Mobile Data Protection Using Handheld Usage Context Matching

Handheld devices are easily lost because of their small sizes and high mobility. Personal data like addresses and telephone numbers stored in the devices are revealed when the devices are lost or used by unauthorized persons. This research proposes a novel approach for handheld data protection by using handheld usage context matching. The proposed system consists of five components: (i) usage data gathering, (ii) usage data preparation, (iii) usage pattern discovery, (iv) usage pattern analysis and visualization, and (v) usage pattern applications. Handheld usage context data is collected before applying this method. The usage context is then used to check device usage. When an unusual usage context such as an unlawful user trying to access the handheld data is detected, the device will automatically lock itself down until an action, like entering a password, is taken. Experimental results show this method is effective and convenient for mobile data protection.