Routing mobile users to secure locations based on transaction type

1. A method of operation of a central system comprising:

obtaining threat information for a plurality of locations;

receiving a threat request from a mobile device of a user, the threat request identifying a desired transaction type, wherein the desired transaction type relates to a financial transaction;

determining a threat level indicative of at least one of a physical safety of a location of the user of the mobile device for the desired transaction type and a network safety of the location of the user of the mobile device for the desired transaction type based on the threat information for the location of the user of the mobile device;

providing the threat level to the mobile device of the user; and

routing the user of the mobile device to a safe location for the desired transaction type if the threat level indicates that the location of the user of the mobile device is unsafe for the desired transaction type.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein routing the user of the mobile device to the safe location comprises:

examining the threat information for at least a subset of the plurality of locations to identify one of the at least a subset of the plurality of locations as the safe location for the desired transaction type;

generating a route from the location of the user of the mobile device to the safe location; and

automatically providing the route to the mobile device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein routing the user of the mobile device to the safe location comprises:

examining the threat information for at least a subset of the plurality of locations to identify one of the at least a subset of the plurality of locations as the safe location for the desired transaction type; and

automatically providing information identifying the safe location to the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein routing the user of the mobile device to the safe location comprises:

subsequent to providing the threat level to the mobile device of the user, receiving a route request from the mobile device to route the user of the mobile device to a safe location;

in response to the route request, examining the threat information for at least a subset of the plurality of locations to identify one of the at least a subset of the plurality of locations as the safe location for the desired transaction type;

generating a route from the location of the user of the mobile device to the safe location; and

providing the route to the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein routing the user of the mobile device to the safe location comprises:

subsequent to providing the threat level to the mobile device of the user, receiving a route request from the mobile device to route the user of the mobile device to a safe location;

in response to the route request, examining the threat information for at least a subset of the plurality of locations to identify one of the at least a subset of the plurality of locations as the safe location for the desired transaction type; and

providing information identifying the safe location to the mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein routing the user of the mobile device to the safe location comprises:

examining the threat information for at least a subset of the plurality of locations to identify one or more safe locations for the desired transaction type from the at least a subset of the plurality of locations;

providing information identifying the one or more safe locations for the desired transaction type to the mobile device;

receiving a route request from the mobile device to route the user of the mobile device to the safe location, where the safe location is selected from the one or more safe locations by the user of the mobile device;

generating a route from the location of the user of the mobile device to the safe location; and

providing the route to the mobile device.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein routing the user of the mobile device to the safe location comprises:

examining the threat information for at least a subset of the plurality of locations to identify one or more safe locations for the desired transaction type from the at least a subset of the plurality of locations; and

providing information identifying the one or more safe locations for the desired transaction type to the mobile device, wherein the mobile device enables the user to select the safe location from the one or more safe locations and is enabled to obtain a route to the safe location.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein routing the user of the mobile device to the safe location comprises routing the user of the mobile device to the safe location such that unsafe locations are at least substantially avoided.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein for each location of the plurality of locations, the threat information for the location comprises at least one of a group consisting of: information regarding hack attempts that have occurred at the location, information regarding intrusions that have occurred at the location, information regarding malicious network activities that have occurred at the location, information regarding criminal activities that have occurred at the location, information regarding persons located at or near the location, demographic information for the location, user submitted threat information for the location, and whether the location is near a designated safe spot.

10. A central system comprising:

a communication interface communicatively coupling the central system to a mobile device of a user via a network; and

a control system associated with the communication interface and adapted to:

obtain threat information for a plurality of locations;

receive a threat request from the mobile device of the user, the threat request identifying a desired transaction type, wherein the desired transaction type relates to a financial transaction;

determine a threat level indicative of at least one of a physical safety of a location of the user of the mobile device for the desired transaction type and a network safety of the location of the user of the mobile device for the desired transaction type based on the threat information for the location of the user of the mobile device;

provide the threat level to the mobile device of the user; and

route the user of the mobile device to a safe location for the desired transaction type if the threat level indicates that the location of the user of the mobile device is unsafe for the desired transaction type.

