Configuring a system

#A computing system can include code to perform various startup functions of the computing system. This code can include Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) code. BIOS code can be the subject of attacks by malware in the computing system or from an external service. As a result of an attack, the BIOS code can become compromised.

#Some embodiments are described with respect to the following figures:

#FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a provisioning procedure according to some implementations;

#FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example computing system that incorporates some implementations;

#Malware attacks on system code used to perform startup of a computing system can cause the integrity of the computing system to be compromised such that unauthorized access and operations in the computing system can occur. For example, compromised system code can allow covert remote monitoring and/or control of the computing system by a malicious entity, unauthorized access and/or modification of data in the computing system by malware, disablement of the computing system, and so forth. Compromised system code can refer to system code that has been corrupted such that the system code is no longer usable, or alternatively, compromised system code can refer to system code that has been changed in some way but that is still able to execute. Note that system code can also be compromised accidentally or intentionally.

#Although a protection mechanism can be provided in a computing system to protect the system code, such protection mechanism may become compromised under certain conditions, which can subject the system code to malware attacks.

#System code used to perform startup of a computing system can include system firmware, which can be in the form of machine-readable instructions executable on a processor (or processors) of the computing system. “System firmware” can cover any machine-readable instructions that are able to perform startup of a computing system. Examples of computing systems include desktop computers, notebook computers, tablet computers, personal digital assistants (PDAs), smartphones, game appliances, server computers, storage nodes, network communication nodes, and so forth.