US 6,725,382 B1 · Device security mechanism based on registered passwords

Abstract

The BIOS device (108) or some other secure store of a portable computer (PC 100) or other valuable device stores a password-based security program (302), an encrypted password (306), and an encryption key (304). When the PC is booted, the security program executes first and prompts the user for a password, encrypts it with the stored key, and compares it with the stored password. If the passwords do not match, boot is aborted and the PC is disabled. Only if the passwords do match is boot continued and use of the PC enabled. If this security measure is advertised, theft of the PC is deterred because of the difficulty of accessing or bypassing the password and the security program in the BIOS device. The encrypted password is also registered with a remote trusted certificate authority (TCA 150) or is stored on a local external storage device (250). To establish or change the password, a communication connection is established from the PC to the TCA or storage device. If a password already exists in the PC, it is compared against the password stored by the TCA or the storage device. If they match, or if a password does not yet exist, the user is prompted for a new password, which is then encrypted and stored in both the BIOS device and the TCA or storage device. The password is also available for retrieval from the TCA or storage device in case the user forgets it.

Claims22

Dependent claims

A device security apparatus comprising:

storage in the device for storing a password and preventing a user of the device from accessing the stored password while use of the device is disabled;
a connector connecting the device to an external entity;
a lock in the device, cooperative with the storage, that disables use of the device unless a password is given to the lock which corresponds to the stored password;
and
an arrangement cooperative with the storage, the connector, and the lock, responsive to the use of the device having been enabled and the connection having been made to the external entity, for enabling the stored password to be changed if the stored password corresponds to a password stored by the connected external entity, and for effecting storage of said changed password by the external entity,
the arrangement including
means for establishing the user's identity with the external entity,
means for providing the stored password to the external entity, and
means for enabling the stored password to be changed in response to receiving an indication from the external entity that the established identity and provided password match an identity and the password stored by the external entity.

6 more elements

A device security apparatus comprising:

storage in the device for storing an encrypted password and an encryption key and preventing a user of the device from accessing the stored password while use of the device is disabled;
a connector connecting the device to an external entity;
a lock in the device, cooperative with the storage, that disables use of the device unless a password is given to the lock which corresponds to the stored password, the lock being responsive to receipt of an unencrypted password by encrypting the received password with the stored encryption key, comparing the encrypted received password with the stored encrypted password, and disabling use of the device if the compared passwords do not match;
and
an arrangement cooperative with the storage, the connector, and the lock, responsive to the use of the device having been enabled and the connection having been made to the external entity, for enabling the stored password to be changed if the stored password corresponds to a password stored by the connected external entity, and for effecting storage of said changed password by the external entity.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Device security mechanism based on registered passwords

Life of this patent

Device security mechanism based on registered passwords

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims22