Anonymous Application Wrapping for Mobile Privacy
Solution Overview
Problem
Current application wrapping techniques expose user identity or account information, compromising privacy as they associate wrapped applications with enterprise user accounts and deliver policies based on user identity, which can be exposed to rogue applications or unauthorized entities.
Innovation Solution
A method and system for anonymous application wrapping on a mobile device, where a controller service processes and modifies an unmanaged application to generate a managed application, allowing it to be installed on a single device without requiring user identity information, using policy instructions enforced by a mobility management system to control access to enterprise resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If current application wrapping techniques associate wrapped applications with enterprise user accounts, then application control and policy enforcement are improved, but user privacy and security are compromised due to exposure of user identity information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary anonymous identifier that mediates between the application wrapping system and user identity. The controller service generates and manages these anonymous identifiers, allowing applications to be associated with user accounts for control purposes while preventing direct exposure of actual user identity information to applications or external entities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the user identity information from the application wrapping process by using separate anonymous identifiers. The actual user account information is taken out and kept separate from the application association, allowing policy enforcement to continue while eliminating the privacy risk of exposing user identity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If user identity information is provided for application wrapping, then personalized policy delivery is improved, but security risks increase due to potential exposure to rogue applications
Solution Approach 1:
The anonymous identifier serves as an intermediary that enables personalized policy delivery without exposing actual user identity. The mobility management system can deliver customized policies based on user account associations while the anonymous identifier prevents rogue applications from accessing or misusing real user information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy of user identity in the form of an anonymous identifier that mimics the functionality needed for policy delivery without containing actual sensitive information. This copy allows personalized policies to be delivered while eliminating the security risk of exposing real user data to applications.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If anonymous application wrapping is implemented, then user privacy is improved, but application control capability may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The anonymous identifier acts as a simple intermediary mechanism that maintains control capability without adding significant complexity. The controller service manages the association between anonymous identifiers and user accounts, enabling privacy protection while maintaining straightforward control and policy enforcement through the identifier-based system.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are disclosed for providing approaches to anonymous application wrapping on a mobile device. The methods and systems may include receiving, by a controller service, a request to associate a first application executing on a client device with the controller service, and obtaining, by the controller service, a first application identifier associated with the first application. The methods and systems may also include receiving, by the controller service from an application service, a request for a first service and a conditional application identifier, and configuring, by the controller service and based on the request for the first service, the first application with a second set of one or more policy instructions used to control the first application.