Granted Patent B2

US 11,570,064 · App. 17/206,122 · Granted Jan 31, 2023

Inventor: Richard James Somerfield (Warrington, GB)

Assignee: Ivanti, Inc.

H04L41/5022G06Q10/06G06Q10/20H04L41/507H04L41/5032H04L41/5074

Abstract

Claims (102)

1. A method of secured, remote device access through dynamic scope adjustment in an incident management system, the method comprising:

receiving, at an incident management server, an incident report indicative of a technical issue at a first device;

responsive to receipt of the incident report:

determining, by the incident management server, that the first device is assigned to an information technology (IT) support provider of a plurality of IT support providers; and

dynamically elevating, by the incident management server, the first device to a scope of the IT support provider, wherein the dynamically elevating of the first device includes a modification of an access privilege of a second device associated with the IT support provider relative to the first device;

receiving an access request for the first device by the second device;

at the time of receipt of the access request, determining whether a restriction is triggered based on received input from a sensor, wherein the restriction is configured to limit access to the first device responsive to a condition being present;

responsive to a determination that the restriction is triggered:

imposing the restriction on the access to the first device by the second device while the first device is elevated to the scope; and

while the restriction is imposed, preventing access to the first device by the second device;

while the first device is dynamically elevated to the scope of the IT support provider, receiving subsequent input from the sensor;

further determining whether the restriction is triggered based on the received subsequent input;

responsive to a determination that the restriction is not triggered, enabling access to the first device by the second device such that the second device corrects at least a portion of the technical issue; and

following a correction of at least a portion of the technical issue by the IT support provider, dynamically relegating, by the incident management server, the first device from the scope to prevent remote access to the first device following the correction.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the modification of the access privilege includes a modification from a first state in which the first device is prevented from being remotely accessed by the second device to a second state in which the second device is capable of remotely accessing the first device and remotely implementing at least one change on the first device via a network.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the correction includes:

the first device being remotely accessed by the second device while the first device is elevated into the scope; and

implementation of at least one change on the first device.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a resolution message from the second device, the resolution message indicating the correction has occurred, wherein:

the dynamically relegating the first device is performed responsive to the resolution message;

the dynamically elevating is performed substantially concurrent with or without material delay following receipt of the incident report; and

the dynamically relegating is performed substantially concurrent with or without material delay following receipt of the resolution message.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a resolution message from the second device, the resolution message indicating the correction has occurred, wherein:

the dynamically relegating the first device is performed responsive to the resolution message,

the incident report includes a helpdesk ticket that is at least partially input by a first user into the first device or into another device associated with the first user;

the resolution message includes a helpdesk ticket closure, or a helpdesk ticket partial closure initiated by the IT support provider; and

the resolution message is initiated in the second device, or another device associated with the IT support provider.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the restriction further includes one or more or a combination of:

a time period during which access to the first device is allowed;

an application to which a change to the first device is limited; and

a subsystem to which a change to the first device is limited.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising initiating an audit process based on the received incident report, wherein the audit process is initiated automatically in response to the incident report.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first device is statically assigned to the IT support provider;

the scope includes a permanent device statically assigned to the IT support provider; and

the scope is configured such that the first device is not visible to the IT support provider prior to being dynamically elevated and is not visible to the IT support provider following being dynamically relegated.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising dynamically elevating a feature, wherein the feature includes:

an ability to remotely implement an action; or

an ability to interface with a subsystem on the first device.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the incident management system is included on a cloud-based networked system that includes the second device;

the IT support provider is a first IT support provider of the plurality of IT support providers;

the scope includes a first scope associated with the first IT support provider;

the correction includes a first correction that addresses only a first part of the technical issue; and

the method further comprises:

following dynamically relegating the first device from the first scope, dynamically elevating the first device to a second scope of a second IT support provider associated with a third device; and

