Methods and devices provide a secure virtual environment within a mobile device for processing documents and conducting secure activities. The methods and devices create a secure application environment in which secure data and documents may be segregated from unsecured data using document encryption, allowing the application of security policies to only the secure application environment. The creation of a secure application environment allows users to access and manipulate secure data on any mobile device, not just specifically designated secure devices, without having to secure all data on the mobile device, while providing the corporate entity with necessary document security. The methods and devices provide for securing data on a mobile device at the data level using encryption.