Administration of protection of data accessible by a mobile device

• US 7,636,936 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2007
• Issued: 12/22/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Novell Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Jacobson, Sterling K, Wright, Michael, Mims, Robert, Nault, Gabe, Smith, Merrill, Boucher, Peter, Wood, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Simitoski; Michael J
• Application Number:
  US11/926,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20080077971A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 726/11, 726/17, 726/1, 713/153, 455/25, 379/15.03, 379/29.01, 379/32.01, 379/201.12, 380/258
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/30 Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3006 where the computing system is distributed, e.g. networked systems, clusters, multiprocessor systems multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46; allocation of resources G06F9/50
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 11/3055 Monitoring arrangements for monitoring the status of the computing system or of the computing system component, e.g. monitoring if the computing system is on, off, available, not available error or fault processing without redundancy G06F11/0703; error detection or correction by redundancy in data representation G06F11/08; error detection or correction by redundancy in operation G06F11/14; error detection or correction by redundancy in hardware G06F11/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/865 Monitoring of software
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2201/875 Monitoring of systems including the internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/30 Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent

Abstract

The administration of protection of data on a client mobile computing device by a server computer system such as within an enterprise network or on a separate mobile computing device is described. Security tools are described that provide different security policies to be enforced based on a location associated with a network environment in which a mobile device is operating. Methods for detecting the location of the mobile device are described. Additionally, the security tools may also provide for enforcing different policies based on security features. Examples of security features include the type of connection, wired or wireless, over which data is being transferred, the operation of anti-virus software, or the type of network adapter card. The different security policies provide enforcement mechanisms that may be tailored based upon the detected location and/or active security features associated with the mobile device. Examples of enforcement mechanisms are adaptive port blocking, file hiding and file encryption.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented system for providing protection of data accessible by a mobile computing device comprising:

a mobile computing device comprising;

a location detection module for determining an actual network location in a network environment in which the mobile device is operating; and

a security features module for determining whether one or more security features have an activity status of inactive or active in a communication session between the mobile device and another computer;

a server system comprising;

a policy management module, on a computing device separate from the mobile computing device, having a communication interface with the security features and location detection modules for receiving over a network the activity status of the one or more security features and the actual network location; and

a policy setting module determining a current security policy for the mobile device from one or more security policies and a plurality of pre-configured network locations associated with the network environment in which the mobile device may be operating as received from the policy management module based upon criteria including the activity status of the one or more security features and whether the actual network location corresponds to one of the pre-configured network locations;

the mobile computing device further comprising;

an authorization module communicating with the location detection module to verify whether the actual network location indeed corresponds to said one of the pre-configured network locations; and

a policy enforcement control module being communicatively coupled with the policy setting module for receipt and enforcement of the current security policy on network ports of the mobile device being used to communicate with said another computer.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the security features is a connection type of wired or wireless.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the security features is a security software program.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the security features is a network class.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the network class is a type of mobile communications system.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the type of mobile communications system is a type of wireless communications system.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein the network class is a Global System for Mobile Communications system.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein the network class is 802.3.

9. The system of claim 5 wherein the network class is 802.15.

10. The system of claim 5 wherein the network class is 802.16.

11. The system of claim 4 wherein the network class is a variation of 802.11.

12. The system of claim 4 wherein the network class is 3G.

13. The system of claim 4 wherein the network class is General Packet Radio Service.

14. A computer-implemented system for providing protection of data accessible by a mobile computing device comprising:

a mobile computing device comprising;

a location detection module for determining an actual network location in a network environment in which the mobile device is operating; and

a security features module for determining whether one or more security features have an activity status of inactive or active in a communication session between the mobile device and another computer;

a server system comprising;

a policy management module, on a computing device separate from the mobile computing device, having a communication interface with the security features and location detection modules for receiving over a network the activity status of the one or more security features and the actual network location; and

a policy setting module determining a current security policy from one or more security policies and a plurality of pre-configured network locations associated with the network environment in which the mobile device may be operating as received from the policy management module based upon criteria including the activity status of the one or more security features and whether the actual network location corresponds to one of the pre-configured network locations;

the mobile computing device further comprising;

a policy enforcement control module being communicatively coupled with the policy setting module for communication of the current security policy to be enforced, the enforcement control module comprising one or more enforcement mechanism modules for enforcing the current security policy, wherein the one or more enforcement mechanism modules comprises a file filter module for controlling access to a file.