Dynamic interface for mobile devices

• US 8,306,522 B1
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Issued: 11/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Original Assignee: Sprint Communications Company LP (Deutsche Telekom AG)
• Inventors: Delker, Jason R., Everson, John M., Kneisley, Gabriel B., Nichols, Jarrod A., Whitney, Jason K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Marisol
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hong, Dung
• Application Number:
  US12/343,476
• Time in Patent Office: 1,414 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 455418-420
• US Class Current: 455/419
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/52 during program execution, e.g. stack integrity ; Preventing unwanted data erasure; Buffer overflow
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/577 Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/032 Protect output to user by software means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/34 Indicating arrangements indicating means incorporated in magazine or cassette G11B23/046 and G11B23/0875; indicating measured values in general G01D
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/663 Preventing unauthorised calls to a telephone set
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/42 Graphical user interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/053 remote terminal provisioning, e.g. of applets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/257 remote control of substation user interface for telephonic services, e.g. by ISDN stimulus, ADSI, wireless telephony application WTA, MExE or BREW
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications

Abstract

A method of enforcing security and confidentiality on a communications device using a dynamic interface application comprises a first external device receiving a first message from a second external device indicating that the security of the communications device has been compromised, and the first external device authenticating the first message and processing the instructions contained in the first message to safeguard content marked confidential. The method also comprises the first external device sending a second message to a device security component executing on the communications device, the second message containing instructions to render inaccessible tiles marked confidential by one of deleting and temporarily disabling access to marked tiles, and disable selected functionality of the dynamic interface application and underlying communications functionality of the communications device until receiving further instruction. The method also comprises the device security component carrying out the instructions contained in the second message.

Claims

1. A method of enforcing security and confidentiality on a communications device using a dynamic interface application, comprising:

receiving, by a provider security component stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by a processor, a first message indicating that the security of the communications device has been compromised, wherein the first message is generated in response to the security of the communications device being compromised, and wherein the first message identifies panes of the dynamic interface application to be marked confidential, and selected functionality of the dynamic interface application and underlying communications functionality to be disabled;

authenticating, by the provider security component, the first message;

processing, by the provider security component, first instructions contained in the first message to safeguard content associated with the panes of the dynamic interface application to be marked confidential;

sending, by the provider security component, second instructions based on the first instructions to a device security component executing on the communications device to render inaccessible the panes of the dynamic interface application marked confidential by deleting or temporarily disabling access to the panes marked confidential and to disable the selected functionality of the dynamic interface application and the underlying communications functionality of the communications device until receiving further instruction, wherein the second instructions list the panes marked confidential that are to be rendered inaccessible, and the selected functionality of the dynamic interface application and the underlying communications functionality to be disabled;

rendering inaccessible, by the device security component, the panes marked confidential by one of deleting and temporarily disabling access to the panes marked confidential pursuant to the second instructions;

disabling, by the device security component, the selected functionality of the dynamic interface application and the underlying communications functionality of the communications device until receiving further instruction pursuant to the second instructions;

receiving, by the provider security component, a second message indicating that the security of the communications device is no longer compromised;

sending, by the provider security component, third instructions to the device security component to enable previously disabled functionality and restore the panes previously disabled pursuant to the second instructions; and

enabling, by the device security component, previously disabled functionality and restoring previously disabled panes pursuant to the third instructions.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is invoked when the communications device is one of misplaced, lost, and stolen.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is invoked remotely from a device other than the communications device, and wherein the device is one of a mobile telephone and a web interface on one of a desktop, laptop, and handheld computer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method is invoked by entering secure credentials and providing the first instructions regarding the services to be disabled and the panes to be made inaccessible.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the rendering inaccessible of selected panes and disabling of selected functionality is reversed by entering secure credentials.

6. A method of enforcing security and confidentiality on a communications device using a dynamic interface application, comprising:

receiving, by a provider security component stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by a processor, a first message indicating that the security of the communications device has been compromised, wherein the first message is generated in response to the security of the communications device being compromised, and wherein the first message identifies panes of the dynamic interface application to be marked confidential, and selected functionality of the dynamic interface application and underlying communications functionality to be disabled;

authenticating, by the provider security component, the first message;

processing, by the provider security component, first instructions contained in the first message to safeguard content associated with the panes of the dynamic interface application to be marked confidential;

sending, by the provider security component, the first instructions to a device security component executing on the communications device to render inaccessible the panes of the dynamic interface application marked confidential by deleting or temporarily disabling access to marked panes and to disable the selected functionality of the dynamic interface application and the underlying communications functionality of the communications device until receiving further instruction;

receiving, by the provider security component, a second message indicating that the security of the communications device is no longer compromised; and

sending, by the provider security component, second instructions to the device security component to enable previously disabled functionality and restore panes previously disabled pursuant to the first instructions.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the security of the communications device is indicated to have been compromised when the communications device is misplaced, lost, or stolen.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the method is invoked remotely from a device other than the communications device, and wherein the device is one of a mobile telephone and a web interface on one of a desktop, laptop, and handheld computer.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising receiving secure credentials and the first instructions regarding the services to be disabled and the panes to be made inaccessible entered remotely from a device other than the communications device, wherein the device is one of a mobile telephone and a web interface on one of a desktop, laptop, and handheld computer.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the second message comprises credentials, and wherein the credentials are entered remotely by a user using a device other than the communications device, wherein the device is one of a mobile telephone and a web interface on one of a desktop, laptop, and handheld computer.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

examining, by the provider security component, the credentials prior to sending the second instructions to the device security component; and

authenticating, by the provider security component, an identity of the user prior to sending the second instructions to the device security component.

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

saving, by the provider security component, the first instructions when the communications device is not powered on; and

sending, by the provider security component, the first instructions to the device security component when the communications device is next powered on.

13. A method of enforcing security and confidentiality on a communications device using a dynamic interface application, comprising:

receiving, by a provider security component stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium and executable by a processor, a first message indicating that the security of the communications device has been compromised, wherein the first message is generated in response to the security of the communications device being compromised, and wherein the first message identifies panes of the dynamic interface application to be marked confidential, and selected functionality of the dynamic interface application and underlying communications functionality to be disabled;

processing, by the provider security component, first instructions contained in the first message to safeguard content associated with the panes of the dynamic interface application to be marked confidential;

sending, by the provider security component, second instructions based on the first instructions to a device security component executing on the communications device to render inaccessible the panes of the dynamic interface application marked confidential by deleting or temporarily disabling access to the panes marked confidential and to disable the selected functionality of the dynamic interface application and the underlying communications functionality of the communications device until receiving further instruction, wherein the second instructions list the panes marked confidential that are to be rendered inaccessible, and the selected functionality of the dynamic interface application and the underlying communications functionality to be disabled;

receiving, by a device security component executing on the communications device, the second instructions;

carrying out, by the device security component, the second instructions;

receiving, by the device security component, third instructions to enable previously disabled functionality and restore panes previously disabled pursuant to the second instructions in response to an indication that the security of the communications device is no longer compromised; and

carrying out, by the device security component, the third instructions.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein carrying out the second instructions comprises:

rendering inaccessible, by the device security component, the panes marked confidential by one of deleting and temporarily disabling access to marked panes pursuant to the second instructions; and

disabling, by the device security component, the selected functionality of the dynamic interface application and the underlying communications functionality of the communications device until receiving further instruction pursuant to the second instructions.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein carrying out the third instructions comprises enabling, by the device security component, previously disabled functionality and restoring previously disabled panes pursuant to the third instructions.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the security of the communications device is indicated to have been compromised when the communications device is misplaced, lost, or stolen.