# US 10,482,253 B2 · Configuring basic input output system (BIOS) features based on a policy > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,482,253 B2 - Document ID: US10482253B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/941,728 - Filed: 2018-03-30 - Published: 2019-10-03 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2018-03-30 - Assignees: Dell Products L. P. - Applicants: Dell Products L. P. - Inventors: Charles D. Robison; Ricardo L. Martinez; Joseph Kozlowski; Daniel L. Hamlin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10482253B2 ## CPC - G06F 21/572: {Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS]} - G06F 9/44505: {Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files} - G06F 21/575: {Secure boot} - H04L 9/30: Public key, i.e. encryption algorithm being computationally infeasible to invert or user's encryption keys not requiring secrecy - H04L 9/3263: {involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements (network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823)} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M) ## Abstract In some examples, a computing device may receive (i) settings associated with one or more features of a basic input output system (BIOS) of the computing device and (ii) a device identifier that uniquely identifies the computing device. The computing device may determine a policy identifier that identifies a policy being implemented by the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS. The computing device may retrieve a public key associated with an organization that acquired the computing device and sending a request to a service to validate the policy. The request may include the policy identifier and the public key. After the computing device receives a response from the service indicating that the policy is valid, the computing device may initiate a reboot and modify, during the reboot, the one or more features of the BIOS of the computing device based on the settings. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: receiving, by one or more processors of a computing device, settings associated with one or more features of a basic input output system (BIOS) of the computing device; receiving, by the one or more processors, a device identifier that uniquely identifies the computing device; determining, by the one or more processors, a policy identifier that identifies a policy being implemented by the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS; retrieving, by the one or more processors, a public key associated with an organization that acquired the computing device; sending to a service, by the one or more processors, a request to validate the policy, the request including the policy identifier and the public key; receiving, by the one or more processors, a response indicating that the policy is valid; initiating, by the one or more processors, a reboot; and modifying, by the one or more processors and during the reboot, the one or more features of the BIOS of the computing device based on the settings. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS comprise at least one of: disabling an imaging device associated with the computing device; disabling a microphone associated with the computing device; or disabling a port associated with the computing device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: downloading, by a software agent associated with the organization, an encrypted package from the service, wherein the encrypted package includes the policy and a plurality of device identifiers. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising: compiling, by the software agent, the policy to create the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising: sending, by the software agent, an executable file to a particular computing device of a plurality of computing devices acquired by the organization, the executable file including: the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS; and a particular device identifier of the plurality of device identifiers that corresponds to the particular computing device. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS include a policy identifier identifying a particular policy of a plurality of policies; the settings implement the particular policy. ### Claim 7 A computing device comprising: one or more processors; and one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media to store instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: receiving settings associated with one or more features of a basic input output system (BIOS) of the computing device; receiving a device identifier that uniquely identifies the computing device; determining a policy identifier that identifies a policy being implemented by the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS; retrieving a public key associated with an organization that acquired the computing device; sending a request to a service to validate the policy, the request including the policy identifier and the public key; receiving a response from the service; based at least in part on determining that the response indicates that the policy is valid: initiating a reboot; and modifying, during the reboot, the one or more features of the BIOS of the computing device based on the settings. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The computing device of claim 7, the operations further comprising: based at least in part on determining that the response indicates that the policy is invalid: deleting the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS; and providing a message indicating that the settings are invalid. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The computing device of claim 7, wherein the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS comprise at least one of: disabling a camera associated with the computing device; disabling a microphone associated with the computing device; or disabling a port associated with the computing device. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The computing device of claim 7, wherein: the policy is compiled to create the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The computing device of claim 7, wherein: the service includes an account associated with the organization; the account includes the policy; and the account is accessed by presenting a digital certificate associated with the account. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The computing device of claim 7, wherein: the policy is created by a solution provider that is different from the organization. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The computing device of claim 7, wherein: the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS include a policy identifier identifying a particular policy of a plurality of policies; and the settings implement the particular policy. ### Claim 14 One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media to store instructions executable by one or more processors of a target device to perform operations comprising: receiving settings associated with one or more features of a basic input output system (BIOS) of the computing device; receiving a device identifier that uniquely identifies the computing device; determining a policy identifier that identifies a policy being implemented by the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS; initiating a reboot; modifying, during the reboot, the one or more features of the BIOS of the computing device based on the settings; retrieving a public key associated with an organization that acquired the computing device; sending a request to a service to validate the policy, the request including the policy identifier and the public key; receiving a response from the service; based at least in part on determining that the response indicates that the policy is valid, marking the BIOS as validated. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14, further comprising: based at least in part on determining that the response indicates that the policy is invalid: restoring the one or more features of the BIOS to one or more previous settings; deleting the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS; and providing a message indicating that the settings are invalid. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS comprise at least one of: disabling a camera associated with the computing device; disabling a microphone associated with the computing device; or disabling a port associated with the computing device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein: the policy is compiled to create the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS. ### Claim 18 (depends on 14) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14, further comprising: downloading, by a software agent associated with the organization, an encrypted package from the service, wherein the encrypted package includes the policy and a plurality of device identifiers. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 18, further comprising: sending, by the software agent, an executable file to a particular computing device of a plurality of computing devices acquired by the organization, the executable file including: the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS; and a particular device identifier of the plurality of device identifiers that corresponds to the particular computing device. ### Claim 20 (depends on 14) The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14, wherein: the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS include a policy identifier identifying a particular policy of a plurality of policies; and the settings implement the particular policy.