Granted Patent B1

US 8,429,745 · App. 13/243,198 · Granted Apr 23, 2013

Abstract

Claims (52)

1. A computer-implemented method for data loss prevention on mobile computing systems, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:

identifying a mobile computing system, the mobile computing system being configured to execute only one application at a time as a foreground application;

determining that the mobile computing system has begun executing a sensitive application as the foreground application, wherein the sensitive application displays information that is subject to a data-loss-prevention policy;

in response to determining that the mobile computing system is executing the sensitive application as the foreground application, identifying a first enumeration of screenshots stored on the mobile computing system when the mobile computing system began executing the sensitive application as the foreground application;

identifying a second enumeration of screenshots stored on the mobile computing system after the mobile computing system began executing the sensitive application as the foreground application;

determining that at least one new screenshot was taken on the mobile computing system while the sensitive application was the foreground application by detecting a difference between the first enumeration of screenshots and the second enumeration of screenshots;

performing a security action upon detecting the difference between the first enumeration of screenshots and the second enumeration of screenshots.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 ,

further comprising identifying a global screenshot location on the mobile computing system, the global screenshot location being designated for storing application-independent screenshots taken on the mobile computing system;

wherein identifying the first enumeration of screenshots comprises enumerating screenshots stored at the global screenshot location.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the second enumeration of screenshots comprises:

determining that the mobile computing system ceased executing the sensitive application as the foreground application;

in response to determining that the mobile computing system ceased executing the sensitive application as the foreground application, enumerating screenshots stored on the mobile computing system when the mobile computing system ceased executing the sensitive application as the foreground application.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein determining that the mobile computing system ceased executing the sensitive application as the foreground application comprises determining that the mobile computing system switched the sensitive application from executing as the foreground application to being a background application.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining that the mobile computing system began executing the sensitive application as the foreground application comprises determining that the mobile computing system switched the sensitive application from being a background application to executing as the foreground application.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein performing the security action comprises deleting the new screenshot to prevent an unauthorized transfer of data gathered from the sensitive application.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein performing the security action comprises:

identifying sensitive information contained within the new screenshot;

manipulating the new screenshot to remove the sensitive information.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein performing the security action comprises generating a report indicating that the new screenshot was generated from a view of the sensitive application.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the second enumeration of screenshots comprises enumerating screenshots stored on the mobile computing system according to a periodic schedule.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile computing system is further configured with a foreground application display area for displaying the foreground application.

11. A system for data loss prevention on mobile computing systems, the system comprising:

an identification module programmed to identify a mobile computing system, the mobile computing system being configured to execute only one application at a time as a foreground application;

a monitoring module programmed to determine that the mobile computing system has begun executing a sensitive application as the foreground application, wherein the sensitive application displays information that is subject to a data-loss-prevention policy;

an enumeration module programmed to:

in response to determining that the mobile computing system is executing the sensitive application as the foreground application, identify a first enumeration of screenshots stored on the mobile computing system when the mobile computing system began executing the sensitive application as the foreground application;

identify a second enumeration of screenshots stored on the mobile computing system after the mobile computing system began executing the sensitive application as the foreground application;

a determination module programmed to determine that at least one new screenshot was taken on the mobile computing system while the sensitive application was the foreground application by detecting a difference between the first enumeration of screenshots and the second enumeration of screenshots;

a performing module programmed to perform a security action upon detecting the difference between the first enumeration of screenshots and the second enumeration of screenshots;

at least one processor configured to execute the identification module, the monitoring module, the enumeration module, the determination module, and the performing module.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein:

the enumeration module is further programmed to identify a global screenshot location on the mobile computing system, the global screenshot location being designated for storing application-independent screenshots taken on the mobile computing system;

the enumeration is programmed to identify the first enumeration of screenshots by enumerating screenshots stored at the global screenshot location.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the enumeration module is programmed to identify the second enumeration of screenshots by:

determining that the mobile computing system ceased executing the sensitive application as the foreground application;

in response to determining that the mobile computing system ceased executing the sensitive application as the foreground application, enumerating screenshots stored on the mobile computing system when the mobile computing system ceased executing the sensitive application as the foreground application.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the enumeration module is programmed to determine that the mobile computing system ceased executing the sensitive application as the foreground application by determining that the mobile computing system switched the sensitive application from executing as the foreground application to being a background application.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein the monitoring module is programmed to determine that the mobile computing system began executing the sensitive application as the foreground application by determining that the mobile computing system switched the sensitive application from being a background application to executing as the foreground application.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the performing module is programmed to perform the security action by deleting the new screenshot to prevent an unauthorized transfer of data gathered from the sensitive application.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the performing module is programmed to perform the security action by:

identifying sensitive information contained within the new screenshot;

manipulating the new screenshot to remove the sensitive information.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the performing module is programmed to perform the security action by generating a report indicating that the new screenshot was generated from a view of the sensitive application.

19. The system of claim 11 , wherein the enumeration module is programmed to identify the second enumeration of screenshots by enumerating screenshots stored on the mobile computing system according to a periodic schedule.

20. A computer-readable-storage medium comprising one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

identify a mobile computing system, the mobile computing system being configured to execute only one application at a time as a foreground application;

determine that the mobile computing system has begun executing a sensitive application as the foreground application, wherein the sensitive application displays information that is subject to a data-loss-prevention policy;

in response to determining that the mobile computing system is executing the sensitive application as the foreground application, identify a first enumeration of screenshots stored on the mobile computing system when the mobile computing system began executing the sensitive application as the foreground application;

identify a second enumeration of screenshots stored on the mobile computing system after the mobile computing system began executing the sensitive application as the foreground application;

determine that at least one new screenshot was taken on the mobile computing system while the sensitive application was the foreground application by detecting a difference between the first enumeration of screenshots and the second enumeration of screenshots;

perform a security action upon detecting the difference between the first enumeration of screenshots and the second enumeration of screenshots.

Assignments (6)