Smart pen system to restrict access to security sensitive devices while continuously authenticating the user
View Patent ↗Continuous authentication of a user of a computing device is established to ensure security of the computing device. A smart pen fingerprint print reader identifies a user fingerprint and a determination is made to grant access to a computer device for this user. Communication with the computing device is accomplished through the smart pen. A security event is detected when the continuous user contact with the smart pen device is disrupted. In addition, user inactivity or exceeding a threshold distance between the smart pen device and the computing device may also trigger a security event. Detection of a security event will cause the screen content of the computing device to become unintelligible and the computing device becomes inoperable.
1. A method for restricting access to a security sensitive device by continuously authenticating a current user of the security sensitive device comprising:
detecting a touch at a smart pen device;
detecting an access attempt at a computing device via touch screen by the smart pen by initiating a touch input to a computing device from a smart pen device;
receiving a touch input at the computing device;
sending a connection request to the smart pen device that initiated the touch input;
determining if the smart pen received the connection request in a predetermined amount of time; and
when the smart pen did receive the connection in the predetermined amount of time, sending fingerprint data of the current user to the computing device;
authorizing access of the computing device;
monitoring user access of the computing device;
detecting a security event during the access of the computing device;
closing access to the computing device;
starting a timer that keeps the time from the start of the detected security event and recording the time since the detection of the security event;
determining if the recorded time has exceeded a predetermined threshold time; and
terminating user access to the computing device when the determination is that the recorded time has exceeded the threshold time.
2. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said authorizing access further comprises:
identifying the current user fingerprint;
comparing the identified current user fingerprint to an index of fingerprints of users authorized to access the computing device; and
allowing current user access to the computing device when there is a match of the current user fingerprint and a fingerprint in the index of users authorized to access the computing device.
3. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said monitoring user access further comprises continuously detecting user contact with the smart pen device.
4. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said monitoring user access further comprises continuously monitoring distance between the smart pen device and the computing device and issuing an event trigger when the detected distance exceeds a predetermined threshold distance.
5. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said monitoring user access further comprises continuously detecting current user activity the computing device.
6. The method as described in claim 1 wherein said closing visual access to the computing device further comprises saving data from a current screen of the computing device for that user in a temporary storage location.
7. The method as described in claim 1 wherein a security event occurs when a user:
releases the Smart Pen (removes finger from reader) for a configurable amount of time, leaves the proximity of the device with the pen; or
does not touch the device for a configurable amount of time while holding the pen.
8. A method for restricting access to a security sensitive device by continuously authenticating a current user of the security sensitive device comprising:
detecting a touch of a user at a smart pen device;
detecting an access attempt at a computing device via touch screen by the smart pen by initiating a touch input to a computing device from a smart pen device;
receiving a touch input at the computing device;
sending a connection request to the smart pen device that initiated the touch input;
determining if the smart pen received the connection request in a predetermined amount of time; and
when the smart pen did receive the connection in the predetermined amount of time, sending fingerprint data of the current user to the computing device;
authorizing access of the computing device;
monitoring user access of the computing device;
detecting a security event during the access of the computing device;
closing access to the computing device;
starting a timer that keeps the time from the start of the detected security event and recording the time since the detection of the security event;
determining if the recorded time has exceeded a predetermined threshold time; and
reopening the computing device screen for visual access to a current user when the determination is that the recorded time has not exceeded the threshold time.
9. The method for restricting access to a security sensitive device as described in claim 8 wherein reopening visual access to the computing screen occurs when the same current user re-establishes contact with the smart pen again.