Patent ID: 7607174

Claim:
A portable information device having a dynamically configurable security arrangement, the device comprising: computer circuitry, including a processor operatively coupled to a data store; a user interface, including display and user input devices; wireless communications circuitry; and a power supply that provides power to the computer circuitry, user interface, and wireless communications circuitry, the power supply including an on-board energy source; wherein the computer circuitry includes a security arrangement comprising: a configurable security module that facilitates security services in the portable information device; a location determining module configured to determine and provide an indication of a current location of the portable information device; a location profile database containing security risk profile information for a plurality of local networks at a plurality of geographic locations; and a security configuration module that is configured to use the indication of the present location to assess a current security risk to which the portable information device is exposed based on risk profile information contained in the location profile database corresponding to the present location, and to dynamically configure the security module to operate in either: a thin client configuration in which a majority of security services are provided by a security server that is located remotely from the portable information device; or a thick client configuration in which a majority of security services are provided by the configurable security module.