Preventing connecting to a locked device

• US 10,699,014 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2017
• Issued: 06/30/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo PC International Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Lenovo Singapore Pte Limited (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Inventors: Rose, Amy Leigh, Crowe, John Scott, Cudak, Gary David, Lee-Baron, Jennifer, Peterson, Nathan J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Turchen, James R
• Application Number:
  US15/710,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20190089706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 47/10 Flow control; Congestion control
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 48/02 Access restriction performed under specific conditions

Abstract

Apparatuses, methods, systems, and program products are disclosed for preventing connections to a locked device. A method includes detecting, by a processor, that an information handling device is placed in a locked mode. The information handling device includes one or more communication interfaces that enable communication while the information handling device is placed in the locked mode. The method includes preventing connections to the one or more communication interfaces while the information handling device is in the locked mode.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

one or more communication interfaces of an information handling device, the one or more communication interfaces enabling communication while the information handling device is placed in a locked mode;

a processor operatively coupled to the one or more communication interfaces;

a memory of the information handling device that stores code executable by the processor to;

log identifying information for external devices that are connected to the information handling device prior to the information handling device being placed in the locked mode;

detect that the information handling device is placed in the locked mode;

prevent connections to the one or more communication interfaces while the information handling device is in the locked mode;

detect an external device connect to a communication interface of the information handling device while it is in the locked mode; and

allow a connection to the detected external device on the communication interface in response to determining that an identifier for the external device matches a logged identifier for an external device that was previously connected to the information handling device prior to the information handling device being placed it the locked mode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising code executable by the processor to prevent connections to the one or more communication interfaces while the information handling device is in the locked mode by deactivating the one or more communication interfaces such that one or more external devices cannot communicatively connect to the information handling device via the one or more communication interfaces.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising code executable by the processor to allow new connections from the one or more external devices via the one or more communication interfaces while the information handling device is in the locked mode in response to determining that the one or more external devices have been previously connected to the information handling device via the one or more communication interfaces.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising code executable by the processor to:

detect an external device attempting to connect to the information handling device via the one or more communication interfaces while the information handling device is in the locked mode;

check a white list of allowed external devices; and

allow the external device to connect to the information handling device while the information handling device is in the locked mode in response to the external device being on the white list.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising code executable by the processor to prevent connections to the one or more communication interfaces while the information handling device is in the locked mode by disabling automatic refresh functionality of one or more web browsers that are communicatively coupled to the one or more communication interfaces.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising code executable by the processor to access the settings of the one or more web browsers to disable the automatic refresh functionality.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising code executable by the processor to prevent connections to the one or more communication interfaces while the information handling device is in the locked mode by placing one or more web browsers that are communicatively coupled to the one or more communication interfaces in an offline mode.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising code executable by the processor to prevent connections to the one or more communication interfaces while the information handling device is in the locked mode by blocking one or more of incoming and outgoing network traffic received at the one or more communication interfaces.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising code executable by the processor to prevent connections to the one or more communication interfaces while the information handling device is in the locked mode by blocking one or more services from accessing the one or more communication interfaces.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising code executable by the processor to allow services that are executing at the time that the information handling device is placed in the lock mode to continue to access the one or more communication interfaces while the information handling device is in the locked mode.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising code executable by the processor to:

detect a service attempting to access the one or more communication interfaces while the information handling device is in the locked mode;

check a white list of allowed services; and

allow the service to access the one or more communication interfaces while the information handling device is in the locked mode in response to the service being on the white list.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the one or more communication interfaces are selected from the group consisting of:

a serial bus;

a universal serial bus;

a wired network port;

a wireless network port; and

an optical drive.

13. A method comprising:

logging, by a processor, identifying information for external devices that are connected to the information handling device prior to the information handling device being placed in the locked mode;

detecting that an information handling device is placed in a locked mode, the information handling device comprising one or more communication interfaces that enable communication while the information handling device is placed in the locked mode;

preventing connections to the one or more communication interfaces while the information handling device is in the locked mode;

detecting an external device connect to a communication interface of the information handling device while it is in the locked mode; and

allowing a connection to the detected external device on the communication interface in response to determining that an identifier for the external device matches a logged identifier for an external device that was previously connected to the information handling device prior to the information handling device being placed it the locked mode.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising preventing connections to the one or more communication interfaces while the information handling device is in the locked mode by deactivating the one or more communication interfaces such that one or more external devices cannot communicatively connect to the information handling device via the one or more communication interfaces.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising allowing new connections from the one or more external devices via the one or more communication interfaces while the information handling device is in the locked mode in response to determining that the one or more external devices have been previously connected to the information handling device via the one or more communication interfaces.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

detecting an external device attempting to connect to the information handling device via the one or more communication interfaces while the information handling device is in the locked mode;

checking a white list of allowed external devices; and

allowing the external device to connect to the information handling device while the information handling device is in the locked mode in response to the external device being on the white list.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising preventing connections to the one or more communication interfaces while the information handling device is in the locked mode by disabling automatic refresh functionality of one or more web browsers that are communicatively coupled to the one or more communication interfaces.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising preventing connections to the one or more communication interfaces while the information handling device is in the locked mode by blocking one or more of incoming and outgoing network traffic received at the one or more communication interfaces.

19. The method of claim 13, further comprising preventing connections to the one or more communication interfaces while the information handling device is in the locked mode by blocking one or more services from accessing the one or more communication interfaces.

20. A program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium that stores code executable by a processor, the executable code comprising code to perform:

logging identifying information for external devices that are connected to the information handling device prior to the information handling device being placed in the locked mode;

detecting that an information handling device is placed in a locked mode, the information handling device comprising one or more communication interfaces that enable communication while the information handling device is placed in the locked mode;

preventing connections to the one or more communication interfaces while the information handling device is in the locked mode;

detecting an external device connect to a communication interface of the information handling device while it is in the locked mode; and

allowing a connection to the detected external device on the communication interface in response to determining that an identifier for the external device matches a logged identifier for an external device that was previously connected to the information handling device prior to the information handling device being placed it the locked mode.