System and method for secure control of resources of wireless mobile communication devices

• US 8,661,531 B2
• Filed: 02/10/2012
• Issued: 02/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Owen, Russell N., Little, Herbert A., Yach, David P., Shenfield, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwartz, Darren B
• Application Number:
  US13/371,093
• Publication Number:
  US 20120144196A1
• Time in Patent Office: 746 Days
• Field of Search: 726/2, 726 16- 18, 726 26- 30, 713/150, 713164-168, 713/170, 713/189, 713/193
• US Class Current: 726/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains

Abstract

Systems and methods for secure control of a wireless mobile communication device are disclosed. Each of a plurality of domains includes at least one wireless mobile communication device asset. When a request to perform an operation affecting at least one of the assets is received, it is determined whether the request is permitted by the domain that includes the at least one affected asset, by determining whether the entity with which the request originated has a trust relationship with the domain, for example. The operation is completed where it is permitted by the domain. Wireless mobile communication device assets include software applications, persistent data, communication pipes, and configuration data, properties or user or subscriber profiles.

Claims

1. A wireless mobile communication device, comprising:

at least one memory storing a first domain comprising a first set of assets each sharing a first level of trust, and the at least one memory storing a second domain comprising a second set of assets each sharing a second level of trust, wherein the first level of trust is different than the second level of trust; and

a domain controller configured to control the first domain and the second domain, and further configured to control access to the first set of assets and the second set of assets;

wherein the domain controller is further configured to receive a request to perform an operation affecting a particular asset in the first set of assets and to determine whether the request originated from a first entity that has a first trust relationship with the first domain;

wherein the domain controller is further configured to permit completion of the operation affecting the particular asset only if the request originated from the first entity, and wherein the domain controller is further configured to permit the first entity to perform operations with respect to each of the first set of assets, and

wherein the first domain is owned by a first stakeholder and the second domain is owned by a second stakeholder, the first stakeholder comprising an employer, and the second stakeholder comprising at least one of an employee of the employer, and an owner of the wireless mobile communication device.

2. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 1, further comprising a key store for storing cryptographic keys associated with the first domain, wherein the domain controller is configured to determine whether the first entity is using the cryptographic keys.

3. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the domain controller is configured to determine whether the first domain also includes the first entity.

4. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the first domain further includes as an asset a software application for which the domain controller permits completion of the operation upon the software application;

wherein completion of the operation is not permitted if the request originated with a second entity that does not have a trust relationship with the first domain.

5. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 4, wherein the wireless mobile communication device further comprises a super user software application that has a trust relationship with both the first domain and the second domain.

6. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 5, wherein both the first domain and the second domain include the super user software application.

7. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the domain controller is further configured to receive information, and to place the information into at least one of the first domain or the second domain.

8. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the first set of assets are selected from the group consisting of:

communication pipes, persistent data, properties, and software applications.

9. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 1, further comprising a data store for storing properties, wherein the domain controller is further configured to determine whether the operation is permitted by properties in the data store, and to permit completion of the operation if the operation is permitted by the properties in the data store;

wherein completion of the operation is not permitted if the operation is not permitted by the properties in the data store.

10. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 9, wherein each property is global, domain-specific, or specific to a particular software application on the wireless mobile communication device.

11. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the domain controller is configured to process the request based upon data from a first stakeholder associated with the first domain and not associated with the second domain.

12. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the first domain comprises an employer domain and the second domain comprises a user domain.

13. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the first entity has the first trust relationship with the first domain if the request originated from the first domain.

14. The wireless mobile communication device of claim 1, wherein the operation includes any one or more of the following including any combination thereof:

creating a domain, deleting a domain, managing a software application, installing a software application, deleting a software application, managing a property, creating a property, reading a property, modifying a property, creating data, reading data, modifying data, or accessing data.

