteristic behavior.