Discrete, background determination of the adequacy of security features of a computer system
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsDavid Carroll Challener, John Hancock Nicholson, III
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system for checking the level of system security on a PC platform is disclosed. The system comprises of a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) unit. The RFID unit scans a PC platform and extracts relevant security information from its Basic Input/Output System (BIOS). The extracted information is analyzed by a data processing system connected to the RFID unit to determine if the security access available on the PC platform is adequate. A threshold adequacy level is established by a system manager. When the security on the PC is inadequate, a signal is generated to alert the network manager and/or the user of the PC to upgrade the PC's security.
Claims28
A system for discretely checking a level of security on data processing systems, said system comprising:
- means for accessing a security password of a data processing system via a dynamic call within a basic input output system (BIOS) of said data processing system, wherein said call is dynamically initiated without requiring said data processing system to be in a power-on state and without user input, including user-entry of the password, and wherein said security password is never provided outside of an internal system environment during said access;
- means for dynamically analyzing said security password to determine whether said password complies with pre-established parameters defining when a password is adequate for protection of the computer system;
- and
- means responsive to said analyzing for signaling when said security password is inadequate, wherein said signaling does not include an output of said password, such that said password is never revealed/outputted to a user-accessible environment during the password security checking process.
A system for checking a level of security of a mobile platform comprising:
- means for dynamically checking a security setting on said platform to ensure that said setting has been set at a sufficiently high level for a site security policy, wherein said checking is dynamically initiated in a background BIOS process without user-entry of a security password;
- and
- means for analyzing if the security password does not provide adequate security to said mobile platform;
- and
- means for remotely extracting a result of said analyzing and signaling said result to a system administrator with access to a security checking system independent of said mobile platform, wherein said signaling signals when said result indicates an inadequate level of security of said mobile platform without revealing said password.
A method for checking a level of security on data processing systems, said method comprising the steps of:
- accessing a security password from a data processing system via a dynamic call within a basic input output system (BIOS) of said data processing system, wherein said call is dynamically initiated without requiring said data processing system to be in a power-on state and without requiring a current user-input, including an input of said password, and wherein said security password is not outputted outside of an internal system environment during said access;
- analyzing said security password against a pre-established list of in-adequate security passwords to determine whether said password complies with pre-established parameters defining when a password is adequate for protection of the computer system;
- and
- signaling when said security password is inadequate in response to said analyzing step, wherein said signaling does not include an output of said password such that said password is never revealed/outputted to a user-accessible environment.
A computer program product for checking a level of security on data processing systems, said computer program product comprising:
- a computer readable medium;
- and
- program instructions stored on said computer readable medium for:
- accessing a security password from a data processing system via a dynamic call within a basic input output system (BIOS) of said data processing system, wherein said call is dynamically initiated without requiring said data processing system to be in a power-on state and without requiring user input, including any user-entry of said password, wherein said security password is not outputted outside of an internal system environment;
- analyzing said security password against a pre-established list of inadequate security passwords to determine whether said password complies with pre-established parameters defining when a password is adequate for protection of the data processing system;
- and
- signaling when said security password is inadequate in response to said analyzing step, wherein said signaling does not include an output of said password such that said password is never revealed/outputted to a user-accessible environment.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.