Secure Garbage Collection for Mobile Device Data Protection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Mobile devices face security deficiencies due to unpredictable garbage collection windows, allowing unauthorized access during the delay between locking the device and completing encryption, as existing methods do not securely manage unreachable objects.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that revokes content protection tickets and performs secure garbage collection upon a triggering event, immediately unreferencing sensitive objects and using a native wipe function to obliterate data, ensuring the device enters a secure state inaccessible without authorization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If a typical garbage collector waits until memory becomes low before collecting unreachable objects, then memory utilization is improved, but security is worsened due to creating an unpredictable window of opportunity for attacks
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs secure garbage collection immediately when a trigger condition is detected, rather than waiting for memory to become low. This preliminary action eliminates the unpredictable window of opportunity for attacks by proactively collecting and securing unreachable objects before they can be exploited, while still maintaining adequate memory utilization through timely collection.
2Productivity
If the device delays before completing encryption after a lock command is initiated, then normal operations can continue, but security is worsened due to allowing unauthorized access during the encryption window
Solution Approach 1:
The system revokes content protection tickets and performs secure garbage collection on sensitive objects immediately when a lock command is initiated, creating a preliminary protective action. This prevents unauthorized access during the encryption window by removing application access rights and obliterating sensitive data before the encryption process completes, thereby eliminating the security vulnerability while allowing encryption to proceed in the background.
3Ease of operation
If content protection tickets are not revoked immediately, then application access is maintained, but security is worsened by allowing access to sensitive data during the transition to secure state
Solution Approach 1:
The system revokes content protection tickets as a preliminary action immediately when a trigger condition is detected, before the device fully transitions to the secure state. This ensures that applications lose access rights to sensitive data proactively, eliminating the security risk of unauthorized access during the transition period while maintaining operational continuity for non-sensitive functions.
Data Source
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AI summary
Embodiments relate to systems and methods for implementation on a mobile device to force the mobile device into a secure state upon detection or determination of a triggering event. Once it is determined that a triggering event has occurred, each application operating on the mobile device is caused to immediately unreference sensitive objects and a secure garbage collection operation is performed upon the unreferenced sensitive objects to render data associated therewith unreadable. The mobile device is then caused to enter a secure state, in which the mobile device cannot be accessed without authorization. A microprocessor within the mobile device is configured to determine the existence of the triggering event according to a configuration data structure and to perform the secure garbage collection.