Protecting data on a mobile device

• US 20140032921A1
• Filed: 03/01/2013
• Published: 01/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: McGloin, Mark Alexander, Pieczul, Olgierd, Celi, Joseph
• Granted Patent: US 9,275,234 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/184
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/60 Protecting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss

Abstract

A password protection application is executed on a mobile device and provides an interface by which an authorized user can define and configure a “data protection profile” for the device. This profile defines at least one security event (criteria or condition) associated with the device, and at least one protection action that should occur to protect data on the device upon the triggering of the event. Once defined in a profile, the application monitors for the occurrence of the security event. Upon the occurrence of the specified event, the protection action is enforced on the device to protect the data.

Claims

1. A method of protecting data on a mobile computing device, comprising:

configuring a data protection profile that identifies at least one event, and at least one action to be taken with respect to data specified in the data protection profile upon occurrence of the at least one event;

determining whether the at least one event has occurred; and

if the at least one event has occurred, enforcing the at least one action to inhibit unauthorized access to the data.

2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the data is a password associated with an application adapted to be executed on the mobile computing device.

3. The method as described in claim 2 wherein the at least one action disables the password.

4. The method as described in claim 3 wherein the password is disabled by one of:

cleaning the password, removing the password, erasing the password, and encrypting the password.

5. The method as described in claim 1 wherein the at least event is one of:

device turn-off, device movement outside a configured range, device access outside a configured usage pattern, device movement within a time criteria, device movement with an associated speed or acceleration, device access with a non-registered biometric, combinations of such events, and the like.

6. The method as described in claim 1 further including overriding the protection profile upon receipt of other data indicative of a user-configured action.

7. The method as described in claim 1 further including logging data about the security event and the action.