Device identification for externalizing password from device coupled with user control of external password service

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-8931081-B2
Application number	US-201213590683-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 21, 2012
Priority date	Aug 21, 2012
Publication date	Jan 6, 2015
Grant date	Jan 6, 2015

Abstract

Information and data stored by a mobile device is protected by comprising applying password-protection to the locally-stored information without persistently storing the corresponding password locally. Rather, the corresponding password is stored by a remote password server. In response to a trigger event on the mobile device, such as an unlocking action by the user, a request is sent by the mobile device to the password server to retrieve the corresponding server, and the corresponding password is returned to the mobile device. The mobile device can then use the password to access the protected information. If the user determines that the mobile device is lost, stolen, or out of the user's physical control, the user may access the password server and disable the sending of the password to the mobile device, thereby thwarting attempts to access the protected data on the mobile device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for protecting information and data stored on and by a mobile device comprising:
protecting with a password one or more items of information stored within a local tangible, computer-readable storage memory device of the mobile device, wherein persistent local storage of the password is avoided;
upon detection of a trigger event by the mobile device, transmitting a first request from a remotely-located password server to retrieve the password, wherein the trigger event comprises at least a device unlocking operation performed on a user interface of the mobile device without requiring access to a remote authentication server, and wherein the request is transmitted to a first pre-determined Universal Resource Locator;
receiving the password by the mobile device from the remote password server; and
using by the mobile device the received password to allow user access the locally-stored information, wherein the locally-stored data otherwise remains inaccessible to a user, and wherein a second transmitted request to the first pre-determined Universal Resource results in receipt of a protocol error;
wherein the detection of a trigger event further comprises a detection of a user interface event selected from the group consisting of operation of a slide button, performance of a screen swipe sequence, operating of a user fingerprint recognizer, operation of a user voice recognizer, and detection of a free space gesture as recorded by a motion sensor of the mobile device.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising, responsive to a second trigger event, transmitting a request to a second pre-determined Universal Resource Locator.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the mobile device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of a smart phone, a cellular phone, a netbook computer, a pad computer, a tablet computer and a laptop computer.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1 wherein the transmitting of a first request comprises transmitting the request on a wireless telephone network.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising commanding the password server to disable returning the corresponding password to the mobile device.

6. The method as set forth in claim 5 wherein the disabling includes disabling of the first pre-determined Universal Resource Locator.

7. A computer program product for protecting information and data stored on and by a mobile device comprising:
a tangible, computer-readable storage memory device of a mobile device;
program instructions encoded by the tangible, computer-readable storage memory device for causing a processor of the mobile device to perform operations of:
protecting with a password one or more items of information stored within the local tangible, computer-readable storage memory device wherein persistent local storage of the password is avoided;
upon detection of a trigger event, transmitting a first request from a remotely-located password server to retrieve the password, wherein the trigger event comprises at least a device unlocking operation performed by on a user interface of the mobile device without requiring access to a remote authentication server, and wherein the request is transmitted to a first pre-determined Universal Resource Locator;
receiving from the remote password server the password; and
using the received password to allow user access the locally-stored information, wherein the locally-stored data otherwise remains inaccessible to a user, and wherein a second transmitted request to the first pre-determined Universal Resource results in receipt of a protocol error;

wherein the detection of a trigger event further comprises detection of a user interface trigger event selected from the group consisting of operation of a slide button, performance of a screen swipe sequence, operating of a user fingerprint recognizer, operation of a user voice recognizer, and detection of a free space gesture.

8. The computer program product as set forth in claim 7 further comprising, responsive to a second trigger event, transmitting a request to a second a pre-determined Universal Resource Locator.

9. The computer program product as set forth in claim 7 wherein the program instructions are executable by a mobile device selected from the group consisting of a smart phone, a cellular phone, a netbook computer, a pad computer, a tablet computer and a laptop computer.

10. The computer program product as set forth in claim 7 wherein the program instructions further comprising program instructions for commanding the password server to disable returning the password to the mobile device.

11. The computer program product as set forth in claim 10 wherein the disabling includes disabling of the first pre-determined Universal Resource Locator.

12. A system for protecting information and data stored on and by a mobile device comprising:
a microprocessor in a mobile device;
a tangible, computer-readable storage memory device of the mobile device;
program instructions encoded by the tangible, computer-readable storage memory device for causing the processor to perform operations of:
protecting with a password one or more items of information stored within the local tangible, computer-readable storage memory device wherein persistent local storage of the password is avoided;
upon detection of a trigger event, transmitting a first request from a remotely-located password server to retrieve the password, wherein the trigger event comprises at least a device unlocking operation performed by on a user interface of the mobile device without requiring access to a remote authentication server, and wherein the request is transmitted to a first pre-determined Universal Resource Locator;
receiving from the remote password server the password; and
using the received password to allow user access the locally-stored information, wherein the locally-stored data otherwise remains inaccessible to a user, and wherein a second transmitted request to the first pre-determined Universal Resource results in receipt of a protocol error;

wherein the trigger event comprises a user interface event selected from the group consisting of operation of a slide button, performance of a screen swipe sequence, operating of a user fingerprint recognizer, operation of a user voice recognizer, and detection of a free space gesture.

13. The system as set forth in claim 12 further comprising, responsive to a second trigger event, transmitting a request to a second a pre-determined Universal Resource Locator.

14. The system as set forth in claim 12 wherein mobile device comprises a device selected from the group consisting of a smart phone, a cellular phone, a netbook computer, a pad computer, a tablet computer, a mobile data storage device, a removable data drive, and a laptop computer.

15. The system as set forth in claim 12 wherein the program instructions further comprise program instructions for sending a command to the password server to disable returning the password to the mobile device.

16. The system as set forth in claim 15 wherein the disabling includes disabling of the first pre-determined Universal Resource Locator.

Assignees

• Celi Jr Joseph
• Mcgloin Mark Alexander
• Nersu Harshita
• Pieczul Olgierd Stanislaw
• IBM

Inventors

• Celi Jr Joseph
• Mcgloin Mark Alexander
• Nersu Harshita
• Pieczul Olgierd Stanislaw

Classifications

• G06F21/6236 Primary

  between heterogeneous systems · CPC title

• G06F21/32 Primary

  using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints · CPC title

• G06F21/305

  by remotely controlling device operation · CPC title