Content State Pinning for Secure Device Sharing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing solutions for sharing computing devices fail to prevent users from navigating away from pinned content, leading to potential access to sensitive information when sharing devices with others.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that associates a change event with a content view on a computing device, detecting attempts by additional users to change the content view, and performing security actions such as generating notifications and requesting authorization to protect against malicious activities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If screen pinning is used to prevent navigation to other applications, then device sharing security is improved, but users can still navigate to other parts within the same application and access sensitive information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the application interface into multiple distinct content views (first content view, second content view, etc.). Each content view represents a separate navigational unit with its own security boundaries. When the user pins a specific content view, only that segmented portion remains accessible, while other segmented portions become inaccessible without authentication.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary authentication mechanism that mediates between the user's navigation attempts and the content views. When the additional user attempts to navigate to a different content view, the system intercepts this attempt and presents an authentication request to the original user, acting as a security gatekeeper between the navigation action and content access.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional screen pinning is implemented, then navigation to other applications is blocked, but intra-application navigation remains unrestricted allowing access to sensitive content
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic content protection mechanism where the accessibility of different content views changes based on authentication state. The system dynamically adjusts which content views are accessible to the additional user versus requiring authentication from the original user. This dynamic behavior allows the system to adapt security restrictions based on the specific navigation context rather than applying static restrictions throughout the application.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes security boundaries around each content view in advance, before navigation attempts occur. The system pre-configures which content views require authentication and which are accessible to additional users. This preliminary setup of security boundaries allows the system to enforce restrictions efficiently without requiring complex real-time analysis of navigation patterns or content sensitivity.
3Ease of operation
If the additional user is allowed to navigate freely within the application, then ease of use is improved, but security risks increase due to potential access to sensitive information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system monitors navigation attempts by the additional user and provides feedback in the form of authentication requests to the original user. When the additional user attempts to navigate to a protected content view, the system detects this attempt and sends a feedback signal (authentication request) to the original user's device, allowing them to approve or deny the navigation based on security considerations.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed computer-implemented method for enforcing secure shared access on computing devices by content state pinning may include (1) receiving, from a user, a selection of a content view to be shared with an additional user from content displayed on a computing device by an application, (2) associating, by the computing device, a change event with the content view, (3) detecting, by the computing device, the change event in response to an action by the additional user to change the content view, and (4) performing, by the computing device, a security action to protect the computing device from potentially malicious activity associated with the action by the additional user to change the content view. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.