Security system for managing information on mobile wireless devices

• US 8,552,833 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2010
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Ricoh Company Limited
• Inventors: Motoyama, Tetsuro, Ishizaki, Yasuo
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Benjamin C
• Assistant Examiner(s): BLACK-CHILDRESS, RAJSHEED O
• Application Number:
  US12/813,436
• Publication Number:
  US 20110304428A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,216 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 340/5.74
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/04 Access control involving a hierarchy in access rights
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/62 Comprising means for indicating the status of the lock
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00904 for hotels, motels, office buildings or the like
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/28 the pass enabling tracking or indicating presence
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• 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: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• 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 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent

Abstract

A security system is provided for managing information stored on mobile wireless devices upon exit from a building. The security system includes an exit system and a device management system. The exit system is configured to detect that a user has requested to exit a building. The exit system is also configured to detect that a particular mobile wireless device is in proximity to the user. The device management system is configured to determine, based upon policy data that specifies attributes of information that should not be removed from the building on mobile wireless devices, information on the mobile wireless device that is to be rendered inaccessible. The device management system is further configured to cause the determined information on the mobile wireless device to be rendered inaccessible. Rendering information on the mobile wireless device inaccessible may include, for example, deleting the information, encrypting the information or re-encrypting the information.

Claims

1. A security system for managing electronic information stored on

mobile wireless devices, the security system comprising:

an exit system configured to;

detect that a user has requested to exit a building,

detect that a particular mobile wireless device is in proximity to the user; and

a device management system configured to;

determine, based upon at least user information for the user and mobile wireless device information for the mobile wireless device, whether the user is authorized to remove the mobile wireless device from the building,

in response to determining that the user is authorized to remove the mobile wireless device from the building;

determine policy data for the user that specifies attributes of electronic information that the user should not remove from the building on mobile wireless devices,

determine, based upon the policy data for the user, electronic information stored on the mobile wireless device that satisfies the policy data for the user,

cause the electronic information stored on the mobile wireless device and that satisfies the policy data for the user to be rendered inaccessible, and

allow the user to remove the mobile wireless device from the building.

2. The security system as recited in claim 1, wherein

the device management system is further configured to:

determine user identification data that uniquely identifies the user,

determine, based upon the user identification data that uniquely identifies the user, a logical group that corresponds to the user, and

determine, from a plurality of policy data, that the policy data corresponds to the logical group.

3. The security system as recited in claim 1, wherein:

the device management system is further configured to;

determine user identification data that that uniquely identifies the user,

determine, from a plurality of policy data, based upon the user identification data that uniquely identifies the user, that the policy data corresponds to the user.

4. The security system as recited in claim 1, wherein the device management system is further configured to:

determine user identification data that uniquely identifies the user,

determine, based upon the user identification data that uniquely identifies the user, a particular authorization level that corresponds to the user, and

determine, from a plurality of policy data, that the policy data corresponds to the particular authorization level.

5. The security system as recited in claim 1, wherein the device management system is further configured to cause the electronic information stored on the mobile wireless device and that satisfies the policy data for the user to be rendered inaccessible by signaling the mobile wireless device to render inaccessible one or more electronic documents stored on the mobile wireless device.

6. The security system as recited in claim 1, wherein the device management system is further configured to generate and store data that indicates the electronic information stored on the mobile wireless device that was rendered inaccessible.

7. The security system as recited in claim 1, wherein the device management system is further configured to generate and transmit a notification indicating that the electronic information stored on the mobile wireless device was rendered inaccessible.

8. The security system as recited in claim 1, wherein causing the electronic information stored on the mobile wireless device to be rendered inaccessible includes one or more of causing the electronic information to be deleted from the mobile wireless device, causing the electronic information to be encrypted on the mobile wireless device and causing the electronic information to be re-encrypted on the mobile wireless device.

9. The security system as recited in claim 1, wherein mobile wireless device is one or more of a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a cell phone and an MP3 player.

10. The security system as recited in claim 1, wherein the device management system is further configured to cause the electronic information stored on the mobile wireless device to be deleted, encrypted or re-encrypted in response to a determination that a level of a battery in the mobile wireless device has decreased below a specified threshold.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium for managing electronic information stored on mobile wireless devices, the non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when processed by one or more processors, cause:

an exit system to;

detect that a user has requested to exit a building,

detect that a particular mobile wireless device is in proximity to the user; and

a device management system to;

determine, based upon at least user information for the user and mobile wireless device information for the mobile wireless device, whether the user is authorized to remove the mobile wireless device from the building,

in response to determining that the user is authorized to remove the mobile wireless device from the building;

determine policy data for the user that specifies attributes of electronic information that the user should not remove from the building on mobile wireless devices,

determine, based upon the policy data for the user, electronic information stored on the mobile wireless device that satisfies the policy data for the user,

cause the electronic information stored on the mobile wireless device and that satisfies the policy data for the user to be rendered inaccessible, and

allow the user to remove the mobile wireless device from the building.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein:

the device management system is further configured to;

determine user identification data that uniquely identifies the user,

determine, based upon the user identification data that uniquely identifies the user, a logical group that corresponds to the user, and

determine, from a plurality of policy data, that the policy data corresponds to the logical group.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein:

the device management system is further configured to;

determine user identification data that that uniquely identifies the user,

determine, from a plurality of policy data, based upon the user identification data that uniquely identifies the user, that the policy data corresponds to the user.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 13, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium stores additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, causes the device management system to:

determine user identification data that uniquely identifies the user,

determine, based upon the user identification data that uniquely identifies the user, a particular authorization level that corresponds to the user, and

determine, from a plurality of policy data, that the policy data corresponds to the particular authorization level.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium stores additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, causes the device management system to cause the electronic information stored on the mobile wireless device and that satisfies the policy data for the user to be rendered inaccessible by signaling the mobile wireless device to render inaccessible one or more electronic documents stored on the mobile wireless device.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium stores additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, causes the device management system to generate and store data that indicates the electronic information stored on the mobile wireless device that was rendered inaccessible.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium stores additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, causes the device management system to generate and transmit a notification indicating that the electronic information stored on the mobile wireless device was rendered inaccessible.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, causing the electronic information stored on the mobile wireless device to be rendered inaccessible includes one or more of causing the electronic information to be deleted from the mobile wireless device, causing the electronic information to be encrypted on the mobile wireless device and causing the electronic information to be re-encrypted on the mobile wireless device.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein mobile wireless device is one or more of a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a cell phone and an MP3 player.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as recited in claim 11, wherein the non-transitory computer-readable medium stores additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, causes the device management system to cause the electronic information stored on the mobile wireless device to be deleted, encrypted or re-encrypted in response to a determination that a level of a battery in the mobile wireless device has decreased below a specified threshold.