Sense and respond RFID disk purge for computing devices

• US 20070192869A1
• Filed: 01/18/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Garfinkle, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 7,538,674 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1409 for removal detection of electrical appliances by detecting their physical disconnection from an electrical system, e.g. using a switch incorporated in the plug connector
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product for purging contents of a data storage device provided in a computing device. The system is an RFID-based system comprising: an RFID device provided in the computing device and adapted for receiving and sending RFID signals, and in response to receipt of an RFID signal, the device generating an activation signal representing an instruction to purge contents of data storage device contents; and, a control means responsive to the activation signal received from the RFID device for invoking logic to initiate a physical purge of contents of the data storage device. By applying GPS and RFID object movement can be detected and alerts triggered and data signals generated that invokes logic to yield a disk or data purge thus ensuring that a compromised computing device has no recoverable or accessible data.

Claims

1. An RFID-based data purge system for a computing device having a data storage device, said system comprising:

an RFID device provided in said computing device adapted for receiving and sending RFID signals, and in response to receipt of an RFID signal, said device generating an activation signal representing an instruction to purge contents of data storage device contents; and

,

control means responsive to said activation signal received from said RFID device for invoking logic to initiate a physical purge of contents of said data storage device.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one RFID signal is initiated by a user that is remotely located from said computing device.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control means includes a purge BIOS module that executes logic stored at a physical level of said computing device to ensure a physical delete of said contents.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said computing device further comprises:

a satellite based navigation position receiver configured for receiving position determining signals from a satellite based navigation system and determining a position of said computer device; and

,

means for comparing said determined position with a predetermined position data stored in said device, wherein said activation signal representing an instruction to purge contents of data storage device is generated in response to a determination that a location of said computer device has changed relative to said predetermined position.

5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said control means is responsive to a detected trigger event for automatically initiating purging of content of said data storage device, a detected trigger event comprising satisfaction of a predetermined criteria.

6. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein a predetermined criteria includes:

detection of an invalid system password entry, or detecting a number of log-in attempts exceeding a threshold number.

7. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein a predetermined criteria includes:

detection of an invalid search password, or detecting a number of invalid search attempts exceeding a threshold number.

8. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein a predetermined criteria includes:

detection of an invalid search password, or detecting a number of invalid search attempts.

9. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein a predetermined criteria includes:

detection of meeting a user defined security criteria, or detection of exceeding a number of attempts to circumvent a user defined security criteria.

10. The system as claimed in claim 5, wherein a predetermined criteria includes:

detecting an occurrence of one or more of;

computer device tampering, theft, vibration, a temperature change, or detection of human conversation and movement in proximity to the computing device.

11. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a computing device comprises one or more of:

a pervasive digital device, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a personal computer, or a server device.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein said invoking logic includes:

activating a purge BIOS module that executes logic stored at a physical level of said computing device to ensure a physical delete of said contents.

15. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving position determining signals from a satellite based navigation system to determine a position of said computer device; and

,

comparing said determined position with a predetermined position data stored in said device, said activation signal representing an instruction to purge contents of data storage device being generated in response to a determination that a location of said computer device has changed relative to said predetermined position.

16. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

automatically initiating purging of content of said data storage device in response to a detected trigger event, a detected trigger event comprising satisfaction of a predetermined criteria.

17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein a predetermined criteria includes:

detecting an invalid system password entry, or detecting a number of log-in attempts exceeding a threshold number.

18. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein a predetermined criteria includes one of:

detecting an invalid search password, or detecting a number of invalid search attempts exceeding a threshold number, or detection of meeting a user defined security criteria, or detection of exceeding a number of attempts to circumvent a user defined security criteria.

19. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein a predetermined criteria includes:

detecting an occurrence of;

computer device tampering, theft, vibration, a temperature change, or detection of human conversation and movement in proximity to the computing device.

12. A method for purging content of a data storage device provided in a computing device, said method comprising:

providing an RFID device in said computing device adapted for receiving and sending RFID signals;

generating an activation signal representing an instruction to purge contents of data storage device contents in response to receipt of an RFID signal; and

,

invoking logic to initiate a physical purge of said data storage device contents based upon a received activation signal.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, further including:

enabling a user to initiate generation of an RFID signal for receipt by said RFID device while remotely located from said computing device.

20. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium including computer usable program code for purging content of a data storage device provided in a computing device, said computer program product including:

computer usable program code for adapting an RFID device in said computing device for receiving and sending RFID signals;

computer usable program code for generating an activation signal representing an instruction to purge contents of data storage device contents in response to receipt of an RFID signal; and

,

computer usable program code for invoking logic to initiate a physical purge of said data storage device contents based upon a received activation signal.