Patent ID: 8484464

Claim:
A method of backing up data from a mobile communication device to an external computing device, the mobile communication device being connected to the external computing device for exchanging data with each other, the method comprising: receiving from an enterprise server an encryption key for encrypting data items during the back up of data items on the mobile communication device; storing the encryption key in a protected memory of the mobile communication device, the encryption key being accessible in response to a request to back up received from an authorized application on the external device, the-protected memory being alterable only via the enterprise server; the mobile communication device receiving a request from the authorized application on the external device to backup one or more data items in a plurality of data items stored on the mobile communication device, the external device being physically separate from the enterprise server; the mobile communication device encrypting a data item using the encryption key stored in memory of the mobile communication device; transferring the encrypted data item from the mobile communication device to the external computing device; and storing a backup file comprising the encrypted data item in a memory of the external computing device.