System for securing a mobile terminal

• US 8,467,770 B1
• Filed: 08/21/2012
• Issued: 06/18/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Optima Direct, LLC (2S Ventures, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Mourad Ben Ayed
• Inventors: Ben Ayed, Mourad
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, CONGVAN
• Application Number:
  US13/590,194
• Time in Patent Office: 301 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/412.1, 455/414.1, 455/404.2, 455/456.1, 455/9, 340/568.1, 340/539.15, 340/686.6
• US Class Current: 455/411
• 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: H04R 25/305 Self-monitoring or self-testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/30 Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/18 Self-organising networks, e.g. ad-hoc networks or sensor networks

Abstract

A method and apparatus for securing user data on a mobile device using a Bluetooth fob. The method and apparatus enables robust access security, issues alerts when the user leaves proximity of his/her terminal, and can delete confidential data. The method also teaches using a Bluetooth smart phone soft token for securing data on a mobile device.

Claims

1. A method for securing a mobile terminal comprising:

after detecting loss of Bluetooth proximity from a previously connected authentication device determine the current location of the mobile terminal,

whereby if the current location is in a predefined zone, lock access to at least one application,

whereby if the current location is outside a predefined zone, go to an alert mode, wherein when in alert mode the mobile terminal locks access to at least one application,

wherein after a predetermined period of time, a call is made to a first remote device,

wherein after a predetermined period of time, a call is made to a second remote device,

wherein after a predetermined period of time,

an email message comprising information about the current location of the mobile terminal is sent,

a Short Message Service message comprising information about the current location of the mobile terminal is sent,

wherein said current location is determined using a means selected from the group consisting of onboard GPS and Wifi,

wherein after a predetermined period of time, data can be deleted,

whereby when the previously connected authentication device is detected using Bluetooth protocol, the mobile terminal aborts the alert mode.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein:

said authentication device comprises a short wireless transceiver selected from the group consisting of;

BLUETOOTH Low Energy, BLUETOOTH, ANT, NFC, Wibree and Wifi.

3. The method of claim 1 whereby said loss of Bluetooth proximity is selected from the group consisting of:

radio frequency signal loss, radio frequency signal level is below a predetermined threshold, radio frequency signal RSSI is below a predetermined threshold, radio frequency signal quality is below a predetermined threshold, distance between said first personal electronic device and said mobile terminal is above a threshold selected from the group consisting of 15 feet, 30 feet, 50 feet, 100 feet and 200 feet.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising:

said authentication device issues an audible alert.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising:

after detecting loss of proximity from an authentication device,

determine the current location of the mobile terminal,

if the current location is in a predefined zone,

the mobile terminal does not go to said alert mode.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein after performing an operation onboard the mobile terminal selected from the group consisting of:

launch an application, access an application, push a button, run a function, request information, access a data record,

a program running onboard the mobile terminal requests information from an authentication device,

wherein the requested information is selected from the group consisting of;

password, one-time-password, certificate, response to a challenge question, challenge authentication results, biometric reading, biometric authentication results, motion information, acceleration information,

wherein after receipt of a wireless response from said authentication device,

said program authenticates said wireless response, and after successful authentication, said operation is authorized.

7. The method of claim 1 comprising:

after the mobile terminal leaves a predefined zone,

a program onboard the mobile terminal sends an indication to an authentication device,

wherein after the mobile terminal enters a predefined zone,

a program onboard the mobile terminal sends an indication to an authentication device.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein after the mobile terminal leaves a predefined zone,

said authentication device monitors proximity to the mobile terminal,

wherein after detection of loss of proximity,

said authentication device issues an alarm.

9. A method for securing a mobile terminal comprising:

after detecting loss of Bluetooth proximity from a previously connected authentication device,

determine the current location of the mobile terminal,

whereby if the current location is in a predefined zone, lock access to at least one application,

whereby if the current location is outside a predefined zone, go to an alert mode, wherein when in alert mode the mobile terminal locks access to at least one application,

wherein after a predetermined period of time, a call is made to a first remote device,

wherein after a predetermined period of time, a call is made to a second remote device

wherein the mobile terminal sends at least one email message comprising information about the current location of the mobile terminal, and/or sends at least one a Short Message Service message comprising information about the current location of the mobile terminal,

wherein after a predetermined period of time, data can be deleted,

whereby when a previously connected authentication device is detected using Bluetooth protocol, the mobile terminal aborts the alert mode,

the method further comprises provisioning the authentication device with user data

wherein said user data is selected from the group consisting of;

password, One-time-password, certificate, response to a challenge question, challenge authentication results, biometric reading, biometric authentication results, motion information, acceleration information, interface ID, encryption protocol, obfuscation protocol.

10. A method for securing a mobile terminal comprising:

after detecting loss of proximity from a previously connected short wireless authentication device,

determine the current location of the mobile terminal,

whereby if the current location is in a predefined zone, lock access to at least one application,

whereby if the current location is outside a predefined zone, go to an alert mode, wherein when in alert mode the mobile terminal locks access to at least one application,

wherein after a predetermined period of time, a call is made to a first remote device,

wherein after a predetermined period of time, a call is made to a second remote device and

wherein after a predetermined period of time, the mobile terminal performs an action selected from the group consisting of;

send an email message comprising information about the current location of the mobile terminal,

send a Short Message Service message comprising information about the current location of the mobile terminal,

wherein after a predetermined period of time, data can be deleted;

whereby when a short wireless authentication device is detected, the mobile terminal aborts the alert mode;

whereby after a request for access onboard thethe mobile terminal

if a first authentication device is not connected to the mobile terminal using a short wireless connection, and a second authentication mobile phone is not connected to the mobile terminal using a short wireless connection, access is locked,

whereby if a first authentication device is connected to the mobile terminal using a short wireless connection, or if a second authentication mobile phone is connected to the mobile terminal using a short wireless connection,

information is requested from a connected device,

whereby after receipt of a wireless response from the connected device, and after successful authentication, access is authorized.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein:

said short wireless authentication device is selected from the group consisting of;

BLUETOOTH Low Energy device, BLUETOOTH device, ANT device, NFC device and Wifi device.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein:

said second authentication mobile phone runs a soft token application.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein

after presenting a challenge question on the mobile terminal wherein said challenge question is different from a previously presented challenge question,

sending a code corresponding to the presented challenge question to the connected device,

wherein after a user enters a response onboard the connected device,

a program evaluates said response,

and after successful authentication, said user is authorized,

wherein said response is selected from the group consisting of:

voice response, finger print, finger scan, iris scan, and photo.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein:

said first authentication device comprises a chipset selected from the group consisting of;

an Apple authentication chipset, an AES 256 crypto chipset, a Secure Element chipset, an accelerometer chipset.

15. The system of claim 10 wherein:

after the mobile terminal sends a message digest wirelessly to said first authentication device,

said first authentication device encrypts said message digest using a private key,

said first authentication device sends a signed message digest to the mobile terminal wirelessly.

16. The system of claim 10 comprising:

if the current location of the mobile terminal is in a predefine zone, said program does not issue an audible alert.

17. The system of claim 10 comprising:

said first authentication device obtains motion information from an onboard motion detection means,

if motion is detected, said first authentication device does not respond to requests.

18. The system of claim 10 wherein:

after pairing, said first authentication device changes to non discoverable.

19. The system of claim 10 wherein:

access is only authorized if both said first authentication device and said second authentication mobile phone are connected to the mobile terminal using short range wireless communication and both of them respond to requests.

20. The system of claim 10 wherein:

said first authentication device is unitary, does not have a cellular transceiver and monitors proximity of the mobile terminal in real-time.