Electronic Device Security and Tracking System and Method

• US 20080127308A1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Softex LLC (FIG LLC (d/b/a Fortress Investment Group LLC))
• Original Assignee: Softex Incorporated
• Inventors: Dube, Shradha, Raikar, Rayesh Kashinath, Kapila, Ranjit, Bhansali, Apurva Mahendrakumar, Jain, Manoj Kumar, Rangarajan, Gayathri, Tucker, Thomas David, Dhanani, Kamal Mansukhlal, Patel, Mehul Ramjibhai, Varghese, Elza Abraham
• Granted Patent: US 8,163,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/3
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/572 Secure firmware programming, e.g. of basic input output system [BIOS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/082 using revocation of authorisation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/126 Anti-theft arrangements, e.g. protection against subscriber identity module [SIM] cloning

Abstract

A system and method for securing and tracking an electronic device. The system includes hardware, software and firmware components that cooperate to allow tracking, disabling, and other interaction with the stolen electronic device. The system includes an application component, non-viewable component and Basic Input/Output Subsystem (BIOS) component that are present on the electronic device. The BIOS component maintains the secured environment of the application and non-viewable components. If only the application component was provided, a simple low level format of the hard disk drive would remove the application and bypass the security features. The system implements an “application and BIOS” based solution to electronic device security.

Claims

1. A method for preventing interference with an electronic device security and tracking system and method (ESTSM), comprising:

directing a web browser program on an electronic device to access an ESTSM primary website;

directing the web browser program to access an ESTSM secondary website if the web browser program is unsuccessful in accessing the ESTSM primary website;

directing the web browser program to access a non-ESTSM website if the web browser program is unsuccessful in accessing the ESTSM secondary website; and

presenting an alert of interference with the ESTSM if the web browser program is successful in accessing the non-ESTSM website.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

querying the ESTSM secondary website for a condition of the ESTSM primary website.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

presenting an alert to take a remedial action to gain access to the ESTSM primary website or the ESTSM secondary website.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the presenting an alert to take remedial action to gain access to the ESTSM primary website or the ESTSM secondary website comprises:

presenting the alert to take the remedial action, wherein the remedial action includes disabling a firewall preventing access to the ESTSM primary server or the ESTSM secondary server.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

disabling the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the disabling the electronic device is performed after at least one boot of the electronic device.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the disabling the electronic device is performed after five boots of the electronic device.

8. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

enabling the electronic device after the disabling the electronic device.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

accepting an activation password.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the enabling the electronic device is performed after the accepting the activation password.

11. A computer system, comprising:

a memory; and

a processor operably coupleable to the memory to

direct a web browser program on an electronic device to access an electronic device security and tracking system and method (ESTSM) primary website,

direct the web browser program to access an ESTSM secondary website if the web browser program is unsuccessful in accessing the ESTSM primary website,

direct the web browser program to access a non-ESTSM website if the web browser program is unsuccessful in accessing the ESTSM secondary website and

presenting an alert of interference with the ESTSM if the web browser program is successful in accessing the non-ESTSM website.

12. An system for preventing interference with an electronic device security and tracking system and method (ESTSM), comprising:

a non-viewable component;

an application component connected to the non-viewable component, said application component capable of communicating with the non-viewable component, wherein said application component executes within an operating system environment;

a Basic Input/Output System (BIOS) component connected to the non-viewable component; and

a server system capable of communicating through a secure medium with the application component;

wherein the system is operable to

direct a web browser program on an electronic device to access an ESTSM primary website,

direct the web browser program to access an ESTSM secondary website if the web browser program is unsuccessful in accessing the ESTSM primary website,

direct the web browser program to access a non-ESTSM website if the web browser program is unsuccessful in accessing the ESTSM secondary website, and

present an alert of interference with the ESTSM if the web browser program is successful in accessing the non-ESTSM website.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the system is operable to query the ESTSM secondary website for a condition of the ESTSM primary website.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the system is operable to present an alert to take a remedial action gain access to the ESTSM primary website or the ESTSM secondary website.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the system is operable to present an alert to take the remedial action, wherein the remedial action includes disabling a firewall preventing access to the ESTSM primary server or the ESTSM secondary server.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the system is operable to disable the electronic device.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the system is operable to disable the electronic device after at least one boot of the electronic device.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the system is operable to disable the electronic device after five boots of the electronic device.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the system is operable to enable the electronic device after a disabling of the electronic device.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the system is operable to accept an activation password.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the system is operable to enable the electronic device after the system accepts the activation password.

22. The system of claim 12, wherein the application component is operable to

direct a web browser program on an electronic device to access an electronic device security and tracking system and method (ESTSM) primary website;

direct the web browser program to access an ESTSM secondary website if the web browser program is unsuccessful in accessing the ESTSM primary website;

direct the web browser program to access a non-ESTSM website if the web browser program is unsuccessful in accessing the ESTSM secondary website; and

present an alert of interference with the ESTSM if the web browser program is successful in accessing the non-ESTSM website.

23. A machine-readable medium that provides instructions, which when executed by a machine, cause said machine to perform operations comprising:

directing a web browser program on an electronic device to access an electronic device security and tracking system and method (ESTSM) primary website;

directing the web browser program to access an ESTSM secondary website if the web browser program is unsuccessful in accessing the ESTSM primary website;

directing the web browser program to access a non-ESTSM website if the web browser program is unsuccessful in accessing the ESTSM secondary website; and

presenting an alert of interference with the ESTSM if the web browser program is successful in accessing the non-ESTSM website.