Secure Booting System And Method

• US 20100299749A1
• Filed: 07/29/2010
• Published: 11/25/2010
• 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 8,241,368 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/19
• 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

In a method for securing and disabling an electronic device, the electronic device automatically executes a basic input/output system (BIOS) component of a security and tracking service during boot up. The BIOS component automatically determines whether an application component of the security and tracking service has requested disabling of the electronic device. In response to a determination that the application component has requested disabling of the electronic device, the BIOS component automatically displays system information and unlock key. The BIOS component also automatically prompts a user of the electronic device to enter an activation password to re-enable the electronic device. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method for securing and disabling an electronic device, the method comprising:

during boot up of the electronic device, automatically executing a basic input/output system (BIOS) component of a security and tracking service;

during execution of the BIOS component, automatically determining whether an application component of the security and tracking service has requested disabling of the electronic device;

during execution of the BIOS component, in response to a determination that the application component has requested disabling of the electronic device, automatically performing operations comprising;

displaying system information and unlock key, and

automatically prompting a user of the electronic device to enter an activation password to re-enable the electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the operation of automatically executing the BIOS component of the security and tracking service comprises:

calling the BIOS component from power on self test (POST) firmware of the electronic device.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

during execution of the BIOS component, in response to a determination that the application component has not requested disabling of the electronic device, automatically performing operations comprising;

determining whether the electronic device contains a hidden partition for the security and tracking service;

in response to a determination that the electronic device contains the hidden partition, automatically transferring control to a non-viewable component of the security and tracking service in the hidden partition; and

in response to a determination that the electronic device does not contain the hidden partition, automatically creating the hidden partition.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

in response to a determination that the electronic device does not contain the hidden partition, determining whether the electronic device contains a bootable operating system (OS) partition; and

in response to determinations that (a) the electronic device does not contain the hidden partition and (b) the electronic device does contain the bootable OS partition, automatically prompting the user to supply a recovery media for the electronic device.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

after prompting the user to supply the recovery media, rebuilding the hidden partition from the recovery media; and

after rebuilding the hidden partition, automatically restarting the electronic device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining the activation password through communication with a source from the group consisting of;

a website associated with the security and tracking service; and

a call center associated with the security and tracking service.

7. An apparatus comprising:

a machine accessible storage medium; and

instructions stored in the machine accessible storage medium, wherein the instructions, when executed by an electronic device, cause the electronic device to implement a basic input/output system (BIOS) component of a security and tracking service;

wherein the BIOS component is configured to execute during boot up of the electronic device;

wherein the BIOS component, when executed, performs operations comprising;

automatically determining whether an application component of the security and tracking service has requested disabling of the electronic device; and

in response to a determination that the application component has requested disabling of the electronic device, automatically performing operations comprising;

displaying system information and unlock key, and

automatically prompting a user of the electronic device to enter an activation password to re-enable the electronic device.

8. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the BIOS component of the security and tracking service is configured to be called from power on self test (POST) firmware of the electronic device.

9. An apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the BIOS component is configured to respond to a determination that the application component has not requested disabling of the electronic device by automatically performing operations comprising:

determining whether the electronic device contains a hidden partition for the security and tracking service;

in response to a determination that the electronic device contains the hidden partition, automatically transferring control to a non-viewable component of the security and tracking service in the hidden partition; and

in response to a determination that the electronic device does not contain the hidden partition, automatically creating the hidden partition.

10. An apparatus according to claim 9, wherein:

the BIOS component is configured to respond to a determination that the electronic device does not contain the hidden partition by determining whether the electronic device contains a bootable operating system (OS) partition; and

the BIOS component is configured to respond to determinations that (a) the electronic device does not contain the hidden partition and (b) the electronic device does contain the bootable OS partition by automatically prompting the user to supply a recovery media for the electronic device.

11. An apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the BIOS component is configured to perform operations comprising:

rebuilding the hidden partition from the recovery media, after prompting the user to supply the recovery media; and

automatically restarting the electronic device, after rebuilding the hidden partition.

12. An electronic device comprising:

a processor;

a machine accessible storage medium responsive to the processor; and

instructions stored in the machine accessible storage medium, wherein the instructions, when executed by the electronic device, cause the electronic device to implement a basic input/output system (BIOS) component of a security and tracking service;

wherein the BIOS component is configured to execute during boot up of the electronic device; and

wherein the BIOS component, when executed, performs operations comprising;

automatically determining whether an application component of the security and tracking service has requested disabling of the electronic device; and

in response to a determination that the application component has requested disabling of the electronic device, automatically performing operations comprising;

displaying system information and unlock key, and

automatically prompting a user of the electronic device to enter an activation password to re-enable the electronic device.

13. An electronic device according to claim 12, further comprising:

power on self test (POST) firmware configured to call the BIOS component of the security and tracking service during boot up of the electronic device.

14. An electronic device according to claim 12, wherein the BIOS component is configured to respond to a determination that the application component has not requested disabling of the electronic device by automatically performing operations comprising:

determining whether the electronic device contains a hidden partition for the security and tracking service;

in response to a determination that the electronic device contains the hidden partition, automatically transferring control to a non-viewable component of the security and tracking service in the hidden partition; and

in response to a determination that the electronic device does not contain the hidden partition, automatically creating the hidden partition.

15. An electronic device according to claim 14, wherein:

the BIOS component is configured to respond to a determination that the electronic device does not contain the hidden partition by determining whether the electronic device contains a bootable operating system (OS) partition; and

the BIOS component is configured to respond to determinations that (a) the electronic device does not contain the hidden partition and (b) the electronic device does contain the bootable OS partition by automatically prompting the user to supply a recovery media for the electronic device.

16. An electronic device according to claim 15, wherein the BIOS component is configured to perform operations comprising:

rebuilding the hidden partition from the recovery media, after prompting the user to supply the recovery media; and

automatically restarting the electronic device, after rebuilding the hidden partition.