Granted Patent B2

US 8,539,563 · App. 13/114,425 · Granted Sep 17, 2013

Abstract

Claims (83)

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

initiating a computing device including an installed security agent;

using, in a first instance, the security agent to retrieve stored first authentication data;

pre-authenticating the computing device using the retrieved first authentication data;

using the security agent to replace the first authentication data with second authentication data without knowledge of users of the computing device; and

communicating the replacement of the first authentication data with second authentication data to a remote server.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a user access to the computing device based on the pre-authentication using the retrieved first authentication data.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first authentication data includes a first SIM PIN and the second authentication data includes a second SIM PIN.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first authentication data includes a first device PIN and the second authentication data includes a second device PIN.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is a mobile communication device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein security of the computing device is managed, at least by the remote server.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the remote server maintains security by verifying identification information persistently stored on the computing device.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the identification information includes a subscriber identity module (SIM).

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication data is persistently stored on the computing device.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising uninstalling the security agent from the computing device, wherein uninstalling the security agent removes the ability to pre-authenticate the computing device.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising prompting a user of the computing device for user-entered authentication data when the computing device is not able to be pre-authenticated.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein users are prompted for user-entered authentication data when the security agent is uninstalled.

13. The method of claim 11 , authenticating the computing device based on user-entered authentication data.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein authenticating the computing device based on user-entered authentication data includes determining that the user-entered authentication data corresponds to the second authentication data.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving the user-entered authentication data in response to the prompt; and

determining that the computing device should not be authenticated based on the received user-entered authentication data, wherein failure to authenticate the computing device at least temporarily disables the computing device.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein determining that the computing device should not be authenticated includes determining that the received the user-entered authentication data does not correspond to the second authentication data.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the security agent is removed in response to a hard reset of the computing device.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the security agent is removed in response to a reformatting of the computing device.

19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

using, in a second, subsequent instance, the security agent to retrieve the stored second authentication data;

pre-authenticating the computing device using the retrieved second authentication data; and

providing at least one user access to the computing device based on the pre-authentication of the computing device using the retrieved second authentication data.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiation of the computing device is detected by the security agent, the initiation of the computing device being one of a plurality of events, within the computing device, capable of being detected by the installed security agent.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the plurality of events further include connection of the computing device to a network and disconnection of the computing device from a network.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein detection of one of the plurality of event prompts performance of at least one operation corresponding to the event.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein performance of the at least one operation includes:

identifying the at least one operation corresponding to the event, based on a type of the event and according to at least one policy.

24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the replacement of the first authentication data with second authentication data is communicated to the remote server over a mobile communications network.

25. A computer-implemented method comprising:

authenticating a computing device, in a first instance, using first authentication data managed by security agent, the security agent enabled to change at least a portion of the first authentication data without the knowledge of users of the computing device;

authenticating the computing device, in a second, other instance, using second authentication data received from a user of the computing device in response to an authentication prompt;

wherein authenticating the computing device grants users access to the computing device and changes to the authentication data by the security agent are communicated to a remote server.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the first authentication data includes a first SIM PIN and the second authentication data includes a second SIM PIN.

27. The method of claim 25 , wherein security is maintained for the computing device during reformatting of the computing device.

28. The method of claim 25 , wherein security is maintained for the computing device during a loss of connectivity between the computing device and remote server.

29. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one computer-readable medium; and

a security agent operating on the apparatus to:

retrieve stored first authentication data;

pre-authenticate the computing device using the retrieved first authentication data;

replace the first authentication data with second authentication data without knowledge of users of the computing device; and

communicate the replacement of the first authentication data with second authentication data to a remote server associated with a trusted authority;

wherein at least one user is granted access to the computing device based on pre-authentication of the computing device.

30. The apparatus of claim 29 , further comprising a subscriber identity module (SIM) having a SIM pin.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 , wherein the first authentication data includes a first SIM PIN and the second authentication data includes a second SIM PIN.

32. The apparatus of claim 29 , security authentication mechanism operating on the apparatus to:

prompt a user of the apparatus for user-entered authentication data;

receive the user-entered authentication data in response to the prompt; and

determine whether the apparatus should be authenticated based on the received user-entered authentication data, wherein failure to authenticate the apparatus at least temporarily disables the apparatus.

33. The apparatus of claim 29 , wherein the apparatus is a mobile communications device.

34. An apparatus comprising:

at least one processor;

at least one computer-readable medium; and

at least one security management module operating on the apparatus to:

pre-authenticate the apparatus, in a first instance, using first authentication data;

change at least a portion of the first authentication data without the knowledge of users of the apparatus; and

authenticate the apparatus, in a second, other instance, using second authentication data received from a user of the apparatus in response to an authentication prompt;

wherein authenticating the apparatus grants users access to the apparatus and changes to the authentication data are communicated to a remote server associated with a trusted authority.

35. The apparatus of claim 34 , further comprising a subscriber identity module (SIM) having a SIM pin.

36. The apparatus of claim 35 , wherein the first authentication data includes a first SIM PIN and the second authentication data includes a second SIM PIN.

37. The apparatus of claim 34 , wherein the security management module includes a security agent configured to:

retrieve the stored first authentication data;

pre-authenticate the apparatus using the retrieved first authentication data;

replace the first authentication data with third authentication data without knowledge of users of the apparatus; and

communicate the replacement of the first authentication data with third authentication data to the remote server associated with the trusted authority.

38. The apparatus of claim 34 , wherein the security management module includes an authentication module configured to:

prompt a user of the apparatus for user-entered authentication data, wherein the user-entered authentication data includes the second authentication data;

receive the second authentication data in response to the prompt; and

determine whether the apparatus should be authenticated based on the received user-entered authentication data.

39. An article comprising a non-transitory, machine-readable storage device storing instructions operable to cause at least one processor to perform operations comprising:

initiating a computing device including an installed security agent;

using, in a first instance, a security agent installed on a computing device to retrieve stored first authentication data;

pre-authenticating the computing device using the retrieved first authentication data;

using the security agent to replace the first authentication data with second authentication data without knowledge of users of the computing device; and

communicating the replacement of the first authentication data with second authentication data to a remote server.

Assignments (8)