Managing mobile device applications

• US 8,554,179 B2
• Filed: 09/23/2011
• Issued: 10/08/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited, Certicom Corporation (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Pecen, Mark, Andersen, Niels Peter Skov, Periyalwar, Shalini Suresh, Campagna, Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): MIZRAHI, DIANE D
• Application Number:
  US13/242,051
• Publication Number:
  US 20130078949A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 455/410, 455/411, 701/450, 370/230, 370/313
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/128 Anti-malware arrangements, e.g. protection against SMS fraud or mobile malware
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/14 Backbone network devices

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer programs for managing mobile device applications are described. In some aspects, a mobile device application is prevented from accessing resources of a wireless network. For example, a wireless network operator system can determine that one or more mobile device applications are disapproved for use in the wireless network. In some implementations, the wireless network operator denies the disapproved mobile device applications access to the wireless network resources. In some implementations, mobile devices disable access to the wireless network by the disapproved mobile device applications.

Claims

1. A method for managing mobile device applications, the method comprising:

accessing a list that identifies mobile device applications that are disapproved by an operator of a wireless network for use on the wireless network; and

by operation of data processing apparatus, preventing the mobile device applications that are identified in the list from establishing a communication link on the wireless network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the list is accessed at a wireless network operator system in response to receiving a request for an assignment of wireless network resources, and preventing the mobile device applications from establishing a communication link includes denying the assignment of the wireless network resources.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein preventing the mobile device applications from establishing a communication link includes broadcasting the list to mobile devices within range of the wireless network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the list is accessed at a mobile device, and preventing the mobile device applications from establishing a communication link includes disabling one or more of the mobile device applications at the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the list identifies a plurality of permanently disapproved mobile device applications and a plurality of temporarily disapproved mobile device applications.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device applications that are identified in the list are prevented from establishing a communication link on the wireless network while other mobile device applications are permitted to establish a communication link on the wireless network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein list identifies mobile device applications that the operator of the wireless network has designated as rogue mobile device applications.

8. A communication system comprising:

a computer-readable medium operable to store a list that identifies mobile device applications that are disapproved by an operator of a wireless network for use on the wireless network; and

data processing apparatus operable to prevent the mobile device applications that are identified in the list from establishing a communication link on the wireless network.

9. The communication system of claim 8, further comprising the wireless network, wherein the wireless network includes a cellular telecommunication network.

10. The communication system of claim 8, further comprising a mobile device that includes the computer-readable medium and the data processing apparatus.

11. The communication system of claim 10, wherein the list is accessed at the mobile device, and preventing the mobile device applications from establishing a communication link includes disabling one or more of the mobile device applications at the mobile device.

12. The communication system of claim 8, further comprising a computing system of a wireless network operator, wherein the computing system includes the computer-readable medium and the data processing apparatus.

13. The communication system of claim 12, wherein the list is accessed at the computing system of the wireless network operator in response to receiving a request for an assignment of wireless network resources, and the preventing the mobile device applications from establishing a communication link includes denying the assignment of the wireless network resources.

14. A computer-readable medium storing instructions that are operable when executed by data processing apparatus to perform operations for managing mobile device applications, the operations comprising:

accessing a list that identifies mobile device applications that are disapproved by an operator of a wireless network for use on the wireless network; and

preventing the mobile device applications that are identified in the list from establishing a communication link on the wireless network.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the list is accessed at a wireless network operator system in response to receiving a request for an assignment of wireless network resources, and preventing the mobile device applications from establishing a communication link includes denying the assignment of the wireless network resources.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the list is accessed at a mobile device, and preventing the mobile device applications from establishing a communication link includes disabling one or more of the mobile device applications at the mobile device.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein disabling one or more of the mobile device applications includes disabling user access to the one or more mobile device applications on the mobile device.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein disabling one or more of the mobile device applications includes disabling execution of the one or more mobile device applications on the mobile device.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein disabling one or more of the mobile device applications includes filtering requests for wireless network resources generated at the mobile device by the one or more mobile device applications on the mobile device.