Validation device

• US 20040034813A1
• Filed: 02/26/2003
• Published: 02/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Drif, Dany, Chaboud, Francois-Xavier, Owhadi, Eric
• Application Number:
  US10/375,912
• Publication Number:
  US 20040034813A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 714/27
• 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

Abstract

A validation device for a computer comprising hardware and software, the validation device being operable to;

record changes to the hardware and software,

and transmit change information identifying the changes to a validating system, the validation device further being operable to

receive a validity request from a portable communication device, and

transmit validation information to the portable communication device to enable a user to check the integrity of the computer.

Claims

1. A validation device (12) for a computer (11) comprising hardware and software, the validation device (12) being operable to;

record changes to the hardware and software,

and transmit change information identifying the changes to a validating system (16), the validation device (12) further being operable to

receive a validity request from a portable communication device (18), and

transmit validation information to the portable communication device (18) to enable a user to check the integrity of the computer (11).

2. A validation device (12) according to claim 1, wherein the change information comprises an identification number identifying the computer.

3. A validation device according to claim 2 wherein the validation information comprises the identification number.

4. A validation device according to claim 2 or claim 3 wherein the validation information comprises the change information.

5. A validation device (12) according to any one of the preceding claims wherein the validation device (12) is operable to receive a certificate from the validating system (16) confirming the integrity of the computer (11) and store the certificate, and wherein the validation information comprises the certificate.

6. A validation device (12) according to any one of the preceding claims comprising a wireless communication device (15) whereby the validation device (12) can receive the validity request from the portable communication device (18) and transmit the validation information to the portable communication device (18).

7. A validation device (12) according to any one of the preceding claims operable to transmit the change information to the validating system via the Internet.

15. An integrity checking system (10) for a computer (11) comprising a validation device (12) according to any one of claims 1 to 7 and a validating system (16) according to any one of claims 11 to 14.

8. A portable communication device (18) operable to check the integrity of a computer (11), the portable communication device being operable to transmit a validity request to a validation device (12) associated with the computer (11), receive validation information from the validation device (12), transmit the validation information to a validating system (16) and receive a response from the validating system (16) indicating the integrity of the computer (11).

9. A portable communication device (18) according to claim 8 wherein the validation information comprises one or more of an identification number identifying the computer (11), change information identifying changes to hardware and software of the computer, and a certificate from a validating system (16).

10. A portable communication device (18) according to claim 8 or claim 9 operable to establish a wireless link with the validation device (12) whereby the portable communication device (18) can transmit the validity request to the validation device (12) and receive the validation information from the validation device (12).

16. An integrity checking system (10) according to claim 15 comprising a portable communication device (18) according to any one of claims 8 to 10.

11. A validating system (16) for validating changes to hardware and software of a computer (11), the validating system (16) being operable to receive change information identifying changes to the hardware and software, receive an identification number identifying the computer (11), check the validity of the changes and transmit a response indicating the integrity of the system.

12. A validating system (16) according to claim 11 wherein the change information is received from a validation device (12) associated with the computer (11) and wherein the response is transmitted to a portable communication device (18) which supplies the identification number.

13. A validating system (16) according to claim 11 wherein the change information is received from a validation device (12) associated with the computer (11) and wherein the response is transmitted to the validation device, the response comprising a certificate.

14. A validating system (16) according to claim 11 wherein the change information is received from a portable communication device (18) together with the identification number and wherein the response is transmitted to the portable communication device (18).