Deploying and receiving software over a network susceptible to malicious communication

A method comprising:

• receiving, by a bare computer, a locked image having an operating system and security settings via a network susceptible to malicious communication, the security settings being configured to effectively prohibit unsolicited and potentially malicious communication from other than a secure source, the security settings including a setting prohibiting communication with any port other than a port used by the secure source, the security settings of the locked image further having been edited by a deployment server after creation of the locked image to further configure the security settings;
• booting, by the bare computer, the locked image, effective to run the operating system at the security settings;
• receiving, by the bare computer, an update to the operating system from the secure source;
• and
• applying, by the bare computer, the update to the operating system.

A method comprising:

• securely deploying, by a deployment server, a locked image to a computer over a network susceptible to malicious communication, the locked image having one or more security settings being configured to prohibit unsolicited communication via the network from other than a secure source or via a secure port, the security settings including a setting prohibiting communication with any port other than a port used by the deployment server, the security settings of the locked image further having been edited by the deployment server after creation of the locked image to further configure the security settings;
• instructing, by the deployment server, the computer to boot the locked image;
• instructing, by the deployment server, the computer to solicit communication to receive a software update;
• receiving, by the deployment server, from the computer an indication that the software update has been received;
• and
• instructing, by the deployment server, the computer to permit potentially malicious communication over the network wherein potentially malicious communication comprises unsolicited communication.

A method comprising:

• securely receiving a locked image having an operating system via a network susceptible to malicious communication, the locked image having one or more security settings being configured to effectively prohibit unsolicited communication via the network from other than a secure source or via a secure port, the security settings including a setting prohibiting communication with any port other than a port used by the secure source, the security settings of the locked image further having been edited by a deployment server after creation of the locked image to further configure the security settings;
• booting the locked image;
• receiving instruction from the secure source(s) or via the secure port(s);
• following the instruction to securely receive a software update via the network;
• applying the software update effective to improve the security of the operating system;
• and
• permitting potentially malicious communication via the network wherein potentially malicious communication comprises unsolicited communication.