15. A method for secure control of a wireless mobile communication device, comprising:

segregating a plurality of assets of the wireless mobile communication device into a first set of assets in a first domain and into a second set of assets in a second domain, wherein the first set of assets includes at least two different types of assets, wherein the first set of assets share a first level of trust to access, wherein the second set of assets share a second level of trust to access, and wherein the first level of trust is different than the second level of trust;

receiving a request from a first entity to perform an operation affecting at least one of the first set of assets;

determining, via a domain controller configured to control the first domain and the second domain, whether the operation is permitted by the first domain, wherein the operation is permitted by the first domain if the first entity has a first trust relationship with the first domain and further wherein the first entity is allowed to perform operations with respect to each of the first set of assets; and

allowing the operation to be completed only if the operation is permitted by the first domain,

wherein the first domain is owned by a first stakeholder and the second domain is owned by a second stakeholder, the first stakeholder comprising an employer, and the second stakeholder comprising at least one of an employee of the employer, and an owner of the wireless mobile communication device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of:

determining whether the operation is permitted by a property stored at the wireless mobile communication device,

wherein the step of allowing comprises the step of allowing the operation to be completed if the operation is permitted by both the first domain and the property;

wherein the operation is not allowed to be completed if the operation is not permitted by both the first domain and the property, and

wherein the step of determining whether the operation is permitted by the property comprises checking a global property for the wireless mobile communication device and a domain property for the first domain.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the request originates from a software application, and wherein the step of determining whether the operation is permitted further comprises checking an application property for the software application.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the first set of assets includes at least two different assets selected from the group consisting of:

communication pipes, persistent data, properties, and software applications.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the domain controller is further configured to deny completion of the operation of the particular asset if the request originated from a second entity that does not have the first trust relationship with the first domain.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the second entity has a second trust relationship with the second domain, and wherein the domain controller is further configured to permit the second entity to perform operations with respect to each of the second set of assets.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the second entity has a second trust relationship with the second domain, and wherein the method further comprises:

permitting the second entity to perform operations with respect to each of the second set of assets.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

denying completion of the operation if the request originated from a second entity that does not have the first trust relationship with the first domain.

23. The method of claim 15, wherein the domain controller is configured to process the request based upon data from a first stakeholder associated with the first domain and not associated with the second domain.

24. The method of claim 15, wherein the first domain comprises an employer domain and the second domain comprises a user domain.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the first entity has the first trust relationship with the first domain if the request originated from the first domain.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the operation includes any one or more of the following including any combination thereof:

creating a domain, deleting a domain, managing a software application, installing a software application, deleting a software application, managing a property, creating a property, reading a property, modifying a property, creating data, reading data, modifying data, or accessing data.

27. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing program code which, when executed by a processor, performs a method for secure control of a wireless mobile communication device, the method comprising:

segregating a plurality of assets of the wireless mobile communication device into a first set of assets in a first domain and into a second set of assets in a second domain, wherein the first set of assets includes at least two different types of assets, wherein the first set of assets share a first level of trust to access, wherein the second set of assets share a second level of trust to access, and wherein the first level of trust is different than the second level of trust;

receiving a request from a first entity to perform an operation affecting at least one of the first set of assets;

determining, via a domain controller configured to control the first domain and the second domain, whether the operation is permitted by the first domain, wherein the operation is permitted by the first domain if the first entity has a first trust relationship with the first domain and further wherein the first entity is allowed to perform operations with respect to each of the first set of assets;

allowing the operation to be completed only if the operation is permitted by the first domain, and

wherein the first domain comprises an employer domain and the second domain comprises a user domain.

28. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the method performed by the executed program code further comprises:

denying completion of the operation if the request originated from a second entity that does not have the first trust relationship with the first domain.

29. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 28, wherein the second entity has a second trust relationship with the second domain, and wherein the method performed by the executed program code further comprises:

permitting the second entity to perform operations with respect to each of the second set of assets.

30. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the domain controller is configured to process the request based upon data from a first stakeholder associated with the first domain and not associated with the second domain.

31. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the first domain is owned by the first stakeholder and the second domain is owned by a second stakeholder.

32. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 31, wherein the first stakeholder comprises an employer.

33. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein the second stakeholder comprises an employee of the employer.

34. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 32, wherein the second stakeholder comprises an owner of the wireless mobile communication device.

35. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the first entity has the first trust relationship with the first domain if the request originated from the first domain.

36. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 27, wherein the operation includes any one or more of the following including any combination thereof:

creating a domain, deleting a domain, managing a software application, installing a software application, deleting a software application, managing a property, creating a property, reading a property, modifying a property, creating data, reading data, modifying data, or accessing data.