Secure provisioning of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) devices

• US 9,047,470 B2
• Filed: 10/15/2012
• Issued: 06/02/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Incorporated (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Inventors: Rados, Steven R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Desrosiers, Evans
• Application Number:
  US13/651,567
• Publication Number:
  US 20140109187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 960 Days
• Field of Search: 726/4, 713150-154, 713160-167, 713189-193, 380 28- 30, 380 44- 47, 380277-283, 709/229
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/572 Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/35 Protecting application or service provisioning, e.g. securing SIM application provisioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 Terminal devices

Abstract

A device receives identification information associated with a mobile commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) device, and receives configuration and security requirements defined for the mobile COTS device. The device creates secure configuration software for the mobile COTS device based on the identification information and the configuration and security requirements, and provides the secure configuration software to the mobile COTS device for installation.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a device, identification information associated with a mobile commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) device;

receiving, by the device, configuration and security requirements defined for the mobile COTS device;

creating, by the device, secure configuration software for the mobile COTS device based on the identification information and the configuration and security requirements,

the secure configuration software including;

software that prevents the mobile COTS device from accessing unsecure content, and

software that disables particular functionality of the mobile COTS device;

providing, by the device, the secure configuration software to the mobile COTS device;

receiving, by the device and from the mobile COTS device, a request for secure content and unsecure content after the mobile COTS device provides, for display, information identifying the secure content and the unsecure content; and

providing, by the device and to the mobile COTS device, only the secure content of the secure content and the unsecure content.

2. The method of claim 1, where the identification information includes one or more of:

a mobile equipment identifier (MEID) associated with the mobile COTS device,

a mobile device number (MDN) associated with the mobile COTS device,

an international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) associated with the mobile COTS device,

an electronic serial number (ESN) associated with the mobile COTS device, or

information associated with a user of the mobile COTS device.

3. The method of claim 1, where the configuration and security requirements include one or more of:

information defining software that may be installed on the mobile COTS device,

information defining capabilities to enable for the mobile COTS device,

information defining capabilities to disable for the mobile COTS device, or

information defining an address of the device.

4. The method of claim 1, where the configuration and security requirements are defined by one of:

a user of the mobile COTS device,

an organization associated with the user,

a manufacturer of the mobile COTS device, or

a third party that creates and sells the configuration and security requirements.

5. The method of claim 1, where the secure configuration software further includes a firmware image that removes and replaces an existing image on the mobile COTS device.

6. A device, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor to;

receive identification information associated with a fixed or mobile commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) device,

receive configuration and security requirements defined for the fixed or mobile COTS device,

create secure configuration software for the fixed or mobile COTS device based on the identification information and the configuration and security requirements,

the secure configuration software including;

software that prevents the fixed or mobile COTS device from accessing unsecure content, and

software that disables particular functionality of the fixed or mobile COTS device,

provide the secure configuration software to the fixed or mobile COTS device,

receive, from the fixed or mobile COTS device, a request for secure content and unsecure content after the fixed or mobile COTS device provides, for display, information identifying the secure content and the unsecure content, and

provide, to the fixed or mobile COTS device, only the secure content of the secure content and the unsecure content.

7. The device of claim 6, where the identification information includes one or more of:

a mobile equipment identifier (MEID) associated with the fixed or mobile COTS device,

a mobile device number (MDN) associated with the fixed or mobile COTS device,

an international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) associated with the fixed or mobile COTS device,

an electronic serial number (ESN) associated with the fixed or mobile COTS device,

information associated with a user of the fixed or mobile COTS device,

a password associated with the fixed or mobile COTS device, or

a token associated with the fixed or mobile COTS device.

8. The device of claim 6, where the configuration and security requirements include one or more of:

information defining software that may be installed on the fixed or mobile COTS device,

information defining capabilities to enable for the fixed or mobile COTS device,

information defining capabilities to disable for the fixed or mobile COTS device,

information defining an address of the device, or

a secure firmware image that removes and replaces an existing image on the fixed or mobile COTS device.

9. The device of claim 6, where the configuration and security requirements are defined by one of:

a user of the fixed or mobile COTS device,

an organization associated with the user,

a manufacturer of the fixed or mobile COTS device, or

a third party that creates and sells the configuration and security requirements.

10. The device of claim 6, where the secure configuration software further includes a firmware image that removes and replaces an existing image on the fixed or mobile COTS device.

11. A method, comprising:

providing, by a mobile commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) device and to a device, identification information associated with the mobile COTS device;

receiving, by the mobile COTS device and from the device, secure configuration software that is generated based on the identification information and based on configuration and security requirements defined for the mobile COTS device;

installing, by the mobile COTS device, the secure configuration software,

the secure configuration software, when installed, preventing the mobile COTS device from accessing unsecure content and disabling particular functionality of the mobile COTS device;

providing for display, by the mobile COTS device, a list of available content;

receiving, by the mobile COTS device, a selection of information identifying secure content and the unsecure content from the list of available content;

providing, by the mobile COTS device, a request for the secure content and the unsecure content based on the selection; and

receiving, by the mobile COTS device and based on the request, only the secure content of the secure content and the unsecure content.

12. The method of claim 11, where the identification information includes one or more of:

a mobile equipment identifier (MEID) associated with the mobile COTS device,

a mobile device number (MDN) associated with the mobile COTS device,

an international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) associated with the mobile COTS device,

an electronic serial number (ESN) associated with the mobile COTS device, or

information associated with a user of the mobile COTS device.

13. The method of claim 11, where the configuration and security requirements include one or more of:

information defining software that may be installed on the mobile COTS device,

information defining capabilities to enable for the mobile COTS device, or

information defining capabilities to disable for the mobile COTS device.

14. The method of claim 11, where the configuration and security requirements are defined by one of:

a user of the mobile COTS device,

an organization associated with the user,

a manufacturer of the mobile COTS device, or

a third party that creates and sells the configuration and security requirements.

15. The method of claim 11, where the secure configuration software further removes an existing image on the mobile COTS device.

16. A mobile commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) device, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor to;

provide, to a device, identification information associated with the mobile COTS device,

receive, from the device, secure configuration software that is generated based on the identification information and based on configuration and security requirements defined for the mobile COTS device,

install the secure configuration software,

the secure configuration software, when installed, preventing the mobile COTS device from accessing unsecure content and disabling particular functionality of the mobile COTS device,

provide, for display, a list of available content,

receive a selection of information identifying secure content and the unsecure content from the list of available secure content,

provide a request for the secure content and the unsecure content based on the selection, and

receive, based on the request, only the secure content of the secure content and the unsecure content.

17. The mobile COTS device of claim 16, where the identification information includes one or more of:

a mobile equipment identifier (MEID) associated with the mobile COTS device,

a mobile device number (MDN) associated with the mobile COTS device,

an international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) associated with the mobile COTS device,

an electronic serial number (ESN) associated with the mobile COTS device, or

information associated with a user of the mobile COTS device.

18. The mobile COTS device of claim 16, where the configuration and security requirements include one or more of:

information defining software that may be installed on the mobile COTS device,

information defining capabilities to enable for the mobile COTS device, or

information defining capabilities to disable for the mobile COTS device.

19. The mobile COTS device of claim 16, where the configuration and security requirements are defined by one of:

a user of the mobile COTS device,

an organization associated with the user,

a manufacturer of the mobile COTS device, or

a third party that creates and sells the configuration and security requirements.

20. The mobile COTS device of claim 16, where the secure configuration software further removes an existing image on the mobile COTS device.