OREANDA-NEWS. January 18, 2013. Kaspersky Lab announces that it has obtained a patent for a cutting-edge system to secure personal data stored in the memory of a mobile device. Russian patent no. 2450333 covers technology which identifies the user’s most sensitive data, and makes it possible to block access to that information if the mobile device is lost or stolen.

The functionality on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets is constantly expanding, and owners are increasingly using them for tasks that were traditionally limited to personal computers. These activities include viewing photos and videos, composing and editing text documents, fully-featured web browsing and communicating on social networks, as well critical operations such as online banking and shopping transactions. All this increases both the amount of data stored in the device’s memory and, more importantly, the value of that data. In particular, a user’s banking information – online banking passwords and credit card numbers – can now fall into the hands of a cybercriminal if the device is stolen.

The technology developed by Kaspersky Lab analyzes the data stored in a mobile device, and identifies the confidential information that could cause most damage if compromised: SMS and MMS messages, application data and a selection of individual user files. This list may also include operating system parameters and logs etc.

Kaspersky Lab’s products for mobile devices, such as Kaspersky Mobile Security, incorporate systems which protect users’ personal data if devices are lost or stolen. A common protection method is the sending of a preset command that can block the device or delete all the data stored on it. Kaspersky Lab’s new technology provides more options as it can distinguish important personal information from objects of little value to the user. With this technology, sensitive data can be protected by blocking access to it or by selectively deleting it from the device. All of this can be done either in automatic or semi-automatic mode. In semi-automatic mode, the user can modify the settings of the data protection system and select what should be done if their mobile device is lost or stolen.

Over 110 advanced technologies developed by Kaspersky Lab are currently protected by patents in Russia, the US, Europe and China. Patent authorities in different countries are currently considering over 160 patent applications filed by Kaspersky Lab.