Method and apparatus for adjusting context-based factors for selecting a security policy

• US 8,898,793 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2011
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Miettinen, Markus Juhani, Asokan, Nadarajah, Gupta, Aditi
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr., Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nobahar, Abdulhakim
• Application Number:
  US13/007,156
• Publication Number:
  US 20120185910A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,411 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• 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: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• 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

Abstract

An approach is provided for selecting a security policy. A security policy manager determines one or more factors for adjusting a safety score associated with a device. The safety score is based, at least in part, on a context associated with the device. The security policy manager then processes and/or facilitates a processing of the one or more factors and the safety score to calculate an adjusted safety score, and determines to select a security policy based, at least in part, on the adjusted safety score.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining one or more factors for adjusting a safety score associated with a device, wherein the safety score is based, at least in part, on a context associated with the device;

determining one or more familiarity parameters, one or more trust parameters, or a combination thereof of respective one or more other devices associated with the context based, at least in part, on occurrence information of the respective one or more other devices within the context, wherein the occurrence information represents at least one of the one or more factors;

processing and/or facilitating a processing of the one or more factors and the safety score, by a processor, to calculate an adjusted safety score based, at least in part, on adjusting the one or more familiarity parameters, the one or more trust parameters, or a combination thereof according to the one or more factors; and

causing, at least in part, a selection of a security policy based, at least in part, on the adjusted safety score.

2. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

causing, at least in part, a monitoring of the occurrence information; and

processing and/or facilitating a processing of the occurrence information to adjust the one or more familiarity parameters, the one or more trust parameters, the adjusted safety score, or a combination thereof.

3. A method of claim 2, wherein the adjustment of the one or more familiarity parameters, the one or more trust parameters, the adjusted safety score, or a combination thereof is a reduction if there is decreased occurrence information with respect to at least one of the one or more other devices.

4. A method of claim 2, wherein the adjustment of the one or more familiarity parameters, the one or more trust parameters, the adjusted safety score, or a combination thereof is an increase if there is increased occurrence information with respect to at least one of the one or more other devices.

5. A method of claim 2, wherein the adjustment of the one or more familiarity parameters, the one or more trust parameters, the adjusted safety score, or a combination thereof is processed continuously, periodically, on demand, or a combination thereof.

6. A method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving an input for specifying a value or an adjustment parameter of at least one of the one or more familiarity parameters, the one or more trust parameters, or a combination thereof.

7. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an input for specifying a perceived safety level of the context,

wherein the perceived safety level is at least one of the factors.

8. A method of claim 1, wherein the one or more factors, the safety score, the adjusted safety score, or a combination thereof are based, at least in part, on an instant observation or an aggregate observation of the context.

9. A method of claim 1, wherein the safety score, the adjusted safety score, or a combination thereof is specific to one or more applications, one or more processes, one or more services, or a combination thereof associated with the device.

10. A method of claim 1, further comprising:

processing and/or facilitating a processing of the safety score, the adjusted safety score, the security policy, or a combination thereof to determining an availability of (a) one or more applications, (b) one or more processes, (c) one or more services, and/or (d) one or more user interface elements associated with the one or more applications, one or more processes, one or more services, or a combination thereof.

11. A method of claim 1, wherein the one or more factors, the safety score, the adjusted safety score, the security policy, or a combination thereof are associated with a group of devices.

12. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor; and

at least one memory including computer program code for one or more programs,

the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to perform at least the following,

determine one or more factors for adjusting a safety score associated with a device, wherein the safety score is based, at least in part, on a context associated with the device;

determine one or more familiarity parameters, one or more trust parameters, or a combination thereof of respective one or more other devices associated with the context based, at least in part, on occurrence information of the respective one or more other devices within the context, wherein the occurrence information represents at least one of the one or more factors;

process and/or facilitate a processing of the one or more factors and the safety score to calculate an adjusted safety score based, at least in part, on adjusting the one or more familiarity parameters, the one or more trust parameters, or a combination thereof according to the one or more factors; and

determine to select a security policy based, at least in part, on the adjusted safety score.

13. An apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

determine to cause, at least in part, monitoring of the occurrence information; and

process and/or facilitate a processing of the occurrence information to adjust the one or more familiarity parameters, the one or more trust parameters, the adjusted safety score, or a combination thereof.

14. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the adjustment of the one or more familiarity parameters, the one or more trust parameters, the adjusted safety score, or a combination thereof is a reduction if there is decreased occurrence information with respect to at least one of the one or more other devices.

15. An apparatus of claim 13, wherein the adjustment of the one or more familiarity parameters, the one or more trust parameters, the adjusted safety score, or a combination thereof is an increase if there is increased occurrence information with respect to at least one of the one or more other devices.

16. An apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

receive an input for specifying a perceived safety level of the context,

wherein the perceived safety level is at least one of the factors.

17. An apparatus of claim 12, wherein the safety score, the adjusted safety score, or a combination thereof is specific to one or more applications, one or more processes, one or more services, or a combination thereof associated with the device.

18. An apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus is further caused to:

process and/or facilitate a processing of the safety score, the adjusted safety score, the security policy, or a combination thereof to determining an availability of (a) one or more applications, (b) one or more processes, (c) one or more services, and/or (d) one or more user interface elements associated with the one or more applications, one or more processes, one or more services, or a combination thereof.