11. A method of operation of a mobile device comprising:

obtaining threat information for a plurality of locations;

determining a threat level indicative of at least one of a physical safety of a location of a user of the mobile device for a desired transaction type and a network safety of the location of the user of the mobile device for the desired transaction type based on the threat information for the location of the user of the mobile device, wherein the desir 4 ed transaction type relates to a financial transaction; and

routing the user of the mobile device to a safe location for the desired transaction type if the threat level indicates that the location of the user of the mobile device is unsafe for the desired transaction type.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein routing the user of the mobile device to the safe location comprises:

examining the threat information for at least a subset of the plurality of locations to identify one of the at least a subset of the plurality of locations as the safe location for the desired transaction type;

obtaining a route from the location of the user of the mobile device to the safe location; and

presenting the route to the user of the mobile device.

13. The method of claim 11 wherein routing the user of the mobile device to the safe location comprises:

presenting the threat level to the user of the mobile device;

receiving, from the user, a route request to route the user of the mobile device to a safe location;

in response to the route request, examining the threat information for at least a subset of the plurality of locations to identify one of the at least a subset of the plurality of locations as the safe location for the desired transaction type;

obtaining a route from the location of the user of the mobile device to the safe location; and

presenting the route to the user of the mobile device.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein routing the user of the mobile device to the safe location comprises:

examining the threat information for at least a subset of the plurality of locations to identify one or more safe locations for the desired transaction type from the at least a subset of the plurality of locations;

presenting information identifying the one or more safe locations for the desired transaction type to the user of the mobile device;

receiving, from the user, a route request to route the user of the mobile device to the safe location, where the safe location is selected from the one or more safe locations by the user of the mobile device;

obtaining a route from the location of the user of the mobile device to the safe location; and

presenting the route to the user of the mobile device.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein routing the user of the mobile device to the safe location comprises routing the user of the mobile device to the safe location such that unsafe locations are at least substantially avoided.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein for each location of the plurality of locations, the threat information for the location comprises at least one of a group consisting of: information regarding hack attempts that have occurred at the location, information regarding intrusions that have occurred at the location, information regarding malicious network activities that have occurred at the location, information regarding criminal activities that have occurred at the location, information regarding persons located at or near the location, demographic information for the location, user submitted threat information for the location, and whether the location is near a designated safe spot.

17. A mobile device comprising:

a communication interface; and

a control system associated with the communication interface and adapted to:

obtain threat information for a plurality of locations;

determine a threat level indicative of at least one of a physical safety of a location of a user of the mobile device for a desired transaction type and a network safety of the location of the user of the mobile device for the desired transaction type based on the threat information for the location of the user of the mobile device, wherein the desired transaction type relates to a financial transaction; and

route the user of the mobile device to a safe location for the desired transaction type if the threat level indicates that the location of the user of the mobile device is unsafe for the desired transaction type.

18. A method of operation of a central system comprising:

obtaining threat information for a plurality of locations;

receiving a threat request from a mobile device of a user, the threat request identifying a location of the user of the mobile device;

based on the threat information for the location of the user of the mobile device, generating mapping information that represents, for each transaction type of a plurality of transaction types, a threat level for each geographic area of a plurality of geographic areas for the transaction type, wherein the threat level is indicative of at least one of a physical safety of the geographic area for the transaction type and a network safety of the geographic area for the transaction type, wherein at least one of the plurality of transaction types to relate to a financial transaction; and

providing the mapping information to the mobile device.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising:

receiving a route request to route the user of the mobile device to a safe location for a desired transaction type within one of the plurality of geographic areas for the desired transaction type; and

routing the user of the mobile device to a safe location for the desired transaction type within the one of the plurality of geographic areas.

20. A method of operation of a mobile device comprising:

obtaining threat information for a plurality of locations;

based on the threat information for a location of a user of the mobile device, generating mapping information that represents, for each transaction type of a plurality of transaction types, a threat level for each geographic area of a plurality of geographic areas for the transaction type, wherein the threat level is indicative of at least one of a physical safety of the geographic area for the transaction type and a network safety of the geographic area for the transaction type, wherein at least one of the plurality of transaction types relates to a financial transaction; and

presenting the mapping information to the user of the mobile device.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising:

receiving a route request to route the user of the mobile device to a safe location for a desired transaction type within one of the plurality of geographic areas for the desired transaction type; and

routing the user of the mobile device to a safe location for the desired transaction type within the one of the plurality of geographic areas.