Patent ID: 8584200

Claim:
A method for selectively controlling access by a mobile device to a plurality of network-based services, wherein the plurality of network-based services includes an e-mail service, comprising: associating the e-mail service with a plurality of user-enterable authentication parameters and an authentication timeout interval representing a period of time between authentications of the mobile device for the e-mail network-based service, including: associating a first user-enterable authentication parameter in the plurality of user-enterable authentication parameters with a first e-mail source and a second user-enterable authentication parameter in the plurality of user-enterable authentication parameters with a second e-mail source; requesting re-authentication of the mobile device by a network server of the mobile device for the e-mail service after the first authentication timeout interval has expired; associating a second network-based service in the plurality of network-based services with a third user-enterable authentication parameter for the mobile device, and a second authentication timeout interval for the mobile device representing a period of time between authentications of the mobile device for the second network-based service; and requesting re-authentication by the network server of the mobile device to the second network-based service after the second authentication timeout interval has expired; wherein the first authentication interval is not equal to the second authentication timeout interval.