US 7,069,586 B1 · Securely executing an application on a computer system

Abstract

A method of and system for securely executing an application on a computer system such that a user of the computer system cannot access or view unauthorized content available on the computer system or accessible using the computer system. To securely execute an such method and system may terminate any unauthorized processes executing (i.e., running) on the computer system application prior to execution of the application, and may configure the application such that unauthorized content cannot be accessed, including configuring the application such that unauthorized processes cannot be initiated (i.e., launched) by the application. Further, such system and method may terminate any unauthorized processes detected during execution of the application, and may disable any functions of the computer system that are capable of accessing unauthorized content, including disabling any functions capable of initiating processes on the computer system. The application being securely executed may be any of a variety of types of applications, for example, a browser application or an application for receiving answers to questions of an examination (i.e., an exam-taking application). Securely executing an application may be used for any of a variety of purposes, including, among other purposes, to assist preventing students from cheating on exams, to assist preventing students from not paying attention in class, to assist preventing employees from wasting time at work, and to assist preventing children from viewing content that their parents deem inappropriate.

Claims96

Dependent claims

A method of securely executing on a computer system an application for receiving, from a user of the computer system, at least one response to at least one question of an examination, the computer system comprising an input device and a display device for displaying content to the user, the method comprising acts of:

(A) executing the application on the computer system, comprising displaying an area on the display device in which the user can enter a response to at least one question of the examination, and enabling the user to use the input device to input a response for one or more of the questions into the displayed area;
and
(B) prohibiting the computer system from accessing any unauthorized content during execution of the application and from displaying any authorized content to the user during execution of the application,
wherein the act (B) comprises detecting and terminating any unauthorized processes executing during the displaying of the area on the display device,
wherein act (B)(1) comprises acts of (a) detecting any processes executing on the computer system during execution of the application, (b) for each detected process, determining if the detected process is authorized to execute on the computer system during execution of the application, and (c) for each detected process, if the detected process is unauthorized, terminating the detected process, and
wherein the computer system comprises a registry that lists all processes currently executing on the computer system, and act (B)(1)(a) comprises an act of periodically accessing the registry on the computer system at predefined intervals to ascertain the processes currently executing on the computer system.

3 more elements

An apparatus for securely executing on a computer system an application for receiving, from a user of the computer system, at least one response to at least one question of an examination, the computer system comprising an input device and a display device for displaying content to the user, the apparatus comprising:

an application execution component to execute the application on the computer system, comprising display logic to display an area on the display device in which the user can enter a response to at least one question of the examination, and input logic to enable the user to use the input device to input a response for one or more of the questions into the displayed area;
and
a security component to prohibit the computer system from accessing any unauthorized content during execution of the application and from displaying any authorized content to the user during execution of the application,
wherein the security component detects and terminates any unauthorized processes executing during the displaying of the area on the display device,
wherein the process-terminating logic comprises detection logic to detect any processes executing on the computer system during execution of the application, determining logic to determine, for each detected process, if the detected process is authorized to execute on the computer system during execution of the application, and terminating logic to terminate, for each detected process, the detected process if the detected process is unauthorized, and
wherein the computer system comprises a registry that lists all processes currently executing on the computer system, and wherein the detection logic is operative to periodically access the registry on the computer system at predefined intervals to ascertain the processes currently executing on the computer system.

3 more elements

means for executing the application on the computer system, comprising displaying an area on the display device in which the user can enter a response to at least one question of the examination, and enabling the user to use the input device to input a response for one or more of the questions into the displayed area;
and
means for prohibiting the computer system from accessing any unauthorized content during execution of the application and from displaying any authorized content to the user during execution of the application,
wherein the means for prohibiting detects and terminates any unauthorized processes executing during the displaying of the area on the display device,
wherein the means for prohibiting comprises means for detecting any processes executing on the computer system during execution of the application, means for determining, for each detected process, if the detected process is authorized to execute on the computer system during execution of the application, and means for terminating each detected process determined to be unauthorized, and
wherein the computer system comprises a registry that lists all processes currently executing on the computer system, and the means for prohibiting comprises mean for periodically accessing the registry on the computer system at predefined intervals to ascertain the processes currently executing on the computer system.

3 more elements

A computer program product, comprising:

a computer-readable medium;
and
computer-readable signals stored on the computer-readable medium that define instructions that, as a result of being executed by a computer, instruct the computer to perform a process of a process of securely executing on a computer system an application for receiving, from a user of the computer system, at least one response to at least one question of an examination, the computer system comprising an input device and a display device for displaying content to the user, the process comprising acts of
(A) executing the application on the computer system, comprising displaying an area on the display device in which the user can enter a response to at least one question of the examination, and enabling the user to use the input device to input a response for one or more of the questions into the displayed area;
and
(B) prohibiting the computer system from accessing any unauthorized content during execution of the application and from displaying any authorized content to the user during execution of the application,
wherein the act (B) comprises detecting and terminating any unauthorized processes executing during the displaying of the area on the display device,
wherein act (B)(1) comprises acts of (a) detecting any processes executing on the computer system during execution of the application, (b) for each detected process, determining if the detected process is authorized to execute on the computer system during execution of the application, and (c) for each detected process, if the detected process is unauthorized, terminating the detected process, and
wherein the computer system comprises a registry that lists all processes currently executing on the computer system, and act (B)(1)(a) comprises an act of periodically accessing the registry on the computer system at predefined intervals to ascertain the processes currently executing on the computer system.

6 more elements

An apparatus for securely executing an application on a computer system, the apparatus comprising:

an application-executing component to execute the application on the computer system, including displaying an area on a display device in which a user can enter information;
and
a security component to prohibit the computer system for accessing any unauthorized content during execution of the application and from displaying any authorized content to a user of the computer system during execution of the application,
wherein the security componet detects and terminates any unauthorized processes executing during the displaying of the area on the display device,
wherein the process-terminating logic comprises detection logic to detect any processes executing on the computer system during execution of the application, determining logic to determine, for each detected process, if the detected process is authorized to execute on the computer system during execution of the application, and terminating logic to terminate, for each detected process, the detected process if the detected process is unauthorized, and
wherein the computer system comprises a registry that lists all processes currently executing on the computer system, and wherein the detection logic is operative to periodically access the registry on the computer system at predefined intervals to ascertain the processes currently executing on the computer system.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Securely executing an application on a computer system

Life of this patent

Securely executing an application on a computer system

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims96