Methods and systems for blocking potentially harmful communications to improve the functioning of an electronic device

A method for blocking, by an electronic device, a communication from an application installed on the electronic device, the application attempting to transmit the communication transmitted using a first network connection, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a security component, a policy configured by an administrator, the policy pertaining to the processing of communications by the security component;
• obtaining, by the security component according to the policy and from a local device proxy on the electronic device after the communication is received by the local device proxy, information pertaining to the communication from the application;
• comparing, by the security component according to the policy, the obtained information to information associated with potentially harmful applications;
• determining, by the security component from the comparison according to the policy, that the communication is from a potentially harmful application;
• and
• instructing, by the security component as a result of the determination that the communication is from a potentially harmful application according to the policy, the local device proxy on the electronic device to block the communication from proceeding past the local device proxy to the remainder of the electronic device.

A method for blocking, by an electronic device, a communication from a first application installed on the electronic device to a second application installed on the electronic device, the method comprising:

• receiving, by a security component, a policy configured by an administrator, the policy pertaining to the processing of communications by the security component;
• obtaining, by the security component according to the policy and from a local device proxy on the electronic device after the communication is received by the local device proxy, information pertaining to the communication;
• comparing, by the security component according to the policy, the obtained information to information associated with potentially harmful applications;
• determining, by the security component from the comparison, that the communication is from a potentially harmful application;
• and
• instructing, by the security component as a result of the determination that the communication is from a potentially harmful application, the local device proxy to block the communication from proceeding to the second application.