Method and apparatus for locking an application within a trusted environment

• US 20030041255A1
• Filed: 07/29/2002
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Stoker, Michael Brian, Chen, Liqun, Plaquin, David
• Application Number:
  US10/208,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20030041255A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/193
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/54 by adding security routines or objects to programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• 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 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/009 Trust
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment

Abstract

A trusted computing platform (TCP) includes a trusted connection agent, operable to communicate with a user via a secure channel, and a trusted environment controller, operable to monitor events occurring within an environment of the TCP for changes in a level of trust in the environment, and is operable to protect sensitive data of the user in protected storage means of the TCP on detection of a change in the level of trust.

Claims

1. A trusted computing platform (TCP) includes a trusted connection agent, operable to communicate with a user via a secure channel, and a trusted environment controller, operable to monitor events occurring within an environment of the TCP for changes in a level of trust in the environment, and is operable to protect sensitive data of the user in protected storage means of the TCP on detection of a change in the level of trust.

2. A trusted computing platform as claimed in claim 1, in which the trusted environment controller is operable to detect a change in the level of trust in the environment due to an event or piece of code within the TCP.

3. A trusted computing platform as claimed in claim 1, in which the trusted environment controller is operable to monitor changes in a level of trust caused by unverified or unidentified sources.

4. A trusted computing platform as claimed in claim 1, in which the trusted environment controller is operable to notify a user of a change in the level of trust via the trusted connection agent.

5. A trusted computing platform as claimed in claim 1, in which the trusted environment controller is operable to receive commands from the user to cause the end of a procedure, in particular if the level of trust changes.

6. A trusted computing platform as claimed in claim 1, in which the sensitive data is session relative information, a user'"'"'s private data or other data which the user does not wish to be freely accessed.

7. A trusted computing platform as claimed in claim 1, which encloses a trusted environment, which environment is controlled by the trusted environment controller.

8. A trusted computing platform as claimed in claim 7, in which the trusted environment includes a trusted device (TD), the trusted connection agent, the trusted environment controller and one or more applications.

9. A trusted computing platform as claimed in claim 8, in which the trusted environment controller communicates with the or each application to allow the protection of the sensitive data.

10. A trusted computing platform as claimed in claim 1, in which the trusted connection agent communicates with the TD to allow integrity checking of the computing platform by the user and to allow generation of a session key.

11. A trusted computing platform as claimed in claim 1, in which the trusted environment controller is operable to issue a request for a command to a user on detecting a change in their level of trust.

12. A trusted computing platform as claimed in claim 11, in which the command is a command to proceed with the process or a command to abort the process and delete or protect the sensitive data of the user.

13. A trusted computing platform (TCP) includes a trusted connection agent, operable to communicate with a user via a secure channel, and a trusted environment controller, operable to monitor events occurring within an environment of the TCP for changes in a level of trust in the environment, and is operable to protect sensitive data of the user in protected storage means of the TCP on detection of a change in the level of trust, in which the trusted environment controller is operable to detect a change in the level of trust in the environment due to an event or piece of code within the TCP.

14. A trusted computing platform (TCP) includes a trusted connection agent, operable to communicate with a user via a secure channel, and a trusted environment controller, operable to monitor events occurring within an environment of the TCP for changes in a level of trust in the environment, and is operable to protect sensitive data of the user in protected storage means of the TCP on detection of a change in the level of trust, in which the trusted environment controller is operable to monitor changes in a level of trust caused by unverified or unidentified sources.

15. A method of monitoring a level of trust on a trusted computing platform (TCP) comprises monitoring events occurring within an environment of the TCP for changes in the level of trust with a trusted environment controller and protecting sensitive data of a user in a protected storage means of the TCP on detection of a change in the level of trust.

16. A method of monitoring as claimed in claim 15, in which as part of an initial connection protocol the TCP provides a signature signed by a trusted device (TD) of the TCP, to assure the user that he is communicating with the intended TCP.

17. A method as claimed in claim 15 or claim 16, in which, on detection of a change in the level of trust, the trusted environment controller offers a user the choice of continuing with the process in which the change of level of trust has occurred or aborting the process.

18. A trusted environment controller for a trusted computing platform, in which the trusted environment controller is operable to monitor events occurring within an environment of a trusted computing platform and is operable to protect sensitive data of a user of the trusted environment controller on detection of a change in the level of trust.

19. A trusted environment controller as claimed in claim 18, which is operable to detect a change in the level of trust in the environment due to an event or piece of code within the TCP.

20. A trusted environment controller as claimed in claim 18, which is operable to monitor changes in a level of trust caused by unverified or unidentified sources.

21. A trusted environment controller as claimed in any one of claims 18 to 20, which is operable to communicate with the user to obtain a command to proceed with the process having a changed level of trust or to abort the process.