Portable Device Loss Detection With Function Lock and Key Destruction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing portable electronic devices lack effective methods to protect locally stored sensitive data from unauthorized access when lost, stolen, or misplaced, with existing centralized storage solutions offering limited security and trusting data to third parties.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for portable electronic devices that determine if misplaced, lost, or stolen, and take actions such as declaring location, locking functions, erasing data, or destroying encryption keys to safeguard data, using external or internal status detection means.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If centralized storage solutions are used to protect data, then data security is improved, but device independence and control are worsened due to third-party trust requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The device autonomously detects its own loss or theft status through various sensors and communication modules, and automatically executes data protection actions without requiring external intervention. The system serves itself by monitoring its own state and responding appropriately, eliminating the need to trust third-party centralized services while maintaining strong data security.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-configures data protection measures including encryption keys, remote wiping capabilities, and location tracking that are activated automatically when loss or theft is detected. These preliminary preparations ensure immediate data protection response without requiring manual user action or external service intervention.
2Reliability
If data protection actions are taken automatically upon loss detection, then data security is improved, but user control and awareness are worsened
Solution Approach 1:
The system provides multiple feedback mechanisms to users including location information, status notifications, and communication interfaces that allow users to monitor the protection actions being taken and adjust settings as needed. This feedback loop maintains user awareness and control while enabling automatic protection functionality.
Solution Approach 2:
The data protection system dynamically adjusts its behavior based on user preferences, device status, and environmental conditions. Users can configure different protection levels and trigger conditions, allowing the system to adapt between automatic operation and user-initiated actions based on real-time needs.
3Ease of operation
If encryption keys are stored on the device for data access, then data accessibility is improved, but data security is worsened when device is lost or stolen
Solution Approach 1:
The system stores encrypted copies of sensitive data and encryption keys in secure, isolated memory regions that are automatically wiped or rendered inaccessible when loss or theft is detected. This preliminary preparation ensures that even if the device is compromised, the encryption keys cannot be extracted to decrypt the data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system separates the encryption keys from the main data storage and implements independent key management through secure enclaves or hardware security modules. When loss is detected, only the keys are removed or invalidated while leaving the encrypted data intact, maintaining the security separation between data and access credentials.
Data Source
AI summary
Data in a portable electronic device is protected by using external and internal status detection means to determine if the device is misplaced, lost, or stolen. The device then takes, singly or in combination, one of several actions to protect the data on the device, including declaring its location to an owner or service provider, locking the device or specific functions of the device to disable all data retrieval functionality, erasing or overwriting all the stored data in the device or, where the data has been stored in the device in an encrypted format, destroying an internally-stored encryption key, thereby preventing unauthorized access to the encrypted data in the device.