Method and computer software code for providing security for a computer software program

A method for compensating for execution delays present in a non-real-time operating system by a security software program executing on a computer, wherein said security software program reads real-time input data in providing security for an application program, the method comprising:

• reading said input data;
• determining if said input data corresponds with an expected security code;
• if said input data does not correspond with said expected security code, then determining if a fail count exceeds a fail count limit, wherein if said fail count exceeds said fail count limit, then disabling said application program, and wherein if said fail count does not exceed said fail count limit, then incrementing said fail count and decrementing a pass count if said pass count is greater than a first lower limit;
• and
• if said input data does correspond with said expected security code, then determining if said pass count exceeds a pass count limit, wherein if said pass count exceeds said pass count limit, then enabling said application program, and wherein if said pass count does not exceed said pass count limit, then incrementing said pass count and decrementing said fail count if said fail count is greater than a second lower limit.

A method for reading asynchronous input data by a security software program executing on a computer, said security software program providing security for an application program, wherein said security software program compensates for said input data being asynchronous, the method comprising:

• said security software program reading said input data;
• said security software program determining if said input data is valid;
• if said input data is not valid, then said security software program ignoring the input data and determining if a scan count exceeds a scan count limit, wherein if said scan count exceeds said scan count limit, then disabling said application program, and wherein if said scan count does not exceed said scan count limit, then incrementing said scan count;
• and
• if said input data is valid, then said security software program setting said scan count to a lower limit.

Computer executable software code stored on a computer readable medium, the code for a security software program that provides security for an application program, the code comprising:

• code for periodically scanning analog data from a predetermined input port of a computer, wherein said analog data represents a scanned security code;
• code for determining if said scanned security code corresponds with an expected security code;
• and
• code for enabling said software program to operate correctly only if said scanned security code corresponds with said expected security code.