Information processing apparatus, method, program, and integrated circuit

1. An information processing apparatus which processes protected information, the apparatus comprising:

a non-transitory memory storing executable instructions; and

a processor which executes the executable instructions stored by the non-transitory memory, the processor including:

a process managing unit configured to manage a plurality of processes which operate in the information processing apparatus; and

an access detecting unit configured to detect access to the protected information,

wherein the process managing unit includes an execution control unit configured to temporarily stop the operation of each of at least one process other than a process which accesses the protected information among the plurality of processes when the access to the protected information is detected by the access detecting unit, and

the process which accesses the protected information communicates with a process which is a communication destination originally for the at least one process other than the process which accesses the protected information while the operation of the at least one process is stopped,

the processor further including

a communication detecting unit configured to detect the communication, and notify the execution control unit of a process identifier for identifying the communication-destination process upon detecting the communication,

wherein the execution control unit is configured to cause the communication-destination process identified by the notified process identifier to stop operating only before the process identifier is notified, and cause the process to operate after the process identifier is notified.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the processor further includes

a process list managing unit configured to manage a process list which is a list of the plurality of processes managed by the process managing unit, and

wherein the execution control unit is further configured to temporarily stop the operation of each of the at least one process other than the process which accesses the protected information by causing the process list managing unit to replace the managed process list with a process list which includes only the process which accesses the protected information when the access to the protected information is detected by the access detecting unit.

3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the processor further includes

an access control unit configured to limit access by a process to a resource, and

wherein the communication detecting unit is configured to notify the access control unit of the process identifier for identifying the communication-destination process upon detecting the communication, so that the access control unit limits the access by the communication-destination process to the resource.

4. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the application execution control unit is further configured to temporarily stop the operation of the at least one process by causing the process list managing unit to replace the managed process list with a process list which does not include any of the at least one process when the access to the protected information is detected by the access detecting unit.

5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising

a non-volatile storage device,

wherein the execution control unit is further configured, when the access to the protected information is detected, (i) to save a state of each of the at least one process to the non-volatile storage device and stop the operation of each of the processes when the detected access is started, and (ii) to control so that each of the processes returns to the state saved to the non-volatile storage device and re-starts the operation of the at least one process when the detected access is ended.

6. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the process managing unit is configured to manage at least one first process and a second process which operates at a background, and

the execution control unit is configured to cause the at least one first process to stop as the at least one process when the access is detected, and cause the second process to operate together with the process which accesses even when the access is detected.

7. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,

wherein the execution control unit is configured to cause the information processing apparatus to perform a multiple-process operation when no access is detected and to perform a single-process operation when the access is detected.

8. An information processing method of processing protected information, the method being performed by an information processing apparatus and comprising:

managing a process which operates in the information processing apparatus; and

detecting access to the protected information,

wherein the managing includes temporarily stopping the operation of each of at least one process other than a process which accesses the protected information when the access to the protected information is detected in the detecting, and

the process which accesses the protected information communicates with a process which is a communication destination originally for the at least one process other than the process which accesses the protected information while the operation of the at least one process is stopped,

the information processing method further comprising

detecting the communication, and notifying, for the temporarily stopping, a process identifier for identifying the communication-destination process upon detecting the communication,

wherein the temporarily stopping includes causing the communication-destination process identified by the notified process identifier to stop operating only before the process identifier is notified, and causing the process to operate after the process identifier is notified.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon, the program causing a computer to execute an information processing method of processing protected information, the method being performed by an information processing apparatus and comprising:

managing a process which operates in the information processing apparatus; and

detecting access to the protected information,

wherein the managing includes temporarily stopping the operation of each of at least one process other than a process which accesses the protected information when the access to the protected information is detected in the detecting, and

the process which accesses the protected information communicates with a process which is a communication destination originally for the at least one process other than the process which accesses the protected information while the operation of the at least one process is stopped,

the information processing method further comprising

detecting the communication, and notifying, for the temporarily stopping, a process identifier for identifying the communication-destination process upon detecting the communication,

wherein the temporarily stopping includes causing the communication-destination process identified by the notified process identifier to stop operating only before the process identifier is notified, and causing the process to operate after the process identifier is notified.

10. An integrated circuit which is at least a part of an information processing apparatus which processes protected information, the integrated circuit comprising:

a process managing unit configured to manage a plurality of processes which operate in the information processing apparatus; and

an access detecting unit configured to detect access to the protected information,

wherein the process managing unit includes an execution control unit configured to temporarily stop the operation of each of at least one process other than a process which accesses the protected information among the plurality of processes when the access to the protected information is detected by the access detecting unit, and

the process which accesses the protected information communicates with a process which is a communication destination originally for the at least one process other than the process which accesses the protected information while the operation of the at least one process is stopped,

the integrated circuit further comprising

a communication detecting unit configured to detect the communication, and notify the execution control unit of a process identifier for identifying the communication-destination process upon detecting the communication,

wherein the execution control unit is configured to cause the communication-destination process identified by the notified process identifier to stop operating only before the process identifier is notified, and cause the process to operate after the process identifier is notified.