Patent ID: 7076797
Filing Date: 2006-07-11
Classification: H04L,H04W

Abstract:
1. In a computing device including a security module that grants a user session access to network resources based on dynamic combinations of security characteristics associated with a user session, a method for granting dynamic mobile user session access to network resources depending on one or more authentication methods and the security of one or more devices associated with the mobile user session so as to grant dynamic access that corresponds to the trustworthiness of the associated authentication methods and devices, the method comprising: an act of accessing one or more security characteristics of one or more authentication methods for a user device that is associated with the mobile user session, the one or more security characteristics accounting for security differences in different authentication methods, different users devices, or both, in that different security characteristics correspond to different levels of trustworthiness; an act of generating an authentication bundle representative of access to network resources by synthesizing the one or more accessed security characteristics, wherein the authentication bundle is used to grant the mobile user session one of a plurality of access levels to network resources, the granted level of access corresponding to a level of trustworthiness identified by the one or more accessed security characteristics synthesized in the authentication bundle, but wherein the mobile user session is granted a dynamically variable level of access; and in response to detecting a change in a security characteristic that reduces security of the device or the mobile user session, dynamically reducing the granted level of access to a level of access which is less than the maximium level of access associated with the user.