Secure remote kernel communication
OwnerRyan J. Berg, John J. Danahy +1inventors
InventorsRyan J. Berg, John J. Danahy, Lawrence J. Rose
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Abstract
A remote communication mechanism is provided for creating a secured channel for direct interaction with kernel-level components, such as device drivers, of designated systems. By connecting directly to managed kernel-level devices, as opposed to connecting to user space software which then connects to these devices, management of those resources is simplified, better secured, and partitioned from general system administration utilities and configuration.
Claims22
A method of providing secure communication with kernel-level components of a computer system having an operating system that includes user space and kernel space, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) disposing an authentication module in the kernel space, in communicably coupled relation with the kernel-level components, to selectively encrypt and decrypt communications between the kernel-level components and a remote site;
- (b) disposing a transport module in the kernel space, in communicably coupled relation with the authentication module, to selectively transmit and receive the communications;
- and
- (c) selectively actuating the authentication module and the transport module to convey the communications to and from the kernel-level components.
A method of providing secure communication with kernel-level components of a computer system having an operating system that includes user space and kernel space, said method comprising the steps of:
- (a) disposing a filter driver in the kernel space to selectively permit and prevent communications with the kernel-level components;
- (b) disposing an authentication module in the kernel space, in communicably coupled relation with the filter driver, to selectively encrypt and decrypt the communications;
- and
- (c) disposing a transport module in the kernel space, in communicably coupled relation with the authentication module, to selectively transmit and receive the communications;
- (d) actuating the filter driver, authentication module, and transport module to respectively convey received and transmitted communications to and from the kernel-level components.
A system for providing secure communication between a remote site and kernel-level components of a computer having user space and kernel space, the system comprising:
- a filter driver disposed in the kernel space to selectively permit and prevent communications with the kernel-level components;
- an authentication module disposed in the kernel space, in communicably coupled relation with the filter driver, to selectively encrypt and decrypt the communications;
- a transport module disposed in the kernel space, in communicably coupled relation with the authentication module, to selectively transmit and receive the communications;
- and
- a remote authentication module disposed in the remote site, in communicably coupled relation with the transport module, to selectively decrypt and encrypt the communications in cooperation with the authentication module;
- wherein communications from the remote site to the kernel-level components are sequentially encrypted by the remote authentication module, received by the transport module, decrypted by the authentication module, and selectively permitted to reach the kernel-level components by the filter driver, and communications generated by the kernel-level components are sequentially permitted by the filter driver, encrypted by the authentication module, transmitted by the transport module, and decrypted by the remote authentication module.
An article of manufacture for providing secure communications with kernel-level components of a computer system having an operating system that includes user space and kernel space, said article of manufacture comprising:
- a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer usable medium having:
- computer readable program code for defining an authentication module in the kernel space, in communicably coupled relation with the kernel-level components, to selectively encrypt and decrypt communications between the kernel-level components and a remote site;
- computer readable program code for defining a transport module in the kernel space, in communicably coupled relation with the authentication module, to selectively transmit and receive the communications;
- and
- computer readable program code for selectively actuating the authentication module and the transport module to convey the communications to and from the kernel-level components.
Computer readable program code for providing secure communications with kernel-level components of a computer system having an operating system that includes user space and kernel space, said computer readable program code comprising:
- computer readable program code for defining an authentication module in the kernel space, in communicably coupled relation with the kernel-level components, to selectively encrypt and decrypt communications between the kernel-level components and a remote site;
- computer readable program code for defining a transport module in the kernel space, in communicably coupled relation with the authentication module, to selectively transmit and receive the communications;
- and
- computer readable program code for selectively actuating the authentication module and the transport module to convey the communications to and from the kernel-level components.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.