Mobile device monitoring and control system

• US 8,140,062 B1
• Filed: 09/12/2008
• Issued: 03/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ManTech Advanced Systems International, Inc. (Mantech International Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oceans' Edge, Inc. (Mantech International Corporation)
• Inventors: Krussel, Tom, Neuner, Paul, McKay, Robert Adam, Lukin, Jay, Emara, Sam, Klonoski, Nathan, Hildner, Steven T., Shanley, Thomas P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Afshar, Kamran
• Assistant Examiner(s): Matharu, Manpreet
• Application Number:
  US12/209,889
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 455/456.1, 455/456.2, 455/456.6, 455/417, 455/418, 709/223
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0806 for initial configuration or provisioning, e.g. plug-and-play
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/30 for supporting lawful interception, monitoring or retaining of communications or communication related information circuit switched telephony call monitoring H04M3/2281
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42221 Conversation recording systems at the subscriber's set H04M1/656
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/128 Anti-malware arrangements, e.g. protection against SMS fraud or mobile malware
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/80 Arrangements enabling lawful interception [LI]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/24 Transfer of terminal data

Abstract

Methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for surreptitiously installing, monitoring, and operating software on a remote computer controlled wireless communication device are described. One aspect includes a control system for communicating programming instructions and exchanging data with the remote computer controlled wireless communication device. The control system is configured to provide at least one element selected from the group consisting of: a computer implemented device controller; a module repository in electronic communication with the device controller; a control service in electronic communication with the device controller; an exfiltration data service in electronic communication with the device controller configured to receive, store, and manage data obtained surreptitiously from the remote computer controlled wireless communication device; a listen-only recording service in electronic communication with the device controller; and a WAP gateway in electronic communication with the remote computer controlled wireless communication device.

Claims

1. A monitored device client for surreptitious unauthorized instantiation and surreptitious unauthorized operation on a remote computer controlled wireless communication device, comprising:

a remote device communications interface, said remote device communications interface configured to enable surreptitious unauthorized wireless communications between said remote computer controlled wireless communication device and a control system for surreptitiously communicating unauthorized programming instructions and exchanging data with said remote computer controlled wireless communication device, such that said programming instructions and data are accepted by said remote computer controlled wireless device as if authorized and the user of said device is unaware of said unauthorized communicating and exchanging;

a module component configured to surreptitiously monitor at least one aspect of the operation of said remote wireless computer controlled communication device;

a module component configured to surreptitiously control at least one aspect of the operation of said remote wireless computer controlled communication device;

a module component configured to store information that has been gathered surreptitiously from said remote computer controlled wireless communication device;

a selective router component configured to surreptitiously monitor and manage communications of said remote wireless computer controlled communication device; and

a control component configured to manage surreptitious deployment and operation of the components of said monitored device client.

2. The monitored device client of claim 1, wherein said client is configured to encrypt at least a portion of said communications.

3. The monitored device client of claim 1, wherein said client is configured to digitally sign said data.

4. The monitored device client of claim 1, wherein said client is configured for surreptitious communication.

5. The monitored device client of claim 1, wherein each of said components is in electronic communication with at least one other component of said monitored device client.

6. The monitored device client of claim 1, further including a device discovery and modification application configured to be surreptitiously instantiated on said remote computer controlled wireless communication device, said device discovery and modification client configured to identify at least one aspect of the configuration said remote computer controlled wireless communication device, and facilitate the surreptitious instantiation of at least one aspect of said monitored device client on said remote computer controlled wireless communication device.

7. The monitored device client of claim 6, wherein said facilitation of surreptitious instantiation includes surreptitiously transferring and installing at least a portion of said monitored device client on said remote computer controlled wireless communication device.

8. The monitored device client of claim 1, wherein said monitored device client is effective to configure said remote computer controlled wireless communication device to use network services not otherwise associated with said remote computer controlled wireless communication device, when said monitored device client communicates with said control system.

9. The monitored device client of claim 1, wherein said monitored device client is integrated into said remote computer controlled wireless communication device as one or more of the following:

a software applications;

a components used by a software application;

a component of the operating system of said remote computer controlled wireless communication device;

or

an element of a removable computer controlled device identification component.

10. The monitored device client of claim 9, wherein said removable computer controlled device identification component is selected from the group consisting of:

a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), and a Removable User Identity Module (RUIM).

11. A remote computer controlled wireless communication device comprising the monitored device client of claim 1.

12. The remote computer controlled wireless communication device of claim 11, further comprising a removable computer controlled device identification component, said removable computer controlled device identification component including at least a portion of said monitored device client.

13. The remote computer controlled wireless communication device of claim 12, wherein said removable computer controlled device identification component is a removable computer controlled device identification component of claim 10.

