System and method for allowing secure remote server access using data prevention code

• US 9,152,799 B2
• Filed: 08/23/2013
• Issued: 10/06/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Kohavi, Lior
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Haresh N
• Application Number:
  US13/975,145
• Publication Number:
  US 20130347121A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 709/201, 709/203, 709217-228, 709/211
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/90 Details of database functions independent of the retrieved data types
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• 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 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for providing users at remote access devices with conditional access to server-based applications. Requests for access to server-based applications (e.g., requests to launch or obtain data associated with the server-based applications) by remote access devices may be prevented or allowed based on device compliance with one or more policies including whether data-retention prevention code can be downloaded to and operational on the remote access devices. The data-retention prevention code may be used to both determine whether data can be automatically deleted from a cache or file directory at the remote access device and to delete potentially retention-sensitive data once the data is downloaded to the remote access device from the server-based application.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a data-retention prevention code and data to a remote device, the data-retention prevention code to cause the remote device to delete the data from a cache;

notifying the remote device to launch the data-retention prevention code;

receiving an indication from the remote device that the data-retention prevention code is enabled;

preventing the remote device from accessing server-based applications when the data has not been deleted from the cache using the data-retention prevention code; and

receiving an indication from the remote device that the data has been deleted from the cache.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising allowing the remote device to access the server-based applications in response to receiving the indication from the remote device that the data has been deleted.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein when the data is deleted from the cache, the data-retention prevention code uninstalls itself from the remote device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein when the data is not deleted from the cache the data-retention prevention code retries to delete the data until successful.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request from the remote device to launch the server-based applications before providing the data-retention prevention code.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote device is an untrusted remote device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote device is a trusted remote device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising preventing the remote device from accessing the server-based applications when the data has not been deleted from a file directory of the remote device.

9. A computer-readable storage device storing instructions which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

provide sample data to a remote access device, the sample data being associated with a server-based application;

provide a data-retention prevention code to the remote access device to cause the remote access device to delete the sample data;

receive a signal indicating that the data-retention prevention code is enabled;

notify the server-based application that the data-retention prevention code is enabled;

provide a signal to the remote access device to cause the remote access device to attempt to delete the sample data;

receive an indication from the remote access device that the sample data has been deleted using the data-retention prevention code; and

based at least in part on receiving the indication, provide the remote access device with access to the server-based application.

10. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9, further comprising instructions which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to determine whether the remote access device is a trusted device or an untrusted device.

11. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the sample data is deleted from a cache.

12. The computer-readable storage device of claim 9, wherein the sample data is deleted from a file directory.

13. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a computer-readable storage device storing executable instructions which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to;

provide sample data to a remote access device, the sample data being associated with a server-based application;

provide a data-retention prevention code to the remote access device to cause the remote access device to delete the sample data;

receive an indication from the remote access device that the sample data has been deleted using the data-retention prevention code; and

based at least in part on receiving the indication, provide the remote access device with access to the server-based application.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer-readable storage device stores executable instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to disallow the remote access device from accessing the server-based application when the data-retention prevention code is disabled.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the computer-readable storage device stores executable instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to notify the server-based application when the data-retention prevention code fails to download on the remote access device.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the remote access device comprises an untrusted device.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the remote access device comprises a trusted device.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the sample data is deleted from a cache.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the sample data is deleted from a file directory.