Running a Computer from a Secure Portable Device

• US 20110035574A1
• Filed: 08/06/2009
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kingston Digital, Inc. (Kingston Technology Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Imation Corporation (Glassbridge Enterprises, Inc.)
• Inventors: Spencer, Gli, Jevans, David
• Granted Patent: US 8,745,365 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/2
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2009/45575 Starting, stopping, suspending or resuming virtual machine instances
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/575 Secure boot
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4406 Loading of operating system
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/45558 Hypervisor-specific management and integration aspects

Abstract

An operating system is booted from a secure peripheral device on a host computer. The secure peripheral device, which includes a memory, is communicatively coupled with the with the host computer. A first operating system is booted from the memory of the secure peripheral device. A secondary operating system is launched on the first operating system.

Claims

1. A method for booting an operating system from a secure peripheral device on a host computer, the method comprising:

communicatively coupling the secure peripheral device with the host computer, the secure peripheral device comprising a memory;

booting a first operating system from the memory of the secure peripheral device; and

launching a secondary operating system on the first operating system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the secure peripheral device memory comprises non-volatile memory.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein launching the secondary operating system comprises launching a virtual machine image.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein launching the secondary operating system comprises launching an emulation of a virtual machine.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a password entered by a user, and if the password is correct unlocking a secure area of the memory of the secure peripheral device before booting the secondary operating system.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein booting the first operating system from the memory of the secure peripheral device comprises booting the first operating system from an area of the memory of the secure peripheral device, the area of memory emulating a CD-ROM.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein a CD-ROM image is presented to the host computer, and the CD-ROM image is configured to be bootable by the host computer.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the CD-ROM image is presented to the host computer, and the CD-ROM image contains a master boot record.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein booting the first operating system from the memory of the secure peripheral device comprises booting the first operating system from an area of the memory of the secure peripheral device, the area of memory being unwritable to a user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operating system communicates over a network to a third-party server to request permission for the secure peripheral device to unlock a secure area of the secure peripheral device memory and run the second operating system.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein a CD-ROM image is encrypted, except for a master boot record and a pre-boot operating system which requests a password from the user, and if the password is correct, then decrypts the first operating system and continues a boot process.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising running an unlocker module, wherein the unlocker module unlocks a secure area of the secure peripheral device.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising forming a secure channel between the secure peripheral device and the host computer.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the secure peripheral device boots from a first operating system that is in an unsecure area of the memory of the secure peripheral device.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first operating system is a host operating system.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the host operating system is stored on the secure peripheral device and runs on the host computer.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein launching the secondary operating system on the first operating system comprises launching a virtual machine player on the first operating system.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising running, via the virtual machine player, a virtual machine image stored in the memory of the secure peripheral device, the virtual machine image comprising the secondary operating system.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the virtual machine image is specifically node-locked to the virtual machine player.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the virtual machine player is launched from a secure area of the memory of the secure peripheral device.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the virtual machine player is launched from an unsecure area of the memory of the secure peripheral device.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein the virtual machine image runs from a secure area of the memory of the secure peripheral device.

23. A system for booting an operating system from a secure peripheral device on a host computer, the system comprising:

a secure peripheral device comprising a memory;

a host computer configured to run a first operating system, the host computer communicatively coupled with the secure peripheral device;

a first operating system stored in the memory of the secure peripheral device and executable by a processor to launch a computer program; and

a secondary operating system stored in the memory of the secure peripheral device and executable by a processor.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the secondary operating system comprises a virtual machine image.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the secondary operating system comprises an emulation of a virtual machine image.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the computer program comprises an unlocker module.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the unlocker module is configured to unlock a secure area of the peripheral device memory and launch the secondary operating system.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein an area of memory from which the first operating system is booted is an area of the memory of the secure peripheral device that emulates a CD-ROM.

29. The system of claim 23, wherein an area of memory from which the first operating system is booted is an area of the memory of the secure peripheral device that is unwritable to a user.

30. The system of claim 23, further comprising:

a virtual machine image stored in the memory of the secure peripheral device, the virtual machine image comprising the secondary operating system; and

a virtual machine player located on the secure peripheral device and configured to run the virtual machine image, wherein the computer program is configured to launch the virtual machine player on the first operating system.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the memory of the secure peripheral device comprises an unsecure area.

32. The system of claim 30, wherein the memory of the secure peripheral device comprises a secure area.

33. The system of claim 30, wherein the computer program is configured to launch the virtual machine player from an unsecure area of the memory of the secure peripheral device.

34. The system of claim 30, wherein the computer program is configured to launch the virtual machine player from a secure area of the memory of the secure peripheral device.

35. The system of claim 30, wherein an unsecure area of the memory of the secure peripheral device comprises an unlocking module configured to unlock a secure area of the memory of the secure peripheral device.

36. The system of claim 30, wherein the secondary operating system is configured to run applications that are native to the first operating system.

37. The system of claim 30, wherein the guest operating system is configured to run applications that are not native to the first operating system.

38. The system of claim 30, wherein the virtual machine image is specifically node-locked to the virtual machine player.

39. A computer readable storage medium having a program embodied thereon, the program executable by a processor to perform a method for booting an operating system from a secure peripheral device on a host computer, the method comprising:

communicatively coupling the secure peripheral device with the host computer, the secure peripheral device comprising a memory;

booting a first operating system from the memory of the secure peripheral device; and

launching a secondary operating system on the first operating system.