Remote diagnosis of unauthorized hardware change

• US 8,245,315 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2008
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Cassett, Tia Manning, Fok, Kenny
• Primary Examiner(s): PHAM, LUU T
• Application Number:
  US12/207,981
• Publication Number:
  US 20100064379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,434 Days
• Field of Search: 726/34
• US Class Current: 726/34
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/14 for detecting or protecting against malicious traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud

Abstract

Aspects describe remotely diagnosing unauthorized hardware changes on a mobile device. The changes can be identified based on hardware component identification and/or based on behavior characteristics of the device. If an unauthorized change is detected, information relating to that change can be reported to a service provider. Further, actions associated with the authorized change can be automatically implemented or implemented after confirmation to proceed with the recommended action.

Claims

1. A method for diagnosing an unauthorized hardware change, comprising:

detecting, by a computing device, a hardware change on a mobile device;

determining the hardware change is an unauthorized hardware change as a function of a component identification of the hardware and a behavior characteristic of the hardware corresponding to the component identification, including determining that an actual behavior characteristic of the hardware is different from an authorized behavioral characteristic stored on the mobile device for the hardware; and

performing an action based on an implementation policy that associates the action with the unauthorized hardware change, including;

determining a connectivity problem in attempting to transmit a message over a network to report the unauthorized hardware changed,

during a specified amount of time, prompting a user to solve the connectivity problem and prompting the user to provide information regarding the unauthorized hardware change,

restricting usage of the mobile device after expiration of the specified amount of time if the connectivity problem is not resolved prior to the expiration of the specified amount of time or if the information regarding the unauthorized hardware change is not received prior to the expiration of the specified amount of time, and

logging information associated with the unauthorized hardware change for reporting to a service provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the component identification is determined by a dynamically updatable component identification listing.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting a recommended action for handling the unauthorized hardware change to the service provider; and

receiving approval or rejection of the recommended action.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the implementation policy is dynamically updateable over the air.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the implementation policy is manually overridden.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the performed action comprises limiting usage of the mobile device to emergency usage.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the performed action comprises suspending a subset of applications running on the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the performed action comprises restricting at least one device action.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the performed action comprises suspending device applications associated with the unauthorized hardware change.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the performed action comprises reporting the logged information associated with the unauthorized hardware change to the service provider, the user, or both the service provider and the user.

11. A wireless communications apparatus, comprising:

processor; and

a memory that retains computer executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform the acts of;

detecting a hardware change on a mobile device;

ascertaining the hardware change is an unauthorized hardware change as a function of a component identification of the hardware and a behavior characteristic of the hardware corresponding to the component identification, including determining that an actual behavior characteristic of the hardware is different from an authorized behavioral characteristic stored on the mobile device for the hardware; and

performing an action based on an implementation policy that associates the action with the unauthorized hardware change, including;

determining a connectivity problem in attempting to transmit a message over a network to report the unauthorized hardware changed,

during a specified amount of time, prompting a user to solve the connectivity problem and prompting the user to provide information regarding the unauthorized hardware change,

restricting usage of the mobile device after expiration of the specified amount of time if the connectivity problem is not resolved prior to the expiration of the specified amount of time or if the information regarding the unauthorized hardware change is not received prior to the expiration of the specified amount of time, and

logging information associated with the unauthorized hardware change for reporting to a service provider.

12. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 11, wherein the component identification is determined by a dynamically updatable component identification listing.

13. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 11, wherein the component identification is determined by a manually updatable component identification listing.

14. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 11, the memory further retains instructions related to reporting a recommended action to be implemented for handling the unauthorized hardware change to the service provider and receiving approval or rejection of the recommended action to be implemented.

15. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 11, wherein the implementation policy is dynamically updateable over the air.

16. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 11, wherein the performed action comprises limiting usage of the mobile device to emergency usage.

17. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 11, wherein the performed action comprises at least one of suspending a subset of applications running on the mobile device, restricting at least one device action, or suspending device applications associated with the unauthorized hardware change.

18. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 11, wherein the performed action comprises reporting the logged information associated with the unauthorized hardware change to the service provider, the user, or both the service provider and the user.

19. A wireless communications apparatus that detects an unauthorized hardware change to a device, comprising:

means for identifying a hardware change to a device;

means for establishing that the change is an unauthorized hardware change as a function of a component identification of the hardware and a behavior characteristic of the hardware corresponding to the component identification, including determining that an actual behavior characteristic of the hardware is different from an authorized behavioral characteristic stored on the device for the hardware; and

means for performing an action based on an implementation policy that associates the action with the unauthorized hardware change, including;

means for determining a connectivity problem in attempting to transmit a message over a network to report the unauthorized hardware changed,

means for prompting a user to solve the connectivity problem and means for prompting the user to provide information regarding the unauthorized hardware change, during a specified amount of time;

means for restricting usage of the mobile device after expiration of the specified amount of time if the connectivity problem is not resolved prior to the expiration of the specified amount of time or if the information regarding the unauthorized hardware change is not received prior to the expiration of the specified amount of time, and

means for logging information associated with the unauthorized hardware change for reporting to a service provider.

20. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 19, wherein the component identification is determined by a dynamically updatable component identification listing.

21. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 19, further comprising:

means for communicating a recommended action for handling the unauthorized hardware change to the service provider; and

means for receiving approval or rejection of the recommended action.

22. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 19, wherein the performed action comprises at least one of limiting usage of the device to emergency usage, suspending a subset of applications running on the mobile device, restricting at least one device action, or suspending device applications associated with the unauthorized hardware change.

23. The wireless communications apparatus of claim 19, wherein the performed action comprises reporting the logged information associated with the unauthorized hardware change to the service provider, the user, or both the service provider and the user.