Gatekeeper architecture/features to support security policy maintenance and distribution

• US 20060190984A1
• Filed: 09/23/2002
• Published: 08/24/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Credant Technologies Incorported (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Credant Technologies Incorported (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Mann, Dwayne R., Burchett, Christopher D., Gordon, Ian R., Heard, Robert W.
• Application Number:
  US10/252,213
• Publication Number:
  US 20060190984A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/14 using a plurality of keys or algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/37 Managing security policies for mobile devices or for controlling mobile applications

Abstract

In a particular embodiment, a network module deployed at a wireless network access node is disclosed. The network module comprises a policy database including a list of authorized wireless mobile devices and an agent for enforcing rules of the policy database.

Claims

1. A network module deployed at a wireless network access node, comprising:

a policy database including a list of authorized wireless mobile devices; and

an agent for enforcing rules of the policy database.

2. The network module of claim 1, further comprising a memory that stores key material.

3. The network module of claim 2, wherein the key material includes a root key and a plurality of operating keys.

4. The network module of claim 3, wherein the plurality of operating keys include a data key, a policy key, and a log file key.

5. The network module of claim 2, wherein the key material is encrypted.

6. The network module of claim 5, wherein the key material is encrypted using a personal identification number, a user password, and a user phrase.

7. The network module of claim 4, wherein the memory stores a policy pack, the policy pack including security policies that are encrypted using the policy key.

8. The network module of claim 7, further comprising a mobile device interface, the mobile device interface to communicate with a mobile computing device during a device data synchronization, the mobile device interface to communicate the policy pack and the key material from the network module to the mobile computing device during the device data synchronization.

9. The network module of claim 2, further comprising a server interface, the server interface to communicate with a server, the server interface configured to receive policies and the key material from the server.

10. The network module of claim 9, wherein the server interface communicates with the server over a secure data communication protocol.

11. A wireless network access system, comprising:

a wireless network access node; and

a network module deployed on the wireless network access node, the network module including a policy database including a plurality of wireless mobile device access authorization rules and an agent for enforcing the wireless mobile device access authorization rules of the policy database.

12. The wireless network access system of claim 11, further comprising the wireless mobile device access authorization rules generated for each user within a role and encrypted with a specific user'"'"'s encryption key.

13. The wireless network access system of claim 11, further comprising a memory for storing at least one policy file and at least one log file on the wireless access node.

14. The wireless network access system of claim 13, further comprising separate encryption key pairs for the at least one policy file and the at least one log file, individually.

15. The wireless network access system of claim 11, further comprising the network module including an encryption key pair associated with the wireless access node on which the network module is deployed.

16. The wireless network access system of claim 11, further comprising the policy database including a list of devices that can be communicated with and a list of keys which can be used to authenticate one or more wireless mobile devices.

17. The wireless network access system of claim 16, further comprising the network module operable to request and perform a challenge response with a wireless mobile device to determine wireless mobile device authentication.

18. The wireless network access system of claim 11, further comprising the network module including a root key and a set of operating keys, the operating keys including a data key, policy key and a log key, the root key used to encrypt the operating keys.