Patents by Inventor Narendra S. Acharya

Narendra S. Acharya has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 11153327
    Abstract: A data protection policy can specify which applications are allowed and/or dis-allowed from accessing cloud data that is subject to a data protection policy (i.e., data that has been assigned a classification and/or an owner.) To enforce that policy, the operating system (or other trusted entity) that stores or caches access credentials only provides these credentials to applications that are allowed by the policy. In this manner, because they are not provided with the credentials required to access the network resource, the dis-allowed applications cannot access the ‘protected’ data thereby helping prevent these dis-allowed (or non-compliant) applications from leaking data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Inventors: Christopher Leonard Walstad, Vishal Agarwal, Narendra S. Acharya, Octavian T. Ureche, Preston Derek Adam
  • Patent number: 10511632
    Abstract: A system may identify resources such as applications or network locations that are not adequately covered by an enterprise's security policy to notify a network administrator of such deficiencies. An exemplary security policy may allow or deny access to individual functional resources (e.g. computing devices and/or applications) or groups of functional resources to individual data resources (e.g. enterprise network storage locations and/or enterprise data) or groups of data resources. The system may monitor enterprise network activity to identify when a security policy fails to define permissions corresponding to the use of particular resources. In response to identifying such gaps in the security policy, the system may enter policy enforcement event information into a policy learning log. The system may further generate a policy gap notification and transmit this notification to a policy management service to prompt a network administrator to take remedial action if appropriate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Michael D. Ward, Preston Derek Adam, Octavian T. Ureche, Vishal Agarwal, Narendra S. Acharya
  • Publication number: 20190364052
    Abstract: A data protection policy can specify which applications are allowed and/or dis-allowed from accessing cloud data that is subject to a data protection policy (i.e., data that has been assigned a classification and/or an owner.) To enforce that policy, the operating system (or other trusted entity) that stores or caches access credentials only provides these credentials to applications that are allowed by the policy. In this manner, because they are not provided with the credentials required to access the network resource, the dis-allowed applications cannot access the ‘protected’ data thereby helping prevent these dis-allowed (or non-compliant) applications from leaking data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 9, 2019
    Publication date: November 28, 2019
    Inventors: Christopher Leonard Walstad, Vishal Agarwal, Narendra S. Acharya, Octavian T. Ureche, Preston Derek Adam
  • Patent number: 10419488
    Abstract: A system may delegate authority to manage aspects of a security policy developed by administrative personnel to standard users (e.g. non-administrative personnel) corresponding to managed accounts within an administrative hierarchy. An exemplary security policy may include application management settings that allow or deny individual applications with access to various enterprise resources. The system may expose one or more user interfaces to standard users of an enterprise network to enable these standard users to modify the security policy being deployed for their managed account and/or to at least temporarily exempt a particular application from the enterprise's security policy. For example, upon a standard user attempting to access enterprise data with a particular application that is not permitted such access, the system may enable this standard user to change the security policy as applied to her device or to simply exempt the particular application from the security policy.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Preston Derek Adam, Violet Anna Barhudarian, Narendra S. Acharya, Richard June, Shayak Lahiri, Qiongzhi Wu
  • Patent number: 10404716
    Abstract: A data protection policy can specify which applications are allowed and/or dis-allowed from accessing cloud data that is subject to a data protection policy (i.e., data that has been assigned a classification and/or an owner.) To enforce that policy, the operating system (or other trusted entity) that stores or caches access credentials only provides these credentials to applications that are allowed by the policy. In this manner, because they are not provided with the credentials required to access the network resource, the dis-allowed applications cannot access the ‘protected’ data thereby helping prevent these dis-allowed (or noncompliant) applications from leaking data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 3, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Christopher Leonard Walstad, Vishal Agarwal, Narendra S. Acharya, Octavian T. Ureche, Preston Derek Adam
  • Publication number: 20180255101
    Abstract: A system may delegate authority to manage aspects of a security policy developed by administrative personnel to standard users (e.g. non-administrative personnel) corresponding to managed accounts within an administrative hierarchy. An exemplary security policy may include application management settings that allow or deny individual applications with access to various enterprise resources. The system may expose one or more user interfaces to standard users of an enterprise network to enable these standard users to modify the security policy being deployed for their managed account and/or to at least temporarily exempt a particular application from the enterprise's security policy. For example, upon a standard user attempting to access enterprise data with a particular application that is not permitted such access, the system may enable this standard user to change the security policy as applied to her device or to simply exempt the particular application from the security policy.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Inventors: Preston Derek Adam, Violet Anna Barhudarian, Narendra S. Acharya, Richard June, Shayak Lahiri, Qiongzhi Wu
  • Publication number: 20180255102
