Automatically configuring mobile devices and applying policy based on device state

• US 9,894,099 B1
• Filed: 07/30/2013
• Issued: 02/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palo Alto Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Jacobsen, Michael Soren, Menon, Joby, Wang, Song
• Primary Examiner(s): Giddins, Nelson
• Application Number:
  US13/954,644
• Time in Patent Office: 1,659 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/14 for detecting or protecting against malicious traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1433 Vulnerability analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/145 the attack involving the propagation of malware through the network, e.g. viruses, trojans or worms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/303 Terminal profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/128 Anti-malware arrangements, e.g. protection against SMS fraud or mobile malware
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/50 Service provisioning or reconfiguring
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/60 Subscription-based services using application servers or record carriers, e.g. SIM application toolkits

Abstract

Techniques for network-based security for mobile devices based on device state are disclosed. In some embodiments, automatically configuring mobile devices and applying policies based on a Host Information Profile (HIP) report includes receiving a Host Information Profile (HIP) report for a mobile device; performing a policy match based on the HIP report for the mobile device; and performing an action based on the policy match based on the HIP report for the mobile device.

Claims

1. A system for automatically configuring mobile devices and applying policies based on a Host Information Profile (HIP) report, comprising:

a processor configured to;

receive a list of known malware and application characteristics from an external service;

receive the HIP report for a mobile device, wherein the HIP report includes applications installed on the mobile device, device state information, and device configuration information, wherein the device state information and the device configuration information both comprise one or more features;

perform a policy match based on the HIP report for the mobile device, comprising to;

determine whether the HIP report indicates that one or more features are missing or one or more features are disabled causing the mobile device to fail the policy match;

determine whether an application installed on the mobile device is found on the list of known malware and application characteristics; and

in response to a determination that the application installed on the mobile device is found on the list of known malware and application characteristics;

determine whether the application is found on an exclude list, the exclude list being locally generated by an administrator;

in response to a determination that the application is found on the exclude list, determine that the policy match has not failed; and

in response to a determination that the application is not found on the exclude list, determine that the policy match has failed; and

perform an action based on the policy match based on the HIP report for the mobile device, comprising to;

in response to a determination that the HIP report matches a first HIP policy, grant access to a network;

in response to a determination that the HIP report matches a second HIP policy;

perform one or more of the following;

 

automatically install the one or more missing features or enable the one or more features on the mobile device in response to a determination that the policy match has failed when the HIP report indicates that the one or more features are missing or the one or more features are disabled;

or

 

automatically uninstall the application installed on the mobile device in response to a determination that the policy match has failed when the application is found on the list of known malware and application characteristics; and

grant access to a network, the first HIP policy being different from the second HIP policy; and

in response to a determination that the HIP report does not match the first HIP policy or the second HIP policy, refuse access to the network; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.

2. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the policy match is also determined based on a user or user group match.

3. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the policy match is also determined based on a device match.

4. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the HIP report for the mobile device is received from an access gateway for implementing HIP-based policies for enforcing a security policy using the HIP report.

5. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the HIP report for the mobile device is received from a mobile device management (MDM) server for implementing HIP-based policies for enforcing a security policy using the HIP report.

6. The system recited in claim 1, wherein:

the HIP report includes an attribute of a passcode, the passcode providing access to the mobile device;

the attribute of the passcode includes;

allow a simple passcode value, require an alpha numeric passcode value, require a minimum passcode length, require a minimum number of complex passcode characters, require a maximum passcode age, require auto-lock, require a passcode history, require a maximum number of failed attempts, or any combination thereof; and

the performing of the policy match includes to;

compare the attribute of the passcode with a passcode attribute policy; and

in response to a determination that the attribute of the passcode does not match the passcode attribute policy, determine that the policy match has failed.

7. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the refusing of the access to the network comprises to:

remove enterprise Wi-Fi settings from the mobile device.

8. The system recited in claim 1, wherein the performing of the policy match further comprises to:

in response to a determination that the application installed on the mobile device is not found on the list of known malware and application characteristics;

determine whether the application is found on an include list, the include list being locally generated by the administrator; and

in response to a determination that the application is found on the include list, determine that the policy match has failed.

