System and method for secure control of resources of wireless mobile communication devices

• US 8,893,266 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2014
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Owen, Russell N., Little, Herbert A., Yach, David P., Shenfield, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwartz, Darren B
• Application Number:
  US14/188,345
• Publication Number:
  US 20140171023A1
• Time in Patent Office: 267 Days
• Field of Search: 726/2, 726 16- 18, 726 26- 30, 713/150, 713164-167, 713/170, 713/189, 713/193
• US Class Current: 726/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/104 Grouping of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/086 using security domains

Abstract

Systems and methods for secure control of a wireless mobile communication device are disclosed. Each of a plurality of domains includes at least one wireless mobile communication device asset. When a request to perform an operation affecting at least one of the assets is received, it is determined whether the request is permitted by the domain that includes the at least one affected asset, by determining whether the entity with which the request originated has a trust relationship with the domain, for example. The operation is completed where it is permitted by the domain. Wireless mobile communication device assets include software applications, persistent data, communication pipes, and configuration data, properties or user or subscriber profiles.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device, comprising:

at least one memory storing a first domain comprising a first set of assets controlled by a first domain owner, and the at least one memory storing a second domain comprising a second set of assets controlled by a second domain owner, wherein the first domain owner is an employer, and the second domain owner is an owner of the wireless communication device; and

a domain controller configured to control the first domain and the second domain, and further configured to control access to the first set of assets and the second set of assets;

wherein the domain controller is further configured to receive from a first entity a request to perform an operation affecting a particular asset in the first set of assets and responsive to receiving the request;

deny the request if the request originated from a different domain than the asset; and

permit the request if the request originated from a same domain as the asset.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the domain controller is further configured to determine which of the first or second domains the request originated from using a cryptographic key from a key store;

and

determine which of the first or second domains the asset belongs to using the cryptographic key from the key store.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the domain controller is further configured to:

receive information; and

assign the information to the first or second domain based upon a domain policy.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the domain policy specifies that information should be associated with a domain based upon any one or more of the following including any combination thereof:

a source of the information, a digital signature of the information, an access list describing allowed domain information, and an input from a user of the wireless communication device.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the domain controller is further configured to:

determine whether the operation is permitted based upon one or more properties stored in a property store; and

deny the request when the operation is not permitted based upon the one or more properties in the property store.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the one or more properties comprise any one or more of the following including any combination thereof:

one or more global properties, one or more domain properties, and one or more application properties.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the asset comprises at least one of:

a communication pipe, persistent data, a property, a software application, a wireless transceiver, a user interface, an interface/connector, a processor, a memory, or a data store.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the request originates from at least one of:

a communication pipe, persistent data, a property, or a software application.

9. A method implemented on a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

storing a first set of assets in a first domain and storing a second set of assets in a second domain, wherein the first set of assets is controlled by a first domain owner that is an employer, and the second set of assets is controlled by a second domain owner that is an owner of the wireless communication device;

receiving, from a first entity, a request to perform an operation affecting a particular asset in the first set of assets, wherein the request is received by a domain controller configured to control the first domain and the second domain, and further configured to control access to the first set of assets and the second set of assets;

responsive to receiving the request, the domain controller;

denying the request if the request originated from a different domain than the asset; and

permitting the request if the request originated from a same domain as the asset.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining which of the first or second domains the request originated from using a cryptographic key from a key store; and

determining which of the first or second domains the asset belongs to using the cryptographic key from the key store.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

receiving information at the domain controller; and

assigning, by the domain controller, the information to the first or second domain based upon a domain policy.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the domain policy specifies that information should be associated with a domain based upon any one or more of the following including any combination thereof:

a source of the information, a digital signature of the information, an access list describing allowed domain information, and an input from a user of the wireless communication device.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

determining whether the operation is permitted based upon one or more properties stored in a property store; and

denying the request when the operation is not permitted based upon the one or more properties in the property store.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the one or more properties comprise any one or more of the following including any combination thereof:

one or more global properties, one or more domain properties, and one or more application properties.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the asset comprises at least one of:

a communication pipe, persistent data, a property, a software application, a wireless transceiver, a user interface, an interface/connector, a processor, a memory, or a data store.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the request originates from at least one of:

a communication pipe, persistent data, a property, or a software application.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing program code executable by a processor to implement a method on a wireless communication device, the method comprising:

storing a first set of assets in a first domain and storing a second set of assets in a second domain, wherein the first set of assets is controlled by a first domain owner that is an employer, and the second set of assets is controlled by a second domain owner that is an owner of the wireless communication device;

receiving from a first entity a request to perform an operation affecting a particular asset in the first set of assets, wherein the request is received by a domain controller configured to control the first domain and the second domain, and further configured to control access to the first set of assets and the second set of assets;

responsive to receiving the request, the domain controller;

denying the request if the request originated from a different domain than the asset; and

permitting the request if the request originated from a same domain as the asset.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the domain controller is further configured to determine which of the first or second domains the request originated from using a cryptographic key from a key store;

and

determine which of the first or second domains the asset belongs to using the cryptographic key from the key store.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving information at the domain controller; and

assigning, by the domain controller, the information to the first or second domain based upon a domain policy.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, wherein the domain policy specifies that information should be associated with a domain based upon any one or more of the following including any combination thereof:

a source of the information, a digital signature of the information, an access list describing allowed domain information, and an input from a user of the wireless communication device.

21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether the operation is permitted based upon one or more properties stored in a property store; and

denying the request when the operation is not permitted based upon the one or more properties in the property store.

22. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 20, wherein the one or more properties comprise any one or more of the following including any combination thereof:

one or more global properties, one or more domain properties, and one or more application properties.

23. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the asset comprises at least one of:

a communication pipe, persistent data, a property, a software application, a wireless transceiver, a user interface, an interface/connector, a processor, a memory, or a data store.

24. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the request originates from at least one of:

a communication pipe, persistent data, a property, or a software application.