Security enhancement through application access control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9691051-B2
Application number	US-201213493783-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2012
Priority date	May 21, 2012
Publication date	Jun 27, 2017
Grant date	Jun 27, 2017

Abstract

Security enhancement through application access control for cloud-based services and/or storage accounts is disclosed. In one aspect, embodiments of the present disclosure include a method, which may be implemented on a system, for providing, via the collaboration environment, applications for use by a user in the collaboration environment. The applications are selectable by a user, through the collaboration environment, for use in interaction and engagement with other users in the collaboration environment in collaboration sessions. The applications that are visible or available for use by the user is configurable by another user (e.g., administrator or IT specialist) with appropriate permissions, though a designated console.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of enhancing security in a collaboration environment through application access control, the method comprising:
receiving, on a console associated with a web-based collaboration system in the collaboration environment, settings associated with one or more available applications for collaboration, wherein the one or more available applications are configurable by a user with appropriate permissions via the web-based collaboration system;
providing, by the web-based collaboration system, the one or more available applications to a first collaborator and a second collaborator included in multiple collaborators of the collaboration environment, wherein providing the one or more available applications includes making the one or more available applications selectable by the first collaborator and the second collaborator;
receiving, from the first collaborator, a selection associated with an application of the one or more available applications via one of multiple user devices associated with the first collaborator;
integrating, by the web-based collaboration system, the application for use by the first collaborator via the web-based collaboration system;
applying, by the web-based collaboration system, security settings to accounts associated with the multiple collaborators configured by the user with the appropriate permissions, wherein the security settings include setting exceptions based on one or more of content or location-based criteria associated with the first collaborator, and include allowing or restricting access by a mobile device from the multiple user devices associated with the first collaborator;
identifying that the application includes default settings enforced on accounts associated with the first collaborator and the second collaborator of the multiple collaborators, wherein the default settings include either edit access or view access for the first collaborator and the second collaborator enforced by the web-based collaboration system, wherein the application is included in the one or more available applications for collaboration by the first collaborator and the second collaborator of the multiple collaborators; and
upon detecting an attempt to delete the application from the web-based collaboration system by the second collaborator in the multiple collaborators, preventing deletion of the application, wherein the application includes the default settings.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein, the user with the appropriate permissions comprises an administrator of an organization to which the multiple collaborators belong; wherein, the administrator configures the one or more available applications for availability to the multiple collaborators of the organization.

3. The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the one or more available applications are configured to be available by the first collaborator or the user with the appropriate permissions through the console and wherein the one or more available applications are customizable to the multiple collaborators or the user with the appropriate permissions.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving, by the web-based collaboration system, instructions directing the web-based collaboration system to configure components or features of the one or more available applications.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein, a number of the one or more available applications that can be selected by the first collaborator is configurable by the user.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein, the one or more available applications include one or more of: document editing and viewing applications, image or photo editing applications, browser extension applications, mobile device applications, annotation tools, file sharing applications, third-party applications, native applications created by a host of the collaboration environment, or enterprise-specific applications.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the security settings are configurable via the console.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the security settings, when applied by the web-based collaboration system, include a pass code lock and attributes associated with the pass code lock.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein, the security settings are configurable by a collaborator in the multiple collaborators.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein providing the one or more available applications includes
making the one or more available applications selectable by the multiple such that the one or more available applications are visible to the multiple collaborators.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving mobile security settings to configure the one or more available applications for mobile access by the multiple collaborators via the web-based collaboration system;
enforcing, by the web-based collaboration system, the mobile security settings when the collaboration environment is accessed using a mobile device.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein, the security settings include a number of the one or more available applications associated with an application type.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein, the security settings include a number of the one or more available applications associated with an application type, and further wherein the application type includes at least one of: a sync client application, a phone application, a tablet application, and a browser application.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:
responsive to receiving settings associated with one or more available applications via a console associated with a web-based collaboration system in a collaboration environment:
provide, by the web-based collaboration system in the collaboration environment, the one or more available applications to a first collaborator and a second collaborator included in the multiple collaborators of the collaboration environment,
wherein the providing includes making the one or more available applications selectable by the multiple collaborators,
wherein the one or more available applications are configurable via the web-based collaboration system,
wherein the settings are initiated by a user having appropriate permissions in the collaboration environment;

responsive to receiving from the first collaborator included in the multiple collaborators a selection associated with an application of the one or more available applications via one of multiple user devices associated with the first collaborator:
integrate the selected application for use by the first collaborator of the multiple collaborators through the web-based collaboration system;
applying, by the web-based collaboration system, mobile security settings configured by the user with the appropriate permissions to accounts associated with the multiple collaborators, wherein the security settings include setting exceptions based on one or more of content or location-based criteria associated with the first collaborator, and include allowing or restricting access by a mobile device from the multiple user devices associated with the first collaborator;
enforcing the mobile security settings on the accounts associated with the multiple collaborators;
identifying that the selected application includes default settings enforced on accounts associated with the first collaborator and the second collaborator of the multiple collaborators of the collaboration environment, wherein the default settings include either edit access or view access for the first collaborator and the second collabora

Assignees

• Rexer Peter
• Patil Aniket
• Box Inc

Inventors

• Rexer Peter
• Patil Aniket

Classifications

• G06F21/629

  to features or functions of an application · CPC title

• G06Q10/10 Primary

  Office automation; Time management · CPC title

• G06F21/604

  Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems · CPC title

• G06F3/048

  Interaction techniques based on graphical user interfaces [GUI] · CPC title