System and method of selectively applying security measures to data services

• US 8,925,039 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2009
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Morovitz, Jennifer, de los Reyes, Gustavo, Macwan, Sanjay
• Primary Examiner(s): Rao, Andy
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELAHI, SHAN E
• Application Number:
  US12/636,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20110145887A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,842 Days
• Field of Search: 726/3, 726 1- 2
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44008 involving operations for analysing video streams, e.g. detecting features or characteristics in the video stream arrangements characterised by components specially adapted for monitoring, identification or recognition of video in broadcast systems H04H60/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4542 Blocking scenes or portions of the received content, e.g. censoring scenes

Abstract

Systems and methods of applying security measures to data services are disclosed. In one embodiment, a processor determines when more than one data service is used by or is accessible to a subscriber device and applies a security measure to at least one data service.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

accessing, at a computing device associated with a service provider, usage data associated with a first subscriber device and a second subscriber device;

determining, at the computing device and based on the usage data, that the first subscriber device uses a first data service and a second data service and that the second subscriber device uses the first data service but not the second data service; and

selectively applying, at the computing device, a security measure to the first data service for the first subscriber device but not for the second subscriber device in response to the determination, wherein selective application of the security measure is based on whether a particular subscriber device uses the second data service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subscriber device includes a set-top box, wherein the first data service includes a television data service, and wherein the second data service includes an internet data service.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first subscriber device includes a computer, wherein the first data service includes a television data service, and wherein the second data service includes an internet data service.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the security measure includes screening of television data or comparing an accessed site to a list of prohibited sites.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the security measure includes performing a deep packet inspection of a data packet sent to the first subscriber device or applying an intrusion detection procedure to the first data service.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising selectively applying the security measure when data that is accessed by the first subscriber device includes content not controlled by the service provider.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining first usage data for the first subscriber device by monitoring usage of the first subscriber device, by receiving user input concerning usage of data services by the first subscriber device, or any combination thereof;

updating the first usage data to establish second usage data; and

modifying the security measure based on the second usage data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data service and the second data service are provided to a subscriber premises via a residential gateway, wherein the first subscriber device and the second subscriber device are associated with the subscriber premises.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the residential gateway is configured to distribute the first data service to the first subscriber device and the second subscriber device and to distribute the second data service to the first subscriber device.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the residential gateway comprises a modem.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data service and the second data service are provided from the service provider to the first subscriber device via a set top box.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the usage data indicates usage of the first data service, the second data service, or a combination thereof, and wherein the usage data is generated by a usage monitor configured to monitor usage of the first data service, the second data service, or a combination thereof.

13. A device comprising:

a processor; and

a memory to store usage data associated with a first subscriber device and a second subscriber device, wherein the memory further stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including;

determining, based on the usage data, that the first subscriber device uses a first data service and a second data service and that the second subscriber device uses the first data service but not the second data service; and

selectively applying a security measure to the first data service for the first subscriber device but not for the second subscriber device in response to the determination, wherein selective application of the security measure is based on whether a particular subscriber device uses the second data service.

14. The device of claim 13, wherein the first data service includes a television data service, a telephone data service, an internet data service, or any combination thereof.

15. The device of claim 13, wherein selectively applying the security measure comprises applying the security measure to television data of a television data service when the usage data indicates that the television data service is used by a subscriber telephone, a subscriber computer, or both.

16. The device of claim 13, wherein selectively applying the security measure comprises applying the security measure to telephone data of a telephone data service when the usage data indicates that the telephone data service is used by a subscriber television, a subscriber computer, or both.

17. The device of claim 13, wherein selectively applying the security measure comprises applying the security measure to internet data of an internet data service when the usage data indicates that the internet data service is used by a subscriber television, a subscriber telephone, or both.

18. The device of claim 13, wherein the operations further include:

generating a security profile for each device, the security profile including data associated with the security measure;

storing, to the memory, the security profile; and

presenting, via a display device, the security profile, wherein the security profile is presented as a ranked list.

19. A computer-readable storage device comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of a data service provider computer, cause the processor to perform operations including:

accessing usage data associated with a first subscriber device and a second subscriber device;

determining, based on the usage data, that the first subscriber device uses a first data service and a second data service and that the second subscriber device uses the first data service but not the second data service; and

selectively applying a security measure to the first data service for the first subscriber device but not for the second subscriber device in response to the determination, wherein selective application of the security measure is based on whether a particular subscriber device uses the second data service.

20. The computer-readable storage device of claim 19, wherein the operations further include applying a second security measure to the second data service for the first subscriber device in response to detecting that the first subscriber device uses the second data service.

21. The computer-readable storage device of claim 20, wherein the security measure is applied to internet data and the second security measure is applied to television data.