    Abstract: A system may identify resources such as applications or network locations that are not adequately covered by an enterprise's security policy to notify a network administrator of such deficiencies. An exemplary security policy may allow or deny access to individual functional resources (e.g. computing devices and/or applications) or groups of functional resources to individual data resources (e.g. enterprise network storage locations and/or enterprise data) or groups of data resources. The system may monitor enterprise network activity to identify when a security policy fails to define permissions corresponding to the use of particular resources. In response to identifying such gaps in the security policy, the system may enter policy enforcement event information into a policy learning log. The system may further generate a policy gap notification and transmit this notification to a policy management service to prompt a network administrator to take remedial action if appropriate.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2017
    Publication date: September 6, 2018
    Inventors: Michael D. Ward, Preston Derek Adam, Octavian T. Ureche, Vishal Agarwal, Narendra S. Acharya
  • Publication number: 20180234430
    Abstract: A data protection policy can specify which applications are allowed and/or dis-allowed from accessing cloud data that is subject to a data protection policy (i.e., data that has been assigned a classification and/or an owner.) To enforce that policy, the operating system (or other trusted entity) that stores or caches access credentials only provides these credentials to applications that are allowed by the policy. In this manner, because they are not provided with the credentials required to access the network resource, the dis-allowed applications cannot access the ‘protected’ data thereby helping prevent these dis-allowed (or non-compliant) applications from leaking data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 15, 2017
    Publication date: August 16, 2018
    Inventors: Christopher Leonard Walstad, Vishal Agarwal, NARENDRA S. ACHARYA, Octavian T. Ureche, Preston Derek Adam
  • Patent number: 9900295
    Abstract: Content on a device is encrypted and protected based on a data protection key. The protected content can then be copied to cloud storage, and from the cloud storage the protected content can be transferred to various other ones of the user's devices. A key used to retrieve plaintext content from the protected content is associated with an identifier of a particular device that provides the key, the device providing the key being the device that generated the key, or another managed device to which the protected content was transferred. A wipe command can similarly be transferred to the various ones of the user's devices, causing any keys associated with a particular device to be deleted from each of the various ones of the user's devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Yogesh A. Mehta, Octavian T. Ureche, Preston Derek Adam, Narendra S. Acharya
  • Patent number: 9900325
    Abstract: A data protection policy is implemented on a computing device, the data protection policy indicating how organization data on the computing device is to be protected. Protection of the organization data includes encrypting the organization data, and allowing the organization data to be decrypted only by particular programs and/or under particular circumstances (as indicated by the data protection policy). When implementing a data protection policy, files already stored on the computing device are encrypted using a passive encryption technique. The passive encryption technique can include one or more of an encrypt on close technique, an encrypt on open technique, an encrypt without exclusive access technique, and an encrypt location technique.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 20, 2018
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Alex M. Semenko, Preston Derek Adam, Innokentiy Basmov, Narendra S. Acharya, Peter J. Novotney, Salil Arun Bhagurkar, Yogesh A. Mehta
  • Patent number: 9853812
    Abstract: Content on a device is encrypted and protected based on a data protection key corresponding to a particular identity of the user of the device. The protected content can then be stored to cloud storage, and from the cloud storage the protected content can be transferred to various other ones of the user's devices. A data protection key that is used to retrieve the plaintext content from the protected content is maintained by the user's device. This data protection key can be securely transferred to other of the user's devices, allowing any of the user's devices to access the protected content.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Yogesh A. Mehta, Innokentiy Basmov, Octavian T. Ureche, Peter J. Novotney, Preston Derek Adam, Mugdha Lakhani, Saurav Sinha, Narendra S. Acharya, Karanbir Singh
  • Patent number: 9825945
    Abstract: Data files are encrypted based on a key associated with an entity that sets a data protection policy controlling access to the data files. The data protection policy identifies various restrictions on how the plaintext data of the encrypted data in the data files can be used. The data files have corresponding metadata identifying the entity that sets the data protection policy, and processes that are running instances of applications that are allowed to access the plaintext data are also associated with the identifier of the entity. These identifiers of the entity, as well as the data protection policy, are used by an operating system of a computing device to protect the data in accordance with the data protection policy, including having the protection be transferred to other devices with the protected data, or preventing the protected data from being transferred to other devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Preston Derek Adam, Narendra S. Acharya, Innokentiy Basmov, Octavian T. Ureche, Yogesh A. Mehta, Alex M. Semenko
  • Publication number: 20170104768
    Abstract: A data protection policy is implemented on a computing device, the data protection policy indicating how organization data on the computing device is to be protected. Protection of the organization data includes encrypting the organization data, and allowing the organization data to be decrypted only by particular programs and/or under particular circumstances (as indicated by the data protection policy). When implementing a data protection policy, files already stored on the computing device are encrypted using a passive encryption technique. The passive encryption technique can include one or more of an encrypt on close technique, an encrypt on open technique, an encrypt without exclusive access technique, and an encrypt location technique.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2015
    Publication date: April 13, 2017
    Inventors: Alex M. Semenko, Preston Derek Adam, Innokentiy Basmov, Narendra S. Acharya, Peter J. Novotney, Salil Arun Bhagurkar, Yogesh A. Mehta
  • Patent number: 9430664
