SIM Card Key Encryption for Mobile App Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current smartphone technologies lack effective protection measures for application programs and user privacy information, leading to increased data security risks as users cannot securely access and manage installed applications.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize a subscriber identification card's identification number as an encryption key for encrypting and decrypting application programs on communication terminals, with PIN code authentication to ensure secure access and usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If no encryption is applied to application programs, then ease of operation is improved, but data security deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by encrypting application programs before they are installed or executed on the terminal. The encryption is performed in advance using a key derived from the SIM card, so that when the application is accessed, the decryption has already been prepared and the security measure is in place without interfering with normal operation flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary mechanism - the SIM card - to mediate between the user and the application program. The SIM card stores the encryption key and performs authentication, acting as a trusted intermediary that verifies user identity before allowing access to the application, thus enhancing security without requiring complex user-side encryption management.
2Reliability
If encryption is applied to application programs, then data security is improved, but device complexity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by using the SIM card, which is a universally present component in mobile phones, to serve multiple functions: it acts as both the user's identification credential and the source of the encryption key. This multi-functional use of an existing component avoids adding separate dedicated hardware security modules, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies self-service by enabling the terminal to automatically perform encryption and decryption operations using the SIM card's stored key material. The terminal itself manages the cryptographic operations without requiring external security infrastructure or complex user configuration, making the security mechanism self-contained and reducing overall system complexity.
3Reliability
If SIM card authentication is required for application access, then data security is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the authentication process with the application launch process. When the user attempts to open an encrypted application, the SIM card authentication is automatically triggered and combined with the application opening action, so the user experiences a unified operation rather than separate authentication and access steps, thereby maintaining ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by providing immediate response from the SIM card authentication process. The terminal sends authentication requests to the SIM card and receives authentication results in real-time, giving the user prompt feedback on whether access is granted or denied, which maintains operational flow and does not create noticeable delays or complexity for the user.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method, system and terminal for encrypting and decrypting an application program on a communication terminal are disclosed, including: the communication terminal using an identification number of a subscriber identification card as an encryption key, performing encryption processing on an application program to be protected, and obtaining an encrypted application program; when a user accesses the encrypted application program, the communication terminal performing matching processing on an identification number of a subscriber identification card inserted currently and the encryption key; and if a processing result is that the identification number of the subscriber identification card inserted currently is matched with the encryption key, performing decryption processing on the encrypted application program for the user to use. By encrypting an application program installed in the terminal through a key in the subscriber identification card, the user can freely select an application required to be encrypted in the terminal, which enhances the security of the application program in the terminal when accessed and used without influencing the access experience of the user for programs with low security requirements, and enhances the security of private data of the user in the terminal without losing good user experience.