Pre-boot network-based authentication

A system comprising:

• one or more computers;
• and
• one or more storage devices storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:
• entering, by a computing device, a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) environment upon powering on the computing device;
• while in the UEFI environment:
• restricting, by the computing device, booting of an operating system of the computing device;
• accessing, by the computing device and from a trusted platform module of the computing device, a certificate corresponding to a particular user;
• sending, by the computing device, a verification request to a server system over a communication network, the verification request being generated based on the certificate;
• and
• receiving, by the computing device, a verification response from the server system over the communication network, the verification response confirming authorization for the particular user corresponding to the certificate;
• and
• in response to receiving the verification response:
• initiating, by the computing device, a communication session based on confirming authorization for the particular user,
• enabling, by the computing device, the operating system to boot, and
• passing, by the computing device, the communication session to the operating system such that the operating system continues the communication session after the operating system is enabled to boot.

One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage devices encoded with computer program instructions that, when executed by one or more computers, cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

• entering, by a computing device, a Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI) environment upon powering on the computing device;
• while in the UEFI environment:
• restricting, by the computing device, booting of an operating system of the computing device;
• accessing, by the computing device and from a trusted platform module of the computing device, a certificate corresponding to a particular user;
• sending, by the computing device, a verification request to a server system over a communication network, the verification request being generated based on the certificate;
• and
• receiving, by the computing device, a verification response from the server system over the communication network, the verification response confirming authorization for the particular user corresponding to the certificate;
• and
• in response to receiving the verification response:
• initiating, by the computing device, a communication session based on confirming authorization for the particular user,
• enabling, by the computing device, the operating system to boot, and
• passing, by the computing device, the communication session to the operating system such that the operating system continues the communication session after the operating system is enabled to boot.