USER TERMINAL, SECURITY SET SELECTION METHOD, AND USER TERMINAL PROGRAM

Usage scene information such as date, time, and location information acquired by a user terminal 10 is analyzed and classified as a usage scene. An appropriate security set is automatically selected from a security set list according to the usage scene that is the analysis result, and is applied to the user terminal 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Overview of Security Set Selection System1

FIG. 1is a schematic diagram showing a security set selection system1according to an embodiment of the present invention. An overview of a security set selection system1is described with reference toFIG. 1.

The security set selection system1includes one user terminal10which is an information terminal used by a user. A storage unit of the user terminal10stores a plurality of security sets that are described in below.

First, the user terminal10acquires information related to a usage scene (S01). Here, the usage scene refers to a scene (environment) in which the terminal is used, and categorizes information inside and outside the user terminal. As a specific example, the usage scene may include “usage in holiday”, “usage in business hours and in a time when the Internet is not connected at the outside” of the terminal, and the like. There is no limitation in the example of the usage scene. In an embodiment of the present invention, the usage scene may be determined in association with a security policy.

That is, since there is a security policy required in each usage scene, it is efficient to arrange each security policy in combination with a corresponding usage scene. However, since there are the usage scenes that have the same security policy but correspond to the different circumstances, the number of security policies may be different from the number of usage scenes.

Further, the information related to the usage scene is information inside and outside the user terminal which can be obtained by the user terminal. The information related to the usage scene may include date, day, time, location information, and/or the like outside the user terminal, and may include a connection status of the Internet inside the user terminal Furthermore, when the user terminal10has a schedule management function, a schedule may be used as the information about the usage scene with high reliability.

Next, the user terminal10analyzes the acquired information related usage scene (S02). The analysis is to estimate the usage scene from the acquired information, and the analysis by a classifier is shown inFIG. 1. An example of the classifier may be Bayesian classifier, a support vector machine (SVM), a decision tree, or the like, and serves to perform the estimation with high accuracy from the limited information. Even if the classifier is not used, the usage scene may be estimated by conditional branching if the condition is simple.

Then, the user terminal10selects a corresponding security set based on the usage scene that is the analysis result (S03). The usage scenes correspond to the security sets, respectively. Accordingly, when the usage scene is determined, the corresponding security set corresponding is uniquely determined.

Here, the security set refers to any combination of a plurality of security parameters for security parameters related to restrictions of respective functions of the user terminal10. That is, representing a security policy as a combination of security parameters may be a security set. For example, inFIG. 1, parameters including deactivation of game applications and deactivation of a camera are stored as security parameters for a set security of level3.

Next, the user terminal10applies the selected security set to itself (S04). By the above-described process, the user terminal10can obtain the information related usage scene, thereby automatically selecting and applying the appropriate security set. The above is an overview of the security set selection system1.

System Configuration of Security Set Selection System1

A security set selection system1includes a single user terminal10.

Here, the user terminal10may be a general information terminal used by the user or an information device or an electric appliance having a function to be described below. For example, the user terminal10may be an electronic information appliance such as a cellular phone, a smartphone, a hybrid printer, a television, an internet device such as a router or a gateway, a computer, or a major appliance such as a refrigerator or a washing machine. Alternatively, the user terminal10may be an information appliance such as a telephone, a network terminal, a slate terminal, an electronic book reader, an electronic dictionary terminal, a portable music player, or a portable content recording and playback player.

Description of Each Function

FIG. 2is a diagram showing a relationship of each function and each function block of a user terminal10.

The user terminal10includes a central processing unit (CPU), a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM) and the like as a controller11, and includes a data storage unit according to a hard disk or a semiconductor memory as a storage unit12. The user terminal10includes a device for receiving an input of external information including location information as an input and output unit13. The user terminal10has a security set list20in the storage unit12.

In the user terminal10, the controller11reads a predetermined program, thereby realizing a usage scene analysis module14, a security set selection module15, and a security set applying module16, with cooperating with the storage unit12. Further, in the user terminal10, the controller11reads a predetermined program, thereby realizing a usage scene information acquisition module17with cooperating with an input and output unit13.

Set Security Selection Process

FIG. 3is a flowchart of a security set selection process executed by a user terminal10. Processes executed by the modules of each device described above are described in conjunction with the present process.

First, the usage scene information acquisition module17of the user terminal10acquires information related to usage scene (S11). The usage scene information acquisition module17, as information related to usage scene, acquires day, date, and time when the user terminal10has a watch function, acquires location information when the user terminal10has a location information acquisition function, and acquires a communication status when the user terminal10has a communication function such as the internet regardless of information inside and outside the user terminal. Here, the need to obtain all kinds of information is not necessarily. However, accuracy in the analysis of a next usage scene may be improved as the information is increased.

Further, when the user terminal10has a schedule management function, schedule information may be information related usage scene with high reliability. That is, if a plan that is registered at a current time exists, the usage scene can be regarded as a content of the plan.