9. A method for automatically configuring mobile device settings based on a Host Information Profile (HIP) report, comprising:

receiving a list of known malware and application characteristics from an external service;

receiving the HIP report for a mobile device, wherein the HIP report includes applications installed on the mobile device, device state information, and device configuration information, wherein the device state information and the device configuration information both comprise one or more features;

performing a policy match based on the HIP report for the mobile device, comprising;

determining whether the HIP report indicates that one or more features are missing or one or more features are disabled causing the mobile device to fail the policy match;

determining whether an application installed on the mobile device is found on the list of known malware and application characteristics; and

in response to a determination that the application installed on the mobile device is found on the list of known malware and application characteristics;

determining whether the application is found on an exclude list, the exclude list being locally generated by an administrator;

in response to a determination that the application is found on the exclude list, determining that the policy match has not failed; and

in response to a determination that the application is not found on the exclude list, determining that the policy match has failed; and

performing an action based on the policy match based on the HIP report for the mobile device, comprising;

in response to a determination that the HIP report matches a first HIP policy, granting access to a network;

in response to a determination that the HIP report matches a second HIP policy;

performing one or more of the following;

automatically installing the one or more missing features or enabling the one or more features on the mobile device in response to a determination that the policy match has failed when the HIP report indicates that the one or more features are missing or the one or more features are disabled;

or

automatically uninstalling the application installed on the mobile device in response to a determination that the policy match has failed when the application is found on the list of known malware and application characteristics; and

granting access to a network, the first HIP policy being different from the second HIP policy; and

in response to a determination that the HIP report does not match the first HIP policy or the second HIP policy, refusing access to the network.

10. The method recited in claim 9, wherein the policy match is also determined based on a user or user group match.

11. The method recited in claim 9, wherein the policy match is also determined based on a device match.

12. The method recited in claim 9, wherein the HIP report for the mobile device is received from an access gateway for implementing HIP-based policies for enforcing a security policy using the HIP report.

13. The method recited in claim 9, wherein the HIP report for the mobile device is received from a mobile device management (MDM) server for implementing HIP-based policies for enforcing a security policy using the HIP report.

14. A computer program product for automatically configuring mobile devices based on a Host Information Profile (HIP) report, the computer program product being embodied in a tangible non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving a list of known malware and application characteristics from an external service;

receiving the HIP report for a mobile device, wherein the HIP report includes applications installed on the mobile device, device state information, and device configuration information, wherein the device state information and the device configuration information both comprise one or more features;

performing a policy match based on the HIP report for the mobile device, comprising;

determining whether the HIP report indicates that one or more features are missing or one or more features are disabled causing the mobile device to fail the policy match;

determining whether an application installed on the mobile device is found on the list of known malware and application characteristics; and

in response to a determination that the application installed on the mobile device is found on the list of known malware and application characteristics;

determining whether the application is found on an exclude list, the exclude list being locally generated by an administrator;

in response to a determination that the application is found on the exclude list, determining that the policy match has not failed; and

in response to a determination that the application is not found on the exclude list, determining that the policy match has failed; and

performing an action based on the policy match based on the HIP report for the mobile device, comprising;

in response to a determination that the HIP report matches a first HIP policy, granting access to a network;

in response to a determination that the HIP report matches a second HIP policy;

performing one or more of the following;

automatically installing the one or more missing features or enabling the one or more features on the mobile device in response to a determination that the policy match has failed when the HIP report indicates that the one or more features are missing or the one or more features are disabled;

or

automatically uninstalling the app installed on the mobile device in response to a determination that the policy match has failed when the application is found on the list of known malware and application characteristics; and

granting access to a network, the first HIP policy being different from the second HIP policy; and

in response to a determination that the HIP report does not match the first HIP policy or the second HIP policy, refusing access to the network.

15. The computer program product recited in claim 14, wherein the policy match is also determined based on a user or user group match.

16. The computer program product recited in claim 14, wherein the policy match is also determined based on a device match.

17. The computer program product recited in claim 14, wherein the HIP report for the mobile device is received from an access gateway or from a mobile device management (MDM) server for implementing HIP-based policies for enforcing a security policy using the HIP report.