Blancco Expands Patent Portfolio with Two New Patents Granted

Jul 02, 2020 Blog Article

Over the past 20+ years, our team has regularly introduced new, market-changing processes and technology to the data erasure and mobile processing fields. We’re pleased to announce Blancco has obtained two more patents from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Read on to learn how these Blancco patents provide added security and efficiency for our mobile customers.

Russ Ernst, Blancco VP of Products & Technology

Russ Ernst As Blancco CTO, Russ drives product strategy and execution across our Blancco solutions suite. At IT and data security industry conferences, he addresses data lifecycle management, end-of-life IT management, and data sanitization best practices. He also covers how organizations can reach their sustainability goals and fuel the circular economy through secure disposal processes. In addition to the Blancco website, you'll find his insights in Recycling Today, Security Boulevard, Data Center Knowledge, Business Insider, and The Fast Mode, as well as in the upcoming book, Net Zeros and Ones: How Data Erasure Promotes Sustainability, Privacy, and Security.

Blancco prioritizes innovative research and development for both our erasure and diagnostic solutions, with the goal of patenting new ideas to transform these industries. Currently, Blancco holds over 30 patent and patent-pending ideas. Two of the most recent patents granted include “Method for Mitigating the Unauthorized Use of a Device” and “Erasure and Diagnostic Method and System,” both of which are related to Blancco’s mobile products portfolio, which includes Blancco Mobile Diagnostics & Erasure (BMDE) and Blancco Mobile Solutions (BMS) app products.

Erasure and Diagnostic Method and System

The first patent recently granted to Blancco is “Erasure and Diagnostic Method and System” (US20190095126A1). This patent centers around erasure and diagnostics of mobile devices and focuses specifically on our Blancco Mobile Workflows solution—a feature of the Blancco Mobile Diagnostics & Erasure product. This solution stores a set of actions which include:

  1. at least one erasure/deletion action that includes sending data or instructions to a storage device
  2. at least one diagnostic action to determine at least one property of the device

Once these actions are created, the user can link to and generate sequences of actions that can be output, stored or performed. These actions are done in accordance with the property of the device, a customer or client or business preference or requirement or a regulatory requirement. The erasure procedure involved as part of this process may comprise a verification procedure to verify that all data has been successfully removed from the device. The diagnostic procedure may comprise any suitable diagnostic procedure, including a particular function’s current level of performance.

Blancco Mobile Workflows have been a key differentiator for mobile processors since we introduced the solution in 2017. It can work as an independent solution or integrate seamlessly into existing systems, such as enterprise reporting and warehouse management systems, via two-way API communication. The solution then works directly with these systems to build repeatable, automated processes for erasure, diagnostics and grading across the entire mobile processing lifecycle.

Method for Mitigating the Unauthorized Use of a Device

The second patent, “Method for Mitigating the Unauthorized Use of a Device,” (US10681552B2) patents particular systems and methods for detecting the loss, theft or unauthorized use of a device and/or altering the functionality of the device in response. This can involve the device itself monitoring its local environment, use or operating context to determine if it’s still in the control of the authorized user or generate or receive a signal altering its functionality. This could include the device entering surveillance mode or restricted use mode to prevent unauthorized use or access to a device’s data. If the device is a mobile phone, it may be prevented from placing phone calls, sending emails or text messages or engaging in other forms of communication.

Additional sections of the patent address methods and systems for gathering data regarding the location of the unauthorized user and/or device. These methods for detecting unauthorized device use and access are an important part of our Blancco Mobile Solutions application and its extensive list of security features.

One of the most interesting parts of the solution is the ability to provide instructions on the mobile device that direct the user on how to return the mobile device to an authorized user. This could include pressing a button to initiate contact with a security authority. During the process, the functionality of the mobile device is altered to mitigate loss of control by the authorized user. The authorized user will receive a security message once the incident has occurred. This message may include the following information:

  • a phone number called by the mobile device
  • a statement that the mobile device has been removed from a predetermined location
  • a statement that the mobile device is in motion
  • an alarm indicating the need for the authorized user to read a notification message
  • instructions to call a security authority to initiate a recovery process

For more information on Blancco Mobile solutions specific to your use case, visit our Mobile page.

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