Providing a managed browser

• US 8,850,010 B1
• Filed: 10/01/2013
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Original Assignee: Citrix Systems, Inc. (Cloud Software Group)
• Inventors: Qureshi, Waheed
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Chirag R
• Application Number:
  US14/042,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20140297819A1
• Time in Patent Office: 364 Days
• Field of Search: 703223-229
• US Class Current: 709/225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/5005 to service a request
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0816 the condition being an adaptation, e.g. in response to network events
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/50 Network service management, e.g. ensuring proper service fulfilment according to agreements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/762 triggered by the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/403 Arrangements for multi-party communication, e.g. for conferences data switching systems for conference H04L12/18; arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities H04M3/56; television conferencing systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/10 in which an application is distributed across nodes in the network software deployment G06F8/60; multiprogramming arrangements G06F9/46

Abstract

Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatuses for providing a managed browser are presented. In various embodiments, a computing device may load a managed browser. The managed browser may, for instance, be configured to provide a managed mode in which one or more policies are applied to the managed browser, and an unmanaged mode in which such policies might not be applied and/or in which the browser might not be managed by at least one device manager agent running on the computing device. Based on device state information and/or one or more policies, the managed browser may switch between the managed mode and the unmanaged mode, and the managed browser may provide various functionalities, which may include selectively providing access to enterprise resources, based on such state information and/or the one or more policies.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

loading, by a computing device, a managed browser, the managed browser being configured to provide at least one managed mode in which one or more policies are applied to the managed browser, the one or more policies being configured to limit at least one function of the managed browser;

obtaining, by the computing device, device state information;

determining, by the computing device, based on the device state information, whether to selectively disable the at least one managed mode of the managed browser; and

in response to determining to selectively disable the at least one managed mode of the managed browser, causing, by the computing device, the at least one managed mode to be disabled,

wherein causing the at least one managed mode to be disabled includes causing the managed browser to enter a second mode different from the at least one managed mode,

wherein the second mode is an unmanaged mode in which the managed browser is no longer managed by at least one device manager and in which the one or more policies are not applied to the managed browser, and

wherein access to one or more resources is blocked in the unmanaged mode.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the managed browser is configured to transition from the unmanaged mode back to the at least one managed mode based on updated device state information.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the managed mode is configured to provide access to enterprise data via the managed browser, and the unmanaged mode is configured to limit the managed browser'"'"'s access to enterprise data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the device state information includes information identifying one or more applications that are present on the computing device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the device state information includes information identifying one or more network connections that are used by the computing device.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the device state information includes information identifying a current location of the computing device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein access to specific information that is locally cached on the computing device is blocked in the unmanaged mode.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein access to locally-cached data that was originally obtained from one or more enterprise resources is blocked in the unmanaged mode.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the locally-cached data includes locally-cached enterprise application store information.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein one or more content filters are applied, one or more downloads are restricted, and one or more plug-ins are blocked in the managed mode.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the managed browser is configured to provide secure browsing and caching of data obtained from at least one enterprise resource.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein providing secure browsing and caching of the data obtained from the at least one enterprise resource includes caching the data obtained from the at least one enterprise resource in one or more encrypted local caches.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein providing secure browsing and caching of the data obtained from the at least one enterprise resource includes providing access to the data obtained from the at least one enterprise resource based on compliance with the one or more policies.

14. A computing device, comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the computing device to;

load a managed browser, the managed browser being configured to provide at least one managed mode in which one or more policies are applied to the managed browser, the one or more policies being configured to limit at least one function of the managed browser;

obtain device state information;

determine, based on the device state information, whether to selectively disable the at least one managed mode of the managed browser; and

in response to determining to selectively disable the at least one managed mode of the managed browser, cause the at least one managed mode to be disabled,

wherein causing the at least one managed mode to be disabled includes causing the managed browser to enter a second mode different from the at least one managed mode,

wherein the second mode is an unmanaged mode in which the managed browser is no longer managed by at least one device manager and in which the one or more policies are not applied to the managed browser, and

wherein access to one or more resources is blocked in the unmanaged mode.

15. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the managed browser is configured to transition from the unmanaged mode back to the at least one managed mode based on updated device state information.

16. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the managed mode is configured to provide access to enterprise data via the managed browser, and the unmanaged mode is configured to limit the managed browser'"'"'s access to enterprise data.

17. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the device state information includes information identifying one or more applications that are present on the computing device.

18. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the device state information includes information identifying one or more network connections that are used by the computing device.

19. The computing device of claim 14, wherein the device state information includes information identifying a current location of the computing device.

20. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a computing device to:

load a managed browser, the managed browser being configured to provide at least one managed mode in which one or more policies are applied to the managed browser, the one or more policies being configured to limit at least one function of the managed browser;

obtain device state information;

determine, based on the device state information, whether to selectively disable the at least one managed mode of the managed browser; and

in response to determining to selectively disable the at least one managed mode of the managed browser, cause the at least one managed mode to be disabled,

wherein causing the at least one managed mode to be disabled includes causing the managed browser to enter a second mode different from the at least one managed mode,

wherein the second mode is an unmanaged mode in which the managed browser is no longer managed by at least one device manager and in which the one or more policies are not applied to the managed browser, and

wherein access to one or more resources is blocked in the unmanaged mode.