Method and system for policy based authentication

1. A method for securing a mobile device, comprising:

receiving, by the mobile device, a plurality of different security policies, wherein each of the plurality of different security policies has a corresponding security requirement, wherein each of a plurality of functions has an associated security policy, wherein each security requirement either requires authentication or requires encryption of data;

invoking, by a user, a function from the plurality of functions;

selecting, by the mobile device and based on the invoked function, a security policy from the plurality of different security policies;

selecting, by the mobile device, a security requirement corresponding to the security policy; and

before the mobile device performs the invoked function, requiring, by the mobile device, that the user satisfy the selected security requirement.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising: determining a location of the mobile device;

selecting, by the mobile device and based on the invoked function and on the determined location, another security policy from the plurality of different security policies;

selecting, by the mobile device, another security requirement corresponding to the other security policy; and

before the mobile device performs the invoked function, requiring the other security requirement be satisfied.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a location of the mobile device; and

receiving, by the mobile device and based on the determined location, a plurality of security policies applicable at the determined location.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the invoked function is accessing data.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the invoked function is making a phone call.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the requiring comprises requiring the user to enter a user name and password to satisfy the selected security requirement corresponding to the selected security policy.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the requiring comprises requiring the user to enter a biometric credential to satisfy the selected security requirement corresponding to the selected security policy.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by at least one computing device, causes the at least one computing device to perform a method for securing a mobile device, the method comprising

receiving, by a mobile device, a plurality of different security policies, wherein each of the plurality of different security policies has a corresponding security requirement, wherein each of a plurality of mobile device functions has an associated security policy, wherein each security requirement requires either authentication or encryption of data associated with a mobile device function of the corresponding security policy;

selecting a mobile device function to be performed from the plurality of mobile device function;

selecting, by the mobile device, based on the selected mobile device function, a security policy from the plurality of different security policies;

selecting, by the mobile device, a security requirement corresponding to the security policy; and

before the mobile device performs the selected mobile device function, requiring, by the mobile device, the selected security requirement be satisfied through an interaction with a claimed party, the claimed party not being the mobile device.

9. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , the method further comprising:

determining a location of the mobile device;

selecting, by the mobile device and based on the selected mobile device function and on the determined location, another security policy from the plurality of different security policies;

selecting, by the mobile device, another security requirement corresponding to the other security policy; and

before the mobile device performs the selected mobile device function, requiring the other security requirement be satisfied.

10. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , the method further comprising:

determining a location of the mobile device; and

wherein selecting the security policy includes selecting the security policy from a subset of the plurality of different security policies applicable at the determined location.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the selected mobile device function is accessing data.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the selected mobile device function is making a phone call.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the requiring comprises requiring a user to enter a user name and password to satisfy the security requirement corresponding to the security policy.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the requiring comprises requiring a user to enter a biometric credential to satisfy the security requirement corresponding to the security policy.

15. A mobile device, comprising:

a non-transitory memory configured to store a plurality of different security policies, wherein each of the plurality of different security policies has a corresponding security requirement, wherein each of a plurality of mobile device functions has an associated security policy, wherein each security requirement requires either authentication or encryption of data associated with a mobile device function of the corresponding security policy;

a processor configured to select a mobile device function to be performed from the plurality of mobile device functions, to select, based on the selected mobile device function, a security policy from the stored plurality of different security policies, and select a security requirement corresponding to the selected security policy; and

a security module configured to, before the mobile device performs the selected mobile device function, require the selected security requirement be satisfied through an interaction with a claimed party, the claimed party not being the mobile device.

16. The mobile device of claim 15 , the processor further configured to:

determine a location of the mobile device;

select, based on the selected mobile device function and on the determined location, another security policy from the stored plurality of different security policies;

select another security requirement corresponding to the other security policy; and

before the mobile device performs the selected mobile device function, require the other security requirement be satisfied.

17. The mobile device of claim 15 , the processor further configured to:

determine a location of the mobile device;

wherein selecting a security policy if further based on the determined location.

18. The mobile device of claim 15 , wherein the selected mobile device function is accessing data.

19. The mobile device of claim 15 , wherein the security module further requires the security requirement be satisfied by requiring a user to enter a user name and password.

20. The mobile device of claim 15 , wherein the security module further requires the security requirement be satisfied by requiring a user to enter a biometric credential.