System and method for controlling message attachment handling functions on a mobile device

• US 8,804,966 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2012
• Issued: 08/12/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Brown, Michael Stephen, Brown, Michael Kenneth, Kirkup, Michael Grant
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwartz, Darren B
• Assistant Examiner(s): King, John B
• Application Number:
  US13/558,810
• Publication Number:
  US 20120290844A1
• Time in Patent Office: 747 Days
• Field of Search: 380/279
• US Class Current: 380/279
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1408 by using cryptography for digital transmission H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/107 Computer-aided management of electronic mailing [e-mailing]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/60 Digital content management, e.g. content distribution
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/08 Annexed information, e.g. attachments
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0822 using key encryption key
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/0431 Key distribution or pre-distribution; Key agreement

Abstract

A system and method for controlling message attachment handling functions on a mobile device is described herein. An attachment handling control can be set to identify one of a number of selected attachment handling control modes. Depending on the attachment handling control mode identified, a request for the attachment structure that includes a decrypted session key for an encrypted message received at the mobile device may or may not be automatically sent to a remote server. This may provide the user with increased control over the content of an encrypted message that the remote server may access when determining the attachment structure for a message.

Claims

1. A method for controlling message attachment handling functions on a mobile device, the method comprising:

providing an attachment handling control at the mobile device that is settable before a message is received from one or more remote servers, the attachment handling control for identifying one of at least a first mode, which permits the decrypted session key to be transmitted from the mobile device to the one or more remote servers upon receiving user input at the mobile device to transmit the decrypted session key, and a second mode, which prevents transmission of the decrypted session key from the mobile device;

receiving at least a part of the message at the mobile device from the one or more remote servers, the message comprising encrypted message data, the part of the message comprising an encrypted session key associated with the message;

determining which of the first and the second mode is identified by the attachment handling control;

in response to the attachment handling control identifying the first mode, decrypting the encrypted session key to determine the decrypted session key and transmitting the decrypted session key to the one or more remote servers upon receiving the user input at the mobile device to transmit the decrypted session key; and

in response to the attachment handling control identifying the second mode, preventing transmission of the decrypted session key to the one or more remote servers.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to the attachment handling control identifying the first mode, receiving data identifying an attachment structure for the message from the one or more remote servers and providing the attachment structure as output.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the attachment handling control is set according to user input received at the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the attachment handling control is set in accordance with a security policy governing the use of the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the attachment handling control is set to identify one of a configured subset of a plurality of modes.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the configured subset is configured in accordance with a security policy governing the use of the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to the attachment handling control identifying the first mode:

receiving an attachment request, the attachment request identifying an attachment to the message;

transmitting the attachment request from the mobile device to the one or more remote servers; and

receiving the attachment in decrypted form at the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the message is an S/MIME message or a PGP/MIME message.

9. A mobile device comprising at least a processor and a memory, wherein the mobile device is configured to execute an application module programmed to:

provide an attachment handling control at the mobile device that is settable before a message is received from one or more remote servers, the attachment handling control for identifying one of at least a first mode, which permits the decrypted session key to be transmitted from the mobile device to the one or more remote servers upon receiving user input at the mobile device to transmit the decrypted session key, and a second mode, which prevents transmission of the decrypted session key from the mobile device;

receive at least a part of the message at the mobile device from the one or more remote servers, the message comprising encrypted message data, the part of the message comprising an encrypted session key associated with the message;

determine which of the first and the second mode is identified by the attachment handling control;

in response to the attachment handling control identifying the first mode, decrypt the encrypted session key to determine the decrypted session key and transmit the decrypted session key to the one or more remote servers upon receiving the user input at the mobile device to transmit the decrypted session key; and

in response to the attachment handling control identifying the second mode, prevent transmission of the decrypted session key to the one or more remote servers.

10. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the application module is further programmed to, in response to the attachment handling control identifying the first mode, receive data identifying an attachment structure for the message from the one or more remote servers and provide the attachment structure as output.

11. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the attachment handling control is set according to user input received at the mobile device.

12. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the attachment handling control is set in accordance with a security policy governing the use of the mobile device.

13. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the attachment handling control is set to identify one of a configured subset of a plurality of modes.

14. The mobile device of claim 13, wherein the configured subset is configured in accordance with a security policy governing the use of the mobile device.

15. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the application module is further programmed to, in response to the attachment handling control identifying the first mode:

receive an attachment request, the attachment request identifying an attachment to the message;

transmit the attachment request from the mobile device to the one or more remote servers; and

receive the attachment in decrypted form at the mobile device.

16. The mobile device of claim 9, wherein the message is an S/MIME message or a PGP/MIME message.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions executable on a processor of a computing device for performing a method comprising:

providing an attachment handling control at the mobile device that is settable before a message is received from one or more remote servers, the attachment handling control for identifying one of at least a first mode, which permits the decrypted session key to be transmitted from the mobile device to the one or more remote servers upon receiving user input at the mobile device to transmit the decrypted session key, and a second mode, which prevents transmission of the decrypted session key from the mobile device;

receiving at least a part of the message at the mobile device from the one or more remote servers, the message comprising encrypted message data, the part of the message comprising an encrypted session key associated with the message;

determining which of the first and the second mode is identified by the attachment handling control;

in response to the attachment handling control identifying the first mode, decrypting the encrypted session key to determine the decrypted session key and transmitting the decrypted session key to the one or more remote servers upon receiving the user input at the mobile device to transmit the decrypted session key; and

in response to the attachment handling control identifying the second mode, preventing transmission of the decrypted session key to the one or more remote servers.