Providing an electronic device security and tracking system and method

A system for providing an electronic device security service, comprising:

• a server system;
• an electronic device comprising hardware and software components, the hardware and software components operable to (a) support an operating system environment, to (b) communicate with the server system, to (c) present a user interface which allows a user of the electronic device to request activation of a security service for the electronic device, the security service to provide security and tracking for the electronic device, and to (d) send opt-in input from the user to the server system, the opt-in input indicating that the user has requested activation of the security service,
• wherein the software components comprise (a) a non-viewable component, (b) an application component that is connected to the non-viewable component, that is capable of communicating with the non-viewable component, and that is operable to execute within the operating system environment, and (c) a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) security component connected to the non-viewable component,
• wherein the server system is capable of communicating through a secure medium with the application component,
• wherein, after the security service has been activated, the BIOS component is operable to (a) determine whether the non-viewable component is present and whether the non-viewable component has been tampered with, (b) check integrity of the application component during a boot process for the electronic device, and (c) automatically cause the electronic device to restore the integrity of the application component, in response to a negative integrity check of the application component,
• wherein the application component is substantially distinct from the BIOS component and the non-viewable component, and
• wherein the non-viewable component is operable to determine whether the application component is present and whether the application component has been tampered with.

An electronic device, comprising:

• hardware and software components operable to (a) support an operating system environment, to (b) communicate with a server system, to (c) present a user interface which allows a user of the electronic device to request activation of a security service for the electronic device, the security service to provide security and tracking for the electronic device, and to (d) send opt-in input from the user to the server system, the opt-in input indicating that the user has requested activation of the security service,
• wherein the software components comprise (a) a non-viewable component, (b) an application component that is connected to the non-viewable component, that is capable of communicating with the non-viewable component, that is operable to execute within the operating system environment, and that is capable of communicating through a secure medium with the server system, and (c) a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) security component connected to the non-viewable component,
• wherein, after the security service has been activated, (a) the non-viewable component is operable to determine whether the application component is present and whether the application component has been tampered with, and (b) the BIOS component is operable to (i) determine whether the non-viewable component is present and whether the non-viewable component has been tampered with, (ii) check integrity of the application component during a boot process for the electronic device, and (iii) automatically cause the electronic device to restore the integrity of the application component, in response to a negative integrity check of the application component, and
• wherein the application component is substantially distinct from the BIOS component and the non-viewable component.

An apparatus comprising:

• a non-transitory machine-readable medium;
• and
• instructions in the non-transitory machine-readable medium, which when executed by a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:
• providing, to a user of the machine, a user interface which allows the user to request activation of a security service for the machine, the security service to provide security and tracking for the machine;
• after providing the user interface to the user, receiving opt-in input from the user via the user interface, the opt-in input indicating that the user has requested activation of the security service;
• and
• in response to receiving the opt-in input from the user, activating the security service,
• wherein activation of the security service causes the machine to be provided with:
• a non-viewable component,
• an application component that is connected to the non-viewable component, that is capable of communicating with the non-viewable component, that executes within an operating system environment, and that is capable of communicating through a secure medium with a server system, and
• a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) component connected to the non-viewable component,
• wherein the BIOS component is configured to determine whether the non-viewable component is present and whether the non-viewable component has been tampered with,
• wherein the BIOS component is configured to check integrity of the application component during a boot process for the machine,
• wherein the BIOS component is configured to automatically cause the machine to restore the integrity of the application component, in response to a negative integrity check of the application component,
• wherein the application component is substantially distinct from the BIOS component and the non-viewable component, and
• wherein the non-viewable component is configured to determine whether the application component is present and whether the application component has been tampered with.