Method of providing enhanced security in a remotely managed computer system

A system for updating security information, comprising:

• means for checking a non-volatile buffer within a data processing system which may be selectively hard-locked, requiring a system reset to unlock, during a POST and prior to loading an operating system for the data processing system;
• means, responsive to detecting a change request within the non-volatile buffer, for generating a hash from the change request with a current password appended, wherein the current password is retrieved from security information stored within a lockable memory device accessible only during the POST of the data processing system and hard-locked prior to loading the operating system;
• and
• means, responsive to determining that the hash generated from the change request with the current password appended matches a hash within the non-volatile buffer, for updating the security information within the lockable memory device according to the change request.

A computer program product within a computer usable medium for updating security information, comprising:

• instructions for checking a non-volatile buffer within a data processing system which may be selectively hard-locked, requiring a system reset to unlock, during a POST and prior to loading an operating system for the data processing system;
• instructions, responsive to detecting a change request within the non-volatile buffer, for generating a hash from the change request with a current password appended, wherein the current password is retrieved from security information stored within a lockable memory device accessible only during the POST of the data processing system and hard-locked prior to loading the operating system;
• and
• instructions, responsive to determining that the hash generated from the change request with the current password appended matches a hash within the non-volatile buffer, for updating the security information within the lockable memory device according to the change request.