Patent ID: 8012219

Claim:
A method of controlling access to data including a plurality of sets of data, the plurality of sets of data comprising a first set of data items to be synchronized between a server system and a remote device, the remote device being remote from the server system, and a second, different, set of data items held on the remote device, the first set of data items including data items whose values are updated at the server system in response to changes thereto on the remote device, the second set of data items including data items whose values are not updated at the server system in response to changes thereto on the remote device, the remote device providing access to at least some of the data held thereon, the method comprising: maintaining, on the remote device, a list identifying each data item as belonging to one of the first set and the second set; receiving, at the server system, an indication that the remote device is compromised, the indication originating from a source other than the remote device; selecting, at the server system, a subset of data stored on the remote device, the selected subset of data being specified as having data items either from the first set or data items from the second set; transmitting, to the remote device in response to the indication, a command to prevent access to the selected subset of data; using, at the remote device, the list and specification of data items from the first or second set to identify the selected subset of data on the remote device; preventing access to the identified subset of data based on the transmitted command; and maintaining access to a further subset of data on the remote device, the further subset of data having data items from the first set or data items from the second set, the set of data of the plurality of sets to which the data items of the further subset of data belong being different to the set of data of the plurality of sets to which the data items of the selected subset of data belong.