Hidden Area Authentication for Mobile Data Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Smartphones are vulnerable to data misappropriation when lost, as existing technologies lack effective methods to prevent unauthorized access to stored personal data.
Innovation Solution
A data protection method and device that includes a security unit, wireless communication unit, and external device interface, which stores authentication information in a hidden area of the memory storage device and performs a data protection operation upon matching authentication information from a received data packet, preventing unauthorized reading of stored data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If authentication verification is implemented to prevent unauthorized access, then data security is improved, but device operation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication by storing hash values of authentication information in a hidden area before actual data access occurs. When a data access request is made, the system retrieves the stored hash and compares it with the hash of the provided authentication information, enabling secure verification without exposing sensitive credentials during operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a hidden area as an intermediary storage layer that holds authentication credentials separately from the main data storage area. This intermediary structure allows the system to verify authentication status without directly exposing or handling plain-text credentials during normal operations, thereby simplifying the authentication process while maintaining security.
2Reliability
If data protection operations are performed on stored data, then data security is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary hashing of authentication information and stores the hash values in the hidden area during initialization. This preliminary preparation eliminates the need for complex real-time authentication computations during data access, reducing processing time while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a cryptographic copy (hash) of the authentication information and stores it in the hidden area. During verification, the system compares hashes rather than handling original credentials, which significantly reduces processing time while maintaining equivalent security levels.
Data Source
AI summary
A data protecting method for a mobile communication device is provided. The data protecting method includes storing first authentication information into a hidden area of a memory storage device coupled to the mobile communication device. The data protecting method also includes receiving a data packet containing a data security instruction and second authentication information via a mobile communication data network or a wireless network and determining whether the second authentication information obtained from the data packet matches the first authentication information stored in the hidden area. The data protecting method further includes, when the second authentication information obtained from the data packet matches the first authentication information stored in the hidden area, performing a data protecting operation on data stored in a storage area to prevent the data from being read. Thereby, the data can be effectively protected when the mobile communication device is lost.