Personal wireless monitoring agent
First Claim
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1. A processor based method for monitoring use of a wireless device with respect to communications that are received at a wireless interface, the method comprising the steps of:
- loading a personal wireless monitoring agent on the wireless device, wherein the wireless device comprises an authorized device on a wireless network, and wherein the personal wireless monitoring agent is configured to examine behavior on the wireless device on which it is installed;
accessing on the wireless device one or more policy guidelines through the personal wireless monitoring agent;
determining locally on the wireless device through the personal wireless monitoring agent whether a violation exists with respect to the one or more policy guidelines by analysis of the communication attributes based upon the policy guidelines, the analysis comprises using the personal wireless monitoring agent in a combination of passive monitoring and active monitoring of a wireless local area network driver of the wireless device, wherein the active monitoring comprises monitoring data, management, and control frames associated with the wireless local area network driver, the policy guidelines comprising a configurable set of activity rules related to the wireless device and authorized activity on the wireless network for the wireless device, and the determining based on wireless communication associated with the wireless device, wherein the violation comprises a deviation in communications being sent to or from the wireless device from the one or more policy guidelines;
logging any policy violations from the scanning step to a log file; and
sending the log file to a server responsive to the wireless device having an available connection to the server.
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Abstract
An agent for monitoring a wireless device is provided. The agent compares communications against policy guidelines and determines whether a violation of the policy guidelines has been committed, and communicates information about the violation to an authorized user.
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Citations
22 Claims
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1. A processor based method for monitoring use of a wireless device with respect to communications that are received at a wireless interface, the method comprising the steps of:
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loading a personal wireless monitoring agent on the wireless device, wherein the wireless device comprises an authorized device on a wireless network, and wherein the personal wireless monitoring agent is configured to examine behavior on the wireless device on which it is installed; accessing on the wireless device one or more policy guidelines through the personal wireless monitoring agent; determining locally on the wireless device through the personal wireless monitoring agent whether a violation exists with respect to the one or more policy guidelines by analysis of the communication attributes based upon the policy guidelines, the analysis comprises using the personal wireless monitoring agent in a combination of passive monitoring and active monitoring of a wireless local area network driver of the wireless device, wherein the active monitoring comprises monitoring data, management, and control frames associated with the wireless local area network driver, the policy guidelines comprising a configurable set of activity rules related to the wireless device and authorized activity on the wireless network for the wireless device, and the determining based on wireless communication associated with the wireless device, wherein the violation comprises a deviation in communications being sent to or from the wireless device from the one or more policy guidelines; logging any policy violations from the scanning step to a log file; and sending the log file to a server responsive to the wireless device having an available connection to the server. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A computer system having a wireless monitoring agent, the system comprising:
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a wireless communication interface operable to receive and transmit communications on a wireless network on which the computer system is an authorized device; a data store operable to store policy guidelines associated with the computer system and a log file associated with analysis of the communication attributes; and a system processor comprising one or more processing elements, wherein the system processor is in communication with the system data store and the wireless communication interface and wherein the system processor is programmed or adapted to; load a personal wireless monitoring agent, wherein the computer system comprises an authorized device on the wireless network, and wherein the personal wireless monitoring agent is configured to examine behavior on the computer system on which it is installed; execute via the personal wireless monitoring agent policy analysis instructions configured to analyze communication attributes both passively and actively to determine whether a violation has occurred at the computer system based upon the policy guidelines, wherein active analysis comprises monitoring data, management, and control frames associated with an IEEE 802.11 network driver associated with the wireless communication interface; check locally via the personal wireless monitoring agent registry, audit, log, or configuration files in the data store regarding compliance to the policy guidelines for wireless communications of the computer system; and alert a centralized server via the wireless network based upon the analysis of communication attributes with respect to the policy guidelines; wherein the computer system comprises one of a mobile computer system or a notebook computer. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A processor based method for monitoring use of a wireless device with respect to communications that are received at a wireless interface, the method comprising the steps of:
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operating the wireless device as an authorized device on a wireless network; installing a personal wireless monitoring agent on the wireless device, wherein the personal wireless monitoring agent is configured to examine behavior on the wireless device on which it is installed; receiving on the wireless device for the personal wireless monitoring agent one or more policy guidelines comprising approved wireless communication attributes comprising a configurable set of activity rules for a wireless network; accessing on the wireless device the one or more policy guidelines for the personal wireless monitoring agent; monitoring using the personal wireless monitoring agent wireless network behavior of the wireless device through a combination of passive monitoring reviewing various configuration files and activity logs created on the wireless device and monitoring of a network driver on the wireless device to analyze IEEE 802.11 data, management, and control frames, wherein the monitoring is performed locally on the wireless device, and wherein the monitoring is based on data transmitted associated with the wireless device; determining on the wireless device whether a violation exists with respect to the one or more policy guidelines by analysis of the communication attributes based upon the policy guidelines, wherein the violation comprises a deviation from the approved wireless communication attributes; logging on the wireless device any policy violations from the scanning step to a log file; and communicating the log file to an authorized user.
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Specification