Emulated Access Control for Mobile App Privacy
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users are often forced to compromise their privacy settings when installing applications, as developers design apps to refuse primary functionality unless unnecessary permissions are granted, leading to potential misuse of sensitive information.
Innovation Solution
An extended access-control model that allows users to 'seemingly' grant permissions, making the OS behave as if permissions are granted, while ensuring the requested data or service remains inaccessible, through emulation techniques such as rerouting access attempts to fake or empty resources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If applications are designed to refuse primary functionality unless unnecessary permissions are granted, then application functionality is ensured, but user privacy is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism between the application and the actual data/service. The system presents a fake resource interface that mediates all access attempts, allowing the application to believe it has full access while actually interacting with a controlled simulation layer that prevents real data exposure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a copy or simulation of the actual resource (fake address book, fake camera feed, etc.) that replicates the structure and interface of the real resource. This copy allows the application to function as if it has access to the real resource, while the copy itself contains no sensitive information.
2Ease of operation
If a flat and permissive architecture is implemented, then ease of operation is improved, but security control is worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the system into distinct layers: the application layer, the fake resource layer, and the real resource layer. This segmentation allows the system to maintain a simple, permissive interface at the application level while implementing strict security controls at the resource access level through the intermediary fake resource layer.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If permissions are seemingly granted through emulation, then user privacy is protected, but application functionality may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of the resource interface by presenting a fake resource with modified characteristics. The fake resource has the same structural parameters and interface properties as the real resource, allowing the application to operate normally, but the content parameter is changed to contain no sensitive information.
Data Source
AI summary
A method of controlling access by an application to data or a service supported by a computing system, a computer program product and access control unit configured to perform that method. The method comprises: identifying a request from an application for access to data or a service supported by the system; determining whether access has been restricted to the data or service; and, if so, indicating to the application that the request for access has been granted by the system and emulating the data or service when the data or service is accessed by the application. Aspects and embodiments provide an extended access-control model for systems including mobile and cloud applications, in which individual permissions can be "seemingly granted" in addition to being directly granted or denied. As a result, an OS or run-time environment may be operable to let users specify that the OS should behave as if permissions requested by an application have been granted, but operate such that data or a service available normally as a result of those permissions remains inaccessible to a requesting application.