System and method for controlling mobile device access to a network
View Patent ↗The invention provides a method for managing access to a network resource on a network from a mobile device, the method including the steps of intercepting a data stream from the mobile device attempting to access the network resource, extracting information from the intercepted data stream relating to at least one of the mobile device or a user of the mobile device, accessing at least one of enterprise service based information and third party information regarding at least one of the mobile device or the user of the mobile device, determining whether the mobile device is authorized to access the network resource, preparing an access decision that specifies whether the mobile device is authorized to access the network resource, and storing the access decision in a database on the network. The method may also include the step of enforcing the access decision by granting access to the mobile device to the network resource if the mobile device is determined to be authorized and denying access to the mobile device to the network resource if the mobile device is determined not to be authorized.
1. A non-transitory computer-readable media encoded with logic that, when executed by at least one processor:
provisions a mobile device with an authorized source using credentials entered by a user of the mobile device;
intercepts, by a listener component on the mobile device, a wireless message received by the mobile device from the source, wherein the wireless message takes the form of an email that is addressed to a publicly visible short message service (SMS) address of the mobile device;
determines whether the wireless message is authentic based on one or more characteristics of the wireless message indicating that the wireless message was generated by the authorized source with a command code for the listener component, wherein the command code includes an SMS command to execute a wipe of certain data on the mobile device, an SMS command to change password, a command to lock the mobile device, or an SMS command to check-in with the source; and
based on a determination that the wireless message is not authentic, does not decrypt and does not parse the wireless message; or
based on a determination that the wireless message is authentic, decrypts and parses the wireless message to identify the command code; and
performs an action on the mobile device according to the command code.
2. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the logic, when executed by the at least one processor:
listens to intercept the wireless message before the wireless message is provided for display on the mobile device, wherein the one or more characteristics of the wireless message indicating that the wireless message was generated by the authorized source are not present in other wireless messages received by the mobile device from other sources.
3. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein, when the command code is received by the mobile device via multiple channels simultaneously, the action is to be performed once.
4. The non-transitory media of claim 1 , wherein, if the wireless message contains the command code and is not intercepted on the mobile device, the wireless message is to be displayed on the mobile device with a human-readable prefix.
5. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the logic, when executed by the at least one processor:
receives the wireless message after the mobile device comes online, wherein the wireless message is to be stored in a carrier network until the mobile device comes online.
6. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the logic, when executed by the at least one processor:
initiates wireless communication with the source via an Internet Protocol based networking; and
communicates to the source via the Internet Protocol based networking according to the command code in the wireless message.
7. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the command code further includes:
a) a command to download a current security policy for the mobile device;
b) a command to provide device details associated with the mobile device for performing a device audit of the mobile device;
c) a command to provide information associated with vulnerability reporting associated with the mobile device;
d) a command to send a specified file back to the source;
e) a command to execute a soft reset of the mobile device;
f) a command to reset a policy-based flag that forced the mobile device into a locked state; or
g) a command for the mobile device to run a manager program to register the mobile device with the authorized source.
8. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the logic, when executed by the at least one processor:
prevents the wireless message from being displayed on the mobile device based on a calling code associated with the wireless message.
9. The non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 1 , wherein the action is not to be performed if the wireless message is not received from the authorized source.
10. A mobile device, comprising:
one or more processors;
one or more memory elements storing executable instructions that when executed by the one or more processors cause at least one of the one or more processors to be configured for:
provisioning the mobile device with an authorized source using credentials entered by a user of the mobile device; and
a wireless message service listener component running on at least one of the one or more processors, wherein the wireless message service listener component is configured for:
intercepting a wireless message received by the mobile device from the authorized source, wherein the wireless message takes the form of an email that is addressed to a publicly visible short message service (SMS) address of the mobile device;
determining whether the wireless message is authentic based on one or more characteristics of the wireless message indicating that the wireless message was generated by the authorized source with a command code for the wireless message service listener component, wherein the command code includes an SMS command to execute a wipe of certain data on the mobile device, an SMS command to change password, a command to lock the mobile device, or an SMS command to check-in with the source; and
based on a determination that the wireless message is not authentic, not decrypting and not parsing the wireless message; or
based on a determination that the wireless message is authentic, decrypting and parsing the wireless message to identify the command code; and
performing an action on the mobile device according to the command code.
11. The mobile device of claim 10 , wherein the wireless message service listener component is further configured for:
listening to intercept the wireless message before the wireless message is provided for display on the mobile device, wherein the one or more characteristics of the wireless message indicating that the wireless message was generated by the authorized source are not present in other wireless messages received by the mobile device from other sources.
12. The mobile device of claim 10 , wherein, when the command code is received by the mobile device via multiple channels simultaneously, the action is to be performed once.
13. The mobile device of claim 10 , wherein, if the wireless message service listener component is disabled and the wireless message contains the command code, the wireless message is to be displayed on the mobile device with a human-readable prefix.
14. The mobile device of claim 10 , wherein the wireless message service listener component is further configured for:
determining whether the command code includes a request for a receipt verifying the command code was received; and
communicating the receipt to the source via an Internet Protocol based networking if the command code is determined to include the request.
15. A method to be performed in conjunction with at least one processor operating in a mobile device, comprising:
provisioning the mobile device with an authorized source by using credentials entered by a user of the mobile device;
intercepting, by a listener component on the mobile device, a wireless message received by the mobile device from the authorized source, wherein the wireless message takes the form of an email that is addressed to a publicly visible short message service (SMS) address of the mobile device;
determining the wireless message is authentic based on one or more characteristics of the wireless message indicating that the wireless message was generated by the authorized source with a command code for the listener component, wherein the command code includes an SMS command to execute a wipe of certain data on the mobile device, an SMS command to change password, a command to lock the mobile device, or an SMS command to check-in with the source; and
based on a determination that the wireless message is not authentic, not decrypting and not parsing the wireless message; or
based on a determination that the wireless message is authentic, decrypting and parsing the wireless message to identify the command code; and
performing an action on the mobile device according to the command code.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
listening to intercept the wireless message before being provided for display on the mobile device, wherein the one or more characteristics of the wireless message indicating that the wireless message was generated by the authorized source are not present in other wireless messages received by the mobile device from other sources.