Method and system for protecting a hard disk

• US 20050138396A1
• Filed: 12/22/2003
• Published: 06/23/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Springfield, Randall Scott, Freeman, Joseph Wayne, Goodman, Steven Dale
• Application Number:
  US10/745,152
• Publication Number:
  US 20050138396A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/188
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/575 Secure boot
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/80 in storage media based on magnetic or optical technology, e.g. disks with sectors preventing unauthorised reproduction or copying of disc-type recordable media G11B20/00

Abstract

A method and system for preventing a denial of service attack on a computer system is disclosed. The method of the present invention includes setting a size of a hard disk within the computer system to a full capacity if the hard disk does not contain a host protected area, and locking the size such that the hard disk is protected from an attempt to reset the size of the hard disk resulting in a denial of service.

Claims

1. A method for preventing a denial of service attack on a computer system comprising:

a) setting a size of a hard disk within the computer system to a full capacity if the hard disk does not contain a host protected area; and

b) locking the size, thereby protecting the hard disk from an attempt to reset the size of the hard disk resulting in a denial of service.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the full capacity is the difference between a maximum capacity of the hard disk and a size of one sector.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

c) examining a configuration of the hard disk to determine whether the hard disk includes the host protected area;

d) enabling the host protected area if the hard disk includes such an area;

e) setting a size of the hard disk to a current capacity, wherein the current capacity is the difference between a maximum capacity and a size of the host protected area; and

f) locking the size.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein steps (a) through (b) are performed during a boot sequence by a system BIOS.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising:

c) setting the size of the hard disk within the computer system to the full capacity prior to locking step (b) if the system BIOS does not support a host protected area.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein steps (a) through (b) are performed prior to loading a master boot record and prior to loading an operating system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the locking step (b) includes:

(b1) generating a password to protect the size.

8. A system for preventing a denial of service attack on a computer system comprising:

a processor in the computer system; and

a system BIOS including;

means for setting a size of a hard disk within the computer system to a full capacity if the hard disk does not contain a host protected area; and

means for locking the size,

wherein the hard disk is protected from an attempt to reset the size of the hard disk resulting in a denial of service.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the full capacity is the difference between a maximum capacity of the hard disk and a size of one sector.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the system BIOS further comprises:

means for examining a configuration of the hard disk to determine whether the hard disk includes the host protected area;

means for enabling the host protected area if the hard disk includes such an area; and

means for setting a size of the hard disk to a current capacity, wherein the current capacity is the difference between a maximum capacity and a size of the host protected area.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the system BIOS further includes means for loading a master boot record and means for loading an operating system.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the means for locking includes:

means for generating a password to protect the size.

13. A computer readable medium containing program instructions for preventing a denial of service attack on a computer system comprising:

a) setting a size of a hard disk within the computer system to a full capacity if the hard disk does not contain a host protected area; and

b) locking the size, thereby protecting the hard disk from an attempt to reset the size of the hard disk resulting in a denial of service.

14. The computer readable medium of claim 13 wherein the full capacity is the difference between a maximum capacity of the hard disk and a size of one sector.

15. The computer readable medium of claim 13 further comprising:

c) examining a configuration of the hard disk to determine whether the hard disk includes the host protected area;

d) enabling the host protected area if the hard disk includes such an area;

e) setting a size of the hard disk to a current capacity, wherein the current capacity is the difference between a maximum capacity and a size of the host protected area; and

f) locking the size.

16. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein instructions (a) through (b) are performed during a boot sequence by a system BIOS.

17. The computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein instructions (a) through (b) are performed prior to loading a master boot record and prior to loading an operating system.

18. The computer readable medium of claim 16 further comprising:

c) setting the size of the hard disk to the full capacity prior to locking step (b) if the system BIOS does not support a host protected area.

19. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the locking instruction (b) includes:

(b1) generating a password to protect the size.