Granted Patent B2

US 9,996,697 · App. 15/687,395 · Granted Jun 12, 2018

Inventors: Kevin Patrick Mahaffey (San Francisco, CA); John Gunther Hering (San Francisco, CA); James David Burgess (Alameda, CA); Jonathan Pantera Grubb (Los Angeles, CA); David Golombek (Washington, DC); David Luke Richardson (San Francisco, CA); Anthony McKay Lineberry (Oakland, CA); Timothy Micheal Wyatt (Toronto, CA)

Assignee: LOOKOUT, INC.

G06F21/577G06F21/554

Abstract

Claims (50)

1. A method of for blocking an application from being installed on a mobile communications device, the method comprising:

receiving at a server computer from the mobile communications device, the mobile communications device not having installed the application:

(i) data pertaining to the application, and

(ii) information pertaining to the mobile communications device including one or more of device data, device operating system, firmware version, memory capacity, available communication ports, battery limitations, hardware characteristics, default specifications, service provider and IP address;

processing, by the server computer, the data and the information to determine an assessment for the application, the assessment being based upon an analysis of an instance of the application or a similar application in a virtual or physical device using data and information received by the server computer from sources other than the mobile communications device, the assessment including an assessment value from a graduated series of assessment values; and

providing the assessment to the mobile communications device, the assessment value causing the installation of the application to be blocked when:

(i) the mobile communications device compares the assessment value to a permitted range of assessment values, the permitted range being set by a user or an administrator of the mobile communications device before the assessment is provided to the mobile communications device; and

(ii) the mobile communications device determines that the assessment value is not in the permitted range.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

when the assessment includes an indication that the application is harmful, displaying the assessment and an alert on the mobile communications device.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the data pertaining to the application is from a group consisting of application name, application size, application SHA1 value, application version, application metadata, application traffic IP address, application communication port and URL associated with the application.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application is side-loaded onto the mobile communications device.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the application is provided to the mobile communications device by an application marketplace.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the assessment is further based upon data and information received by the server computer from other devices, the other devices being the same type of device as the mobile communications device.

7. A non-transitory, non-printed, computer readable storage medium for use with a server computer, the non-transitory, non-printed, computer readable storage medium containing computer readable instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the steps of a method for blocking an application from being installed on a mobile communications device, the method comprising:

receiving at a server computer from the mobile communications device, the mobile communications device not having installed the application:

(i) data pertaining to the application, and

(ii) information pertaining to the mobile communications device including one or more of device data, device operating system, firmware version, memory capacity, available communication ports, battery limitations, hardware characteristics, default specifications, service provider and IP address;

processing, by the server computer, the data and the information to determine an assessment for the application, the assessment being based upon an analysis of an instance of the application or a similar application in a virtual or physical device using data and information received by the server computer from sources other than the mobile communications device, the assessment including an assessment value from a graduated series of assessment values; and

providing the assessment to the mobile communications device, the assessment value causing the installation of the application to be blocked when:

(i) the mobile communications device compares the assessment value to a permitted range of assessment values, the permitted range being set by a user or an administrator of the mobile communications device before the assessment is provided to the mobile communications device; and

(ii) the mobile communications device determines that the assessment value is not in the permitted range.

8. The non-transitory, non-printed, computer readable storage medium of claim 7 , further comprising:

when the assessment includes an indication that the application is harmful, displaying the assessment and an alert on the mobile communications device.

9. The non-transitory, non-printed, computer readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the data pertaining to the application is from a group consisting of application name, application size, application SHA1 value, application version, application metadata, application traffic IP address, application communication port and URL associated with the application.

10. The non-transitory, non-printed, computer readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein when application is side-loaded onto the mobile communications device.

11. The non-transitory, non-printed, computer readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the application is provided to the mobile communications device by an application marketplace.

12. The non-transitory, non-printed, computer readable storage medium of claim 7 , wherein the assessment is further based upon data and information received by the server computer from other devices, the other devices being the same type of device as the mobile communications device.

13. A method for allowing an application to be installed on a mobile communications device, the method comprising:

receiving at a server computer from the mobile communications device, the mobile communications device not having installed the application:

(i) data pertaining to the application, and

(ii) information pertaining to the mobile communications device including one or more of device data, device operating system, firmware version, memory capacity, available communication ports, battery limitations, hardware characteristics, default specifications, service provider and IP address;

processing, by the server computer, the data and the information to determine an assessment for the application, the assessment being based upon an analysis of an instance of the application or a similar application in a virtual or physical device using data and information received by the server computer from sources other than the mobile communications device, the assessment including an assessment value from a graduated series of assessment values; and

providing the assessment to the mobile communications device, the assessment value causing the initiation of the installation of the application on the mobile communications device when:

(i) the mobile communications device compares the assessment value to a permitted range of assessment values, the permitted range being set by a user or an administrator of the mobile communications device before the assessment is provided to the mobile communications device; and

(ii) the mobile communications device determines that the assessment value is in the permitted range.

14. The method of claim 13 , the assessment, when processed by the mobile communications device, causing a message to be displayed on the mobile communications device.

15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the data pertaining to the application is from a group consisting of application name, application size, application SHA1 value, application version, application metadata, application traffic IP address, application communication port and URL associated with the application.

16. The method of claim 13 , wherein the assessment is further based upon data and information received by the server computer from other devices, the other devices being the same type of device as the mobile communications device.

17. A non-transitory, non-printed, computer readable storage medium for use with a server computer, the non-transitory, non-printed, computer readable storage medium containing computer readable instructions, which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform the steps of a method for allowing an application to be installed on a mobile communications device, the method comprising:

receiving at a server computer from the mobile communications device, the mobile communications device not having installed the application:

(i) data pertaining to the application, and

(ii) information pertaining to the mobile communications device including one or more of device data, device operating system, firmware version, memory capacity, available communication ports, battery limitations, hardware characteristics, default specifications, service provider and IP address;

processing, by the server computer, the data and the information to determine an assessment for the application, the assessment being based upon an analysis of an instance of the application or a similar application in a virtual or physical device using data and information received by the server computer from sources other than the mobile communications device, the assessment including an assessment value from a graduated series of assessment values; and

providing the assessment to the mobile communications device, the assessment value causing the initiation of the installation of the application on the mobile communications device when:

(i) the mobile communications device compares the assessment value to a permitted range of assessment values, the permitted range being set by a user or an administrator of the mobile communications device before the assessment is provided to the mobile communications device; and

(ii) the mobile communications device determines that the assessment value is in the permitted range.

18. The non-transitory, non-printed, computer readable storage medium of claim 17 , the assessment, when processed by the mobile communications device, causing a message to be displayed on the mobile communications device.

19. The non-transitory, non-printed, computer readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the data pertaining to the application is from a group consisting of application name, application size, application SHA1 value, application version, application metadata, application traffic IP address, application communication port and URL associated with the application.

20. The non-transitory, non-printed, computer readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the assessment is further based upon data and information received by the server computer from other devices, the other devices being the same type of device as the mobile communications device.

Assignments (10)

Continuity (37)