    Abstract: An application on a device can communicate with organization services. The application accesses a protection system on the device, which encrypts data obtained by the application from an organization service using an encryption key, and includes with the data an indication of a decryption key usable to decrypt the encrypted data. The protection system maintains a record of the encryption and decryption keys associated with the organization. The data can be stored in various locations on at least the device, and can be read by various applications on at least the device. If the organization determines that data of the organization stored on a device is to no longer be accessible on the device (e.g., is to be revoked from the device), a command is communicated to the device to revoke data associated with the organization. In response to this command, the protection system deletes the decryption key.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2016
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Preston Derek Adam, Peter J. Novotney, Nathan J. Ide, Innokentiy Basmov, Narendra S. Acharya, Octavian T. Ureche, Saurav Sinha, Gopinathan Kannan, Christopher R. Macaulay, Michael J. Grass
  • Publication number: 20160127327
    Abstract: Content on a device is encrypted and protected based on a data protection key. The protected content can then be copied to cloud storage, and from the cloud storage the protected content can be transferred to various other ones of the user's devices. A key used to retrieve plaintext content from the protected content is associated with an identifier of a particular device that provides the key, the device providing the key being the device that generated the key, or another managed device to which the protected content was transferred. A wipe command can similarly be transferred to the various ones of the user's devices, causing any keys associated with a particular device to be deleted from each of the various ones of the user's devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 5, 2014
    Publication date: May 5, 2016
    Inventors: Yogesh A. Mehta, Octavian T. Ureche, Preston Derek Adam, Narendra S. Acharya
  • Publication number: 20160080149
    Abstract: Content on a device is encrypted and protected based on a data protection key corresponding to a particular identity of the user of the device. The protected content can then be stored to cloud storage, and from the cloud storage the protected content can be transferred to various other ones of the user's devices. A data protection key that is used to retrieve the plaintext content from the protected content is maintained by the user's device. This data protection key can be securely transferred to other of the user's devices, allowing any of the user's devices to access the protected content.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Publication date: March 17, 2016
    Inventors: Yogesh A. Mehta, Innokentiy Basmov, Octavian T. Ureche, Peter J. Novotney, Preston Derek Adam, Mugdha Lakhani, Saurav Sinha, Narendra S. Acharya, Karanbir Singh
  • Publication number: 20160072796
    Abstract: Data files are encrypted based on a key associated with an entity that sets a data protection policy controlling access to the data files. The data protection policy identifies various restrictions on how the plaintext data of the encrypted data in the data files can be used. The data files have corresponding metadata identifying the entity that sets the data protection policy, and processes that are running instances of applications that are allowed to access the plaintext data are also associated with the identifier of the entity. These identifiers of the entity, as well as the data protection policy, are used by an operating system of a computing device to protect the data in accordance with the data protection policy, including having the protection be transferred to other devices with the protected data, or preventing the protected data from being transferred to other devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 9, 2014
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventors: Preston Derek Adam, Narendra S. Acharya, Innokentiy Basmov, Octavian T. Ureche, Yogesh A. Mehta, Alex M. Semenko
  • Publication number: 20140344570
    Abstract: An application on a device can communicate with organization services. The application accesses a protection system on the device, which encrypts data obtained by the application from an organization service using an encryption key, and includes with the data an indication of a decryption key usable to decrypt the encrypted data. The protection system maintains a record of the encryption and decryption keys associated with the organization. The data can be stored in various locations on at least the device, and can be read by various applications on at least the device. If the organization determines that data of the organization stored on a device is to no longer be accessible on the device (e.g., is to be revoked from the device), a command is communicated to the device to revoke data associated with the organization. In response to this command, the protection system deletes the decryption key.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2013
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Inventors: Preston Derek Adam, Peter J. Novotney, Nathan J. Ide, Innokentiy Basmov, Narendra S. Acharya, Octavian T. Ureche, Saurav Sinha, Gopinathan Kannan, Christopher R. Macaulay, Michael J. Grass
  • Publication number: 20140344571
    Abstract: An application on a device can communicate with organization services. The application accesses a protection system on the device, which encrypts data obtained by the application from an organization service using an encryption key, and includes with the data an indication of a decryption key usable to decrypt the encrypted data. The protection system maintains a record of the encryption and decryption keys associated with the organization. The data can be stored in various locations on at least the device, and can be read by various applications on at least the device. If the organization determines that data of the organization stored on a device is to no longer be accessible on the device (e.g., is to be revoked from the device), a command is communicated to the device to revoke data associated with the organization. In response to this command, the protection system deletes the decryption key.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2013
    Publication date: November 20, 2014
    Inventors: Preston Derek Adam, Peter J. Novotney, Nathan J. Ide, Innokentiy Basmov, Narendra S. Acharya, Octavian T. Ureche, Saurav Sinha, Gopinathan Kannan, Christopher R. Macaulay, Michael J. Grass