following a second correction that addresses a second part of the technical issue, dynamically relegating the first device from the second scope to prevent remote access to the first device following the second correction by the third device.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having encoded therein programming code executable by one or more processors to perform or control performance of operations of secured, remote device access through dynamic scope adjustment in an incident management system, the operations comprising:

receiving, at an incident management server, an incident report indicative of a technical issue at a first device;

responsive to receipt of the incident report:

determining, by the incident management server, that the first device is assigned to an information technology (IT) support provider of a plurality of IT support providers; and

dynamically elevating, by the incident management server, the first device to a scope of the IT support provider, wherein the dynamically elevating of the first device includes a modification of an access privilege of a second device associated with the IT support provider relative to the first device;

receiving an access request for the first device by the second device;

at the time of receipt of the access request, determining whether a restriction is triggered based on received input from a sensor, wherein the restriction is configured to limit access to the first device responsive to a condition being present;

responsive to a determination that the restriction is triggered:

imposing the restriction on the access to the first device by the second device while the first device is elevated to the scope; and

while the restriction is imposed, preventing access to the first device by the second device;

while the first device is dynamically elevated to the scope of the IT support provider, receiving subsequent input from the sensor;

further determining whether the restriction is triggered based on the received subsequent input;

responsive to a determination that the restriction is not triggered, enabling access to the first device by the second device such that the second device corrects at least a portion of the technical issue; and

following a correction of at least a portion of the technical issue by the IT support provider, dynamically relegating, by the incident management server, the first device from the scope to prevent remote access to the first device following the correction.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the modification of the access privilege includes a modification from a first state in which the first device is prevented from being remotely accessed by the second device to a second state in which the second device is capable of remotely accessing the first device and remotely implementing at least one change on the first device via a network.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the correction includes:

the first device being remotely accessed by the second device while the first device is elevated into the scope; and

implementation of at least one change on the first device.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein:

the operations further comprise receiving a resolution message from the second device;

the resolution message indicating the correction has occurred;

the dynamically relegating the first device is performed responsive to the resolution message;

the dynamically elevating is performed substantially concurrent with or without material delay following receipt of the incident report; and

the dynamically relegating is performed substantially concurrent with or without material delay following receipt of the resolution message.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein:

the operations further comprise receiving a resolution message from the second device;

the dynamically relegating the first device is performed responsive to the resolution message;

the incident report includes a helpdesk ticket that is at least partially input by a first user into the first device or into another device associated with the first user;

the resolution message includes a helpdesk ticket closure, or a helpdesk ticket partial closure initiated by the IT support provider; and

the resolution message is initiated in the second device, or another device associated with the IT support provider.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein:

the restriction further includes one or more or a combination of:

a time period during which access to the first device is allowed;

an application to which a change to the first device is limited; and

a subsystem to which a change to the first device is limited.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein:

the operations further comprise initiating an audit process based on the received incident report; and

the audit process is initiated automatically in response to the incident report.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein:

the first device is statically assigned to the IT support provider;

the scope includes a permanent device statically assigned to the IT support provider; and

the scope is configured such that the first device is not visible to the IT support provider prior to being dynamically elevated and is not visible to the IT support provider following being dynamically relegated.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein:

the operations further comprise dynamically elevating a feature; and

the feature includes:

an ability to remotely implement an action; or

an ability to interface with a subsystem on the first device.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein:

the incident management system is included on a cloud-based networked system that includes the second device;

the IT support provider is a first IT support provider of the plurality of IT support providers;

the scope includes a first scope associated with the first IT support provider;

the correction includes a first correction that addresses only a first part of the technical issue; and

the operations further comprise:

following dynamically relegating the first device from the first scope, dynamically elevating the first device to a second scope of a second IT support provider associated with a third device; and

following a second correction that addresses a second part of the technical issue, dynamically relegating the first device from the second scope to prevent remote access to the first device following the second correction by the third device.

Assignments (9)

Continuity (2)