Abstract: A processing device (10) includes a policy evaluation module (131) for evaluating policies associated with an item of data or an application and a dynamic context determination module (133) for determining contextual information associated with the current context of operation of the device and for providing the thus determined contextual information to the policy evaluation module. The device (10) further includes a policy enforcement module (135) for enforcing the evaluation specified by the policy evaluation module (131), wherein the device is operable to cause the policy evaluation module to evaluate a policy associated with an item of data or an application whenever the associated item of data or application is invoked and, additionally, whilst the associated item of data or application is active on the device and a notification of a change in the determined contextual information is received by the policy evaluation module.

Abstract: A processing device (10) includes a receiver for receiving a data file and an associated data file policy and for receiving an application and an associated application policy, storage means for storing the received policies, a policy evaluation module (131) for evaluating policies and a policy enforcement module (135) for enforcing the evaluation specified by the policy evaluation module (131). The device (10) is operable, in response to receiving a request for the application to open the data file, to cause the policy evaluation module (131) to evaluate the data file policy associated with the data file together with the application policy associated with the application and to cause the application to open the data file or not in dependence upon the evaluation.

Abstract: A processing device (10) includes a policy evaluation module (131) for evaluating policies associated with an item of data or an application and a dynamic context determination module (133) for determining contextual information associated with the current context of operation of the device and for providing the thus determined contextual information to the policy evaluation module. The device (10) further includes a policy enforcement module (135) for enforcing the evaluation specified by the policy evaluation module (131), wherein the device is operable to cause the policy evaluation module to evaluate a policy associated with an item of data or an application whenever the associated item of data or application is invoked and, additionally, whilst the associated item of data or application is active on the device and a notification of a change in the determined contextual information is received by the policy evaluation module.