Hygienic charging station for mobile device security

• US 8,935,793 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2012
• Issued: 01/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitre Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitre Corporation
• Inventors: Weinstein, David, Keppler, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Cervetti, David Garcia
• Application Number:
  US13/434,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20130227694A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 726/25, 726/34, 726/35, 726/36, 726/22, 726/23, 726/24
• US Class Current: 726/25
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/577 Assessing vulnerabilities and evaluating computer system security

Abstract

A mobile device charging station configured to analyze, measure and respond to/correct the state of a mobile device. The charging station can employ an embedded cryptographic subsystem that can make use of anti-tamper/tamper evident techniques to protect stored firmware images/cryptographic material.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a first interface configured to connect to a power source;

a second interface configured to connect to a mobile device; and

circuitry configured to

provide power from the power source to the mobile device, and

analyze a security state of the mobile device upon connection of the mobile device to the apparatus,

wherein the apparatus lacks a capability to establish a network connection between the apparatus and a node over a network.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first interface comprises prongs protruding from a housing of the apparatus and configured to plug into the power source.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second interface comprises a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry comprises a special purpose operating system customized to analyze the security state of the mobile device.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry comprises a cryptographic processor.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to store on the mobile device an image comprising instructions to analyze the security state of the mobile device.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to load into memory of the mobile device an image comprising instructions to analyze the security state of the mobile device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to instruct the mobile device to boot into an image comprising instructions to analyze the security state of the mobile device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to digitally sign measurements associated with the security state of the mobile device.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to generate a cryptographic token associated with the security state of the mobile device.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the cryptographic token comprises a time-sensitive token indicating that the mobile device has passed a check of its security state.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a storage in which an image comprising instructions to analyze the security state of the mobile device is stored.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a storage in which a public cryptographic key of an enterprise server associated with the mobile device is stored.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a storage in which a signed gold master recovery image that can be used to re-provision the mobile device is stored.

15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus lacks a capability to execute rich media formats.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus lacks a capability to be usable as a web browser.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to analyze the security state of the mobile device using timing-based attestation.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry is configured to provide instructions to the mobile device to initiate a network connection between the mobile device and a server over a network.

19. A method comprising:

providing, by a charger for a mobile device, power from a power source to a mobile device, and

analyzing, by the charger, a security state of the mobile device upon connection of the mobile device to the charger,

wherein the charger lacks a capability to establish a network connection between the charger and a node over a network.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the charger comprises a cryptographic processor.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the analyzing of the security state comprises storing on the mobile device an image comprising instructions to analyze the security state of the mobile device.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the analyzing of the security state comprises loading into memory of the mobile device an image comprising instructions to analyze the security state of the mobile device.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the analyzing of the security state comprises instructing the mobile device to boot into an image comprising instructions to analyze the security state of the mobile device.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein the analyzing of the security state comprises digitally signing measurements associated with the security state of the mobile device.

25. The method of claim 19, wherein the analyzing of the security state comprises generating a cryptographic token associated with the security state of the mobile device.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the cryptographic token comprises a time-sensitive token indicating that the mobile device has passed a check of its security state.

27. The method of claim 19, wherein the analyzing of the security state comprises using timing-based attestation.

28. The method of claim 19, comprising using a signed gold master recovery image stored in the charger to re-provision the mobile device.

29. The method of claim 19, comprising providing, by the charger, instructions to the mobile device to initiate a network connection between the mobile device and a server over a network.