14. A method for surreptitiously instantiating and surreptitiously operating unauthorized software on a remote computer controlled wireless communication device, comprising:

surreptitiously installing an unauthorized remote device communications interface on said remote computer controlled wireless communications device, said unauthorized remote device communications interface being configured to enable surreptitious unauthorized wireless communications between said remote computer controlled wireless communication device and a control system for surreptitious unauthorized communication of programming instructions and exchange of exchanging data with said remote computer controlled wireless communication device, said installation being performed under conditions effective to substantially suppress detection of said installing, such that said programming instructions and data are accepted by said remote computer controlled wireless device as if authorized and the user of said device is unaware of said unauthorized communicating and exchanging;

a module component configured to surreptitiously monitor at least one aspect of the operation of said remote wireless computer controlled communication device;

a module component configured to surreptitiously control at least one aspect of the operation of said remote wireless computer controlled communication device;

a module component configured to store information that has been gathered surreptitiously from said remote computer controlled wireless communication device;

a selective router component configured to surreptitiously monitor and manage communications of said remote wireless computer controlled communication device; and

a control component configured to manage surreptitious deployment and operation of the components of said method.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising encrypting at least a portion of said communications.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising signing said data.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising performing said communications surreptitiously.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising enabling electronic communication of each component with at least one other component.

19. The method of claim 15, further including instantiating surreptitiously a device discovery and modification application configured on said remote computer controlled wireless communication device, and identifying at least one aspect of the configuration said remote computer controlled wireless communication device.

20. The method of claim 19, further including surreptitiously transferring and installing at least a portion of said method on said remote computer controlled wireless communication device.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising configuring said remote computer controlled wireless communication device to use network services not otherwise associated with said remote computer controlled wireless communication device, when said method communicates with said control system.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising configuring said interface as one or more of the following:

a software application configured to run on said remote computer controlled wireless communication device;

a component used by a software application configured to run on said remote computer controlled wireless communication device;

a component of the operating system of said remote computer controlled wireless communication device;

or

an element of a removable computer controlled device identification component configured for electronic communication with said remote computer controlled wireless communication device.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said removable computer controlled device identification component is selected from the group consisting of:

a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), and a Removable User Identity Module (RUIM).

25. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein said client is configured to encrypt at least a portion of said communications.

26. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein said client is configured to digitally sign said data.

27. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 22, wherein said client is configured to communicate surreptitiously.

24. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing a computer program product, said computer program product being configured to encode a monitored device client for surreptitious unauthorized instantiation and surreptitious unauthorized operation on a remote computer controlled wireless communication device, said monitored device client including:

a remote device communications interface, said remote device communications interface configured to enable surreptitious unauthorized wireless communications between said remote computer controlled wireless communication device and a control system for surreptitiously communicating unauthorized programming instructions and unauthorized exchange of data with said remote computer controlled wireless communication device, such that said programming instructions and data are accepted by said remote computer controlled wireless device as if authorized and the user of said device is unaware of said unauthorized communicating and exchanging;

a module component configured to surreptitiously monitor at least one aspect of the operation of said remote wireless computer controlled communication device;

a module component configured to surreptitiously control at least one aspect of the operation of said remote wireless computer controlled communication device;

a module component configured to store information that has been gathered surreptitiously from said remote computer controlled wireless communication device;

a selective router component configured to surreptitiously monitor and manage communications of said remote wireless computer controlled communication device; and

a control component configured to manage surreptitious deployment and operation of the components of said computer readable medium.

28. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein each of said components is in electronic communication with at least one other component of said computer readable medium.

29. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24, further including a device discovery and modification application configured to be surreptitiously instantiated on said remote computer controlled wireless communication device, said device discovery and modification client configured to identify at least one aspect of the configuration said remote computer controlled wireless communication device, and facilitate the surreptitious instantiation of at least one aspect of said computer readable medium on said remote computer controlled wireless communication device.

30. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 29, wherein said facilitation of surreptitious instantiation includes surreptitiously transferring and installing at least a portion of said computer readable medium on said remote computer controlled wireless communication device.

31. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein said computer readable medium is effective to configure said remote computer controlled wireless communication device to use network services not otherwise associated with said remote computer controlled wireless communication device, when said computer readable medium communicates with said control system.

32. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 24, wherein said computer readable medium is integrated into said remote computer controlled wireless communication device as one or more of the following:

a software application;

a components used by a software application;

a component of the operating system of said remote computer controlled wireless communication device;

or

an element of a removable computer controlled device identification component.

33. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein said removable computer controlled device identification component is selected from the group consisting of:

a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), a Universal Subscriber Identity Module (USIM), and a Removable User Identity Module (RUIM).