Encryption system and method of encrypting a device
AssigneeBeCrypt Limited
InventorsBernard Parsons, Nigel Lee, David Holloway
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An encryption system (10) and method for a computing device (100) having an encrypted operating system (50) is disclosed. The encryption system (10) includes a pre-operating system (20) and an encrypted start-up module (40). The pre-operating system (20) is executed on start-up of the computing device (100) and is configured to receive user inputs for authenticating the user, the pre-operating system (20) authenticating the user in dependence on the user inputs and, upon authentication, block-decrypting the encrypted start-up module into volatile memory (102) for booting of the encrypted operating system (50) on the computing device (100).
Claims21
An encryption system for a computing device having an encrypted operating system, the encryption system including computer program code executable by a processor of the computing device to operate the encrypted operating system on the computing device, including:
- computer program code executable by the processor to provide a pre-operating system;
- and,
- encrypted computer program code executable by the processor, when decrypted, to operate a start-up module,
- wherein the pre-operating system is executable by the processor on start-up of the computing device and is configured to receive user inputs for authenticating the user, the pre-operating system including computer program code executable by the processor for authenticating the user in dependence on the user inputs and, upon authentication, for block-decrypting the encrypted start-up module into volatile memory for booting of the encrypted operating system on the computing device.
The encryption system of claim, 1 wherein the pre-operating system includes computer program code executable by the processor to communicate, independently of said operating system, with a touch screen of the computer system to receive one or more of said user inputs for authenticating the user.
A method of encrypting an operating system of a computing device having non-volatile memory and a volatile memory, the method comprising:
- writing a pre-operating system environment including a non-encrypted authentication module and an encrypted start-up module, the non-encrypted authentication module being executable by a processor of the computing device to receive user inputs for authenticating the user, to authenticate the user in dependence on the user inputs and, upon authentication, block-decrypt the encrypted start-up module into volatile memory of the computing device for execution;
- encrypting the operating system in dependence on an encryption key and writing the encrypted operating system to the non-volatile memory;
- and,
- configuring the computing device to execute the authentication module on start-up of the computing device, wherein upon execution in volatile memory, the start-up module provides a filter driver for encryption and decryption of read and write operations for the encrypted operating system.
A computing device comprising:
- a processor;
- a touch-screen user input device;
- a volatile memory;
- and,
- a non-volatile memory encoding an encryption system and an encrypted operating system, the encryption system including computer program code executable by the processor to operate the encrypted operating system on the computing device, and including:
- computer program code executable by the processor to provide a pre-operating system;
- and,
- encrypted computer program code executable by the processor when decrypted to operate a start-up module,
- wherein the pre-operating system is executable by the processor on start-up of the computing device and is configured to receive user inputs for authenticating the user via the touch-screen user input device, the pre-operating system including computer program code executable by the processor for authenticating the user in dependence on the user inputs and, upon authentication, for block-decrypting the encrypted start-up module into volatile memory for booting of the encrypted operating system on the computing device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.