Wince Smartphone lock/unlock

[tomal_slg]

Does anyone know abt any API which will lock a WINCE smartphone.

Any help is appreciated.

-Tomal

[Jason Dunn]

Unfortunately I don't know the answer to your question, but since it's a developer question I moved it to the Developers forum. :-)

[wolfe]

Hello James Dunn,

The answer to your question depends upon what kind of "locking" you may be talking about. Here are the types of "locking" available on the Windows Mobile Smartphone:

(1) Device Locking

(2) Network Locking

(3) SIM Locking

(4) API Locking

(5) Certificate Security Locking


Device Lock (as written in the Smartphone 2003 SDK):

In case of device theft, Smartphone and Pocket PC provide enhanced protection for data by locking the device and requiring user authentication through a password. Locking the device helps prevents disclosure of sensitive information, such as user credentials, and prevents malicious system modifications that require physical access to the device, such as uploading a virus, modifying system binaries, or tampering with user data.

The device lock activates an ActiveSync lock. The ActiveSync lock enforces an exponential delay after every failed unlock attempt following the first three attempts. The device lock also helps prevent an automated brute-force attack on the ActiveSync lock.


Network Locking are typically done at the Original Device Manufacturer at the request of the Operator. This locking technique is not available to Application Programmers.

SIM Lock (as written in the Smartphone 2003 SDK):

The SIM lock programmatically locks the SIM card after more than three failed unlock attempts. To prevent Denial of Service attacks or brute-force attacks against the SIM lock, unprivileged applications are prevented from accessing the SIM APIs. In addition, rogue applications cannot destroy the SIM by exceeding the maximum number of failed logon attempts.

You can look at the SIM Manager API (SimSetLockingStatus, SimGetLockingStatus, SimChangeLockingPassword) -- but these APIs are Privileged, and unlikely to be available to normal Application Programmers without access to a Privileged Certificate.


API Locking can be enabled by placing any API into a special section of the Registry on the Smartphone itself. If you place the name of the function call into a registry key within the registry key [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Security\Policy\APIs\YOUR_DLL_NAME_HERE]

I will leave the exploration of this method up to you, if this is the type of "locking" you are talking about.


Finally, Certificate Security Locking -- also called "Application Unlocking", or sometimes simply "Unlocking" -- this is deturmined by the Operator. You will have to check with your Carrier's developer program to find out how you can get your handset "unlocked". But LOTS have been written about this subject in other places.

So, do any of these match what you are looking for in terms of "locking"?

-- John Wolfe