FIG. 5shows an example of a schedule managed by a management function of a user terminal10. InFIG. 5, a right side on a horizontal direction represents a later date for the date51, and a lower side represents a later time for the time52. Further, a current date and time is represented by an arrow53. In this schedule, the date, the time and the content are managed like a plan54. For example, when a current time is June4,15:00, the current usage scene is regarded as “Planning Meeting” since the current time is within the range of the plan54. Since the content of the plan54includes “Meeting”, the schedule management function may apply the different background color from a plan54whose content does not include “Meeting” to the plan54, thereby distinguishing the plan54from the plan55. Distinguishing may be performed by a selection of the user.

Next, the usage scene analysis module14of the user terminal10analyzes the usage scene (S12). Here, the analysis refers to estimating the usage scene from the acquired information. Further, a classification of the usage scene using simple conditional branches may be exemplified as an example of a case that conditions for each usage scene are clear.

Usage Scene Analysis Process

FIG. 4is a flowchart of a usage scene analysis process by executed a user terminal10. Processes executed by the modules of each device described above are described in conjunction with the present process.

First, the usage scene analysis module14determines whether plans include a meeting plan at a current time with reference to the plans stored by the schedule management function (S21). When the plans exist, determining whether the plans include the meeting may be performed by analyzing a description or a tag attached by the user. If the current plan includes the meeting plan (S21: YES), the usage scene analysis module14classifies a current usage scene as usage scene 5 (S22) and ends the process.

On the other hand, if the meeting plan does not exist (S21: NO), the usage scene analysis module14determines whether today is a holiday or whether the current time is within non-business hours (S23). The determination may be performed by comparing working days and business hours that is previously input with a current day and time acquired by the user terminal10. If today is the holiday or the current time is within the non-business hours (S23: YES), the usage scene analysis module14classifies the current usage scene as usage scene 1 (S24) and ends the process.

On the other hand, if today is not the holiday and the current time is within the business hours (S23: NO), the usage scene analysis module14determines whether the user terminal10is used at the office (S25). The determination may be performed by measuring a distance between position information of the office that is previously stored and current position information according to the global positioning system (GPS). If the user terminal10is in the office (S25: YES), and the usage scene analysis module14classifies the current usage scene as a usage scene 2 (S26) and ends the process.

On the other hand, if the user terminal10is not in the office (S25: NO), the usage scene analysis module14determines whether the user terminal10is connected to the internet (S27). If the user terminal10is connected to the internet (S27: YES), and the usage scene analysis module14classifies the current usage scene as usage scene 4 (S28) and ends the process. If the user terminal10is not connected to the internet (S27: NO), and the usage scene analysis module14classifies the current usage scene as a usage scene 3 (S29) and ends the process.

As described above, the usage scene analysis process is provided. If the usage scene analysis cannot be sufficiently performed by a simple flowchart analysis described above, the usage scene can be analyzed by using the classifier such as the Bayesian classifier, the SVM), or the decision tree,

Referring to the security set selection process shown inFIG. 3again, the security set selection module15of the user terminal10selects a corresponding security set based on the usage scene that is the analysis result (S13). Each of the security sets corresponds to one or more usage scenes. That is, when the usage scene is determined, the corresponding security set is uniquely determined

FIG. 7shows an example of a security set list20. For each security set, specific contents of security parameters and the corresponding scenes are recorded. For example, when the usage scene 3 is determined as the analysis result, “level 3” is selected as the corresponding security set by the security set selection module15.

Here, the security set is a security policy that is embodied as a combination of specific values. On the other hand, in many cases, the intensity of a change in the security policy due to a change in the usage scene is uniquely determined depending on the usage scene. Therefore, if security lists are recorded in the security set list to allow their restrictions to be gradually increased, they can be efficiently described, and a probability of the security set far away from the correct content being selected can be reduced.

Next, the security set applying module16of the user terminal10applies the selected security set to the user terminal16(S14). An applying method depends on the user terminal10, and may include, for example, a method using the security set as a parameter of the MDM. In this case, an embodiment of the present invention may be implemented as a function of the MDM.

FIG. 6shows an example of a screen of a user terminal10to which a security set is applied. Since a plan at a time zone indicated by date61and time62is “Planning Meeting” according toFIG. 5, the result of the usage scene classification process is “usage scene 5” and the security set of “level 5” is applied. A notification is displayed as a message63, and details of restricted functions are also displayed.

As described above, the security set selection process is provided. According to this process, the appropriate security can be automatically set to the user terminal10without the user's active input of security parameters. In particular, when the functions are often restricted to constrain the general user, the automatic security setting such as this process is very effective.

The above-described means and functions are realized by reading and executing a predetermined program by a computer (including a CPU, an information processing apparatus, and various terminals). The program is recorded in a computer-readable recording medium, for example, a flexible disk, a CD (e.g., a CD-ROM or the like) and a DVD (e.g., a DVD-ROM, a DVD-RAM, or the like). In this case, the program is read from the recording medium by a computer and transmitted to an internal storage unit or an external storage unit to be stored and executed. Further, the program may be pre-stored in a storage unit (recording medium) such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, or an optical magnetic disk and transmitted from the recording medium to a computer through a communications line.