Patent ID: 7957532

Claim:
A data protection method for a mobile device, the method comprising: storing encrypted data in a memory element of the mobile device; storing, in the mobile device, a local copy of a decryption key to decrypt the encrypted data, wherein accessing the local copy of the decryption key entails user entry of first authentication data at the mobile device; determining whether a key server located remotely from the mobile device is available to communicate with the mobile device, the key server storing a remote copy of the decryption key, wherein accessing the remote copy of the decryption key entails user entry of second authentication data at the mobile device, the second authentication data being different from the first authentication data; when the key server is not available to communicate with the mobile device, decrypting the encrypted data with the local copy of the decryption key, provided a user enters the first authentication data to the mobile device; when the key server is available to communicate with the mobile device, receiving the remote copy of the decryption key from the key server, provided the user enters the second authentication data to the mobile device; and decrypting the encrypted data using the local or the remote copy of the decryption key to generate unencrypted data.