Apparatus for improving computer security

Abstract

Indicating when the cover for a computer chassis has been opened is disclosed. A computer of an embodiment of the invention includes a chassis and a basic input/output system (BIOS), or another type of firmware. The chassis has an openable cover, and circuitry indicating when the openable cover has been opened. The BIOS has a non-volatile memory in which a flag is set when the circuitry indicates that the openable cover has been opened. The computer may further include always-on circuitry, such as time-of-day and real-time clock circuitry, to which the circuitry indicating when the openable cover has been opened is electrically connected. The computer may also include one or more encryption and/or signing modules that encrypt and/or sign data according to one or more keys. The keys are rendered invalid when the cover of the chassis has been opened.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.