Managing sensitive information

• US 9,275,206 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2013
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Anand, Srinath
• Primary Examiner(s): Hur, Ece
• Application Number:
  US13/748,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20140208225A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,133 Days
• Field of Search: 715/741, 726/4, 726/5, 726/6, 726/27, 726/28, 726/29, 726/30
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/30 Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/46 by designing passwords or checking the strength of passwords
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment

Abstract

A method, system or computer usable program product for securing pages that contain sensitive information including utilizing a processor to provide a user interface on a display allowing a user to select a page as password protected on a device, responsive to a user utilizing the UI to select the page as password protected, receiving a password from the user, and requiring entry of the password before displaying the page on the display.

Claims

1. A method for securing executable software applications that utilize sensitive information comprising:

utilizing a processor to provide a user interface (UI) on a display allowing a user to select an executable software first application from a set of executable software applications as password protected on a device wherein the set of executable software applications are accessible by an operating system for execution by a processor on the device;

responsive to the user utilizing the UI to select the first application as password protected, providing a security application accessible with a first password to manage user access to the selected first application, and receiving a second password specific to the selected first application from the user to use in protecting the selected first application, wherein the first application is subsequently hidden from view of the user until the user has successfully provided the first password to the security application;

responsive to the user subsequently providing the first password for the security application, allowing the user to view the first application for selection; and

responsive to the user selecting the viewed first application, requiring entry of the second password before executing the first application on the device;

wherein the user must provide the first password for the security application prior to the user selecting the first application as password protected;

wherein more than one application may be selected;

wherein the user interface includes a user selectable security feature for each application selected; and

wherein the user selectable security feature is selected from the group of providing a specific password for the application and encrypting the application.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein a symbol overlay is added to an icon of a selected application.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the device is a mobile device selected from a group consisting of a smartphone, a personal digital assistant, a tablet, a laptop, and a notebook.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the security application is a layer provided between an interface of the OS and the application.

5. A computer usable program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable storage medium including computer usable code for use in securing pages that contain sensitive information, the computer usable program product comprising code for performing the steps of:

utilizing a processor to provide a user interface (UI) on a display allowing a user to select an executable software first application from a set of executable software applications as password protected on a device wherein the set of executable software applications are accessible by an operating system for execution by a processor on the device;

responsive to the user utilizing the UI to select the first application as password protected, providing a security application accessible with a first password to manage user access to the selected first application, and receiving a second password specific to the selected first application from the user to use in protecting the selected first application, wherein the first application is subsequently hidden from view of the user until the user has successfully provided the first password to the security application;

and responsive to the user subsequently providing the first password for the security application, allowing the user to view the first application for selection; and

responsive to the user selecting the viewed first application, requiring entry of the second password through the before executing the first application on the device;

wherein the user must provide the first password for the security application prior to the user selecting the first application as password protected;

wherein more than one application may be selected;

wherein the user interface includes a user selectable security feature for each application selected; and

wherein the user selectable security feature is selected from the group of providing a specific password for the application and encrypting the application.

6. The computer usable program product of claim 5 wherein a symbol overlay is added to an icon of a selected application.

7. A data processing system for securing pages that contain sensitive information, the data processing system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory storing program instructions which when executed by the processor execute the steps of;

utilizing the processor to provide a user interface (UI) on a display allowing a user to select an executable software first application from a set of executable software applications as password protected on a device wherein the set of executable software applications are accessible by an operating system for execution by a processor on the device;

responsive to the user utilizing the UI to select the first application as password protected, providing a security application accessible with a first password to manage user access to the selected first application, and receiving a second password specific to the selected first application from the user to use in protecting the selected first application, wherein the first application is subsequently hidden from view of the user until the user has successfully provided the first password to the security application;

responsive to the user subsequently providing the first password for the security application, allowing the user to view the first application for selection; and

responsive to the user selecting the viewed first application, requiring entry of the second password before executing the first application on the device;

wherein the user must provide the first password for the security application prior to the user selecting the first application as password protected;

wherein more than one application may be selected;

wherein the user interface includes a user selectable security feature for each application selected; and

wherein the user selectable security feature is selected from the group of providing a specific password for the application and encrypting the application.

8. The data processing system of claim 7 wherein the data processing system is a mobile device selected from a group consisting of a smartphone, a personal digital assistant, a tablet, a laptop, and a notebook.