Information Handling System Port Security
AssigneeDell Products L.P.
InventorsArdian Darmawan, Curtis Ray Genz, Clay Phennicie
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A port securing module includes a power gate that is operable to be coupled in series to a power source and to a load. A resistor is coupled in parallel to the power gate. An operational amplifier includes an inverting input and a non-inverting input that couple the operational amplifier in parallel to each of the power gate and the resistor. The operational amplifier also includes an output that is operable to indicate whether a load is coupled to the power gate and, if a load is coupled to the power gate, supply a voltage to activate the power gate such that power is supplied to the load.
Claims20
A port securing module, comprising:
- a power gate that is operable to be coupled in series to a first power source and to a load;
- a resistor coupled in parallel to the power gate;
- and
- an operational amplifier comprising an inverting input and a non-inverting input that couple the operational amplifier in parallel to each of the power gate and the resistor, the operational amplifier also comprising an output that is operable to indicate whether a load is coupled to the power gate and, if a load is coupled to the power gate, to supply a voltage to activate the power gate such that power is supplied to the load.
An information handling system (IHS) comprising:
- a processor;
- a port and a port securing module coupled to the processor;
- and
- a memory coupled to the processor, the port, and the port securing module, wherein the memory comprises computer-readable instructions that are processable by the processor, and wherein one of the computer-readable instructions, the port securing module, and the combination of the computer-readable instructions and port securing modules is operable to:
- determine that security for the port is enabled upon the booting of the IHS;
- detect whether a device is coupled to the port and disable the port if a device is not coupled to the port;
- determine, upon detecting that a device is coupled to the port, whether the device is an authorized device and either reboot the IHS if the device is an unauthorized device or allow the use of the device through the port if the device is an authorized device;
- and
- monitor for the removal of the authorized device from the port and allow the use of the authorized device through the port if the removal of the authorized device is not detected.
A method to secure a port, comprising:
- determining that security for a port on an information handling system (IHS) is enabled upon the booting of the IHS;
- detecting whether a device is coupled to the port, wherein if the device is not coupled to the port, the port is disabled;
- determining, upon detecting that the device is coupled to the port, whether the device is an authorized device, wherein if the device is an unauthorized device, the IHS is rebooted, and wherein if the device is an authorized device, the use of the authorized device through the port is allowed;
- and
- monitoring for the removal of the authorized device from the port, wherein if no removal of the authorized device from the port is detected, the use of the authorized device through the port is allowed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.