COMPUTER SECURITY SYSTEM HAVING INTEGRATED GPS

• US 20110072523A1
• Filed: 09/23/2009
• Published: 03/24/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2009
• Status: Active Application

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DeWilde, Frederick C.
• Application Number:
  US12/565,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20110072523A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/36
• 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
• 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

Abstract

A computing apparatus having a hard drive storage unit which includes a global positioning system, a non-volatile memory and a compare module. The non-volatile memory stores a permitted zone of operation of the hard drive storage unit while the compare module monitors the current location. If the compare module detects a current location of the hard drive storage unit as tracked by the global positioning system which is outside of the permitted zone of operation as stored in the non-volatile memory, the non-volatile memory contains at least one command implemented by a computer processor that may cause the hard drive storage unit to become disabled.

Claims

1. A hard drive storage unit apparatus comprising:

a hard drive storage unit for a computer;

a housing for the hard drive storage unit;

a non-volatile memory within the housing to store data regarding a permitted location of the hard drive storage unit;

a global positioning system (GPS) unit within the housing to track a current location of the hard drive storage unit; and

a compare module to monitor any change between the location and current location of the hard drive storage unit.

2. The hard drive storage unit apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a transceiver within the housing to send the current location of the hard drive storage unit to an instrumentality and receive commands from the instrumentality.

3. The hard drive storage unit apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a printed circuit assembly within the housing and having the GPS unit, non-volatile memory and compare module mounted on the printed circuit assembly.

4. The hard drive storage unit apparatus of claim 2 further comprising a printed circuit assembly within the housing and having the GPS unit, non-volatile memory, compare module and transceiver mounted on the printed circuit assembly.

5. The hard drive storage unit apparatus of claim 1 wherein the non-volatile memory is selected from the group consisting of electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) and magnetosensitive random access memory (MRAM).

6. The hard drive storage unit apparatus of claim 1 wherein the permitted location of the hard drive storage unit is a predetermined zone of operation stored within the non-volatile memory and the compare module references the predetermined zone of operation stored in the non-volatile memory and compares the predetermined zone of operation to the current location tracked by the GPS unit to determine if the hard drive storage unit is within the predetermined zone of operation.

7. The hard drive storage unit apparatus of claim 6 further comprising a computer processor to control power to the hard drive storage unit and wherein power is supplied to the hard drive storage unit if the hard drive storage unit is within the predetermined zone of operation and power is not supplied to the hard drive storage unit if the hard drive storage unit is outside of the predetermined zone of operation.

8. The hard drive storage unit apparatus of claim 2 wherein the non-volatile memory contains a command to disable the hard drive storage unit and the transceiver receives an instruction from the instrumentality to implement the command to disable the hard drive storage unit.

9. The hard drive storage unit apparatus of claim 2 wherein if the current location of the hard drive storage unit is outside of a predetermined zone of operation as determined by the compare module, a notification that the hard drive storage unit is outside of the predetermined zone of operation is sent by the transceiver to the instrumentality and power is cut to the hard drive storage unit.

10. The hard drive storage unit apparatus of claim 2 and further comprising a printed circuit assembly within the housing and having the GPS unit, non-volatile memory, compare module and transceiver mounted on the printed circuit assembly wherein the hard drive storage unit, GPS unit, non-volatile memory, compare module, transceiver and printed circuit assembly form an integrated hard drive storage unit apparatus.

11. A computing apparatus comprising:

a computing apparatus housing;

a central processing unit within the computing apparatus housing; and

a hard drive storage unit apparatus within the computing apparatus housing comprising;

a hard drive storage unit;

a housing for the hard drive storage unit;

a non-volatile memory within the hard drive storage unit housing to store data regarding a permitted location of the hard drive storage unit;

a global positioning system (GPS) unit within the hard drive storage unit housing to track the current location of the hard drive storage unit; and

a compare module to monitor any change between the location and current location of the hard drive storage unit.

12. The computing apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a transceiver within the hard drive storage unit housing to send the current location of the hard drive storage unit to an instrumentality and receive commands from the instrumentality.

13. The computing apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a printed circuit assembly within the hard drive storage unit housing and having the GPS unit, non-volatile memory and compare module mounted on the printed circuit assembly.

14. The computing apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a printed circuit assembly within the hard drive storage unit housing and having the GPS unit, non-volatile memory, compare module and transceiver mounted on the printed circuit assembly.

15. The computing apparatus of claim 11 wherein the non-volatile memory is selected from the group consisting of electrically erasable programmable read only memory (EEPROM), flash memory, non-volatile random access memory (NVRAM) and magnetosensitive random access memory (MRAM).

16. The computing apparatus of claim 11 wherein the permitted location is a predetermined zone of operation stored within the non-volatile memory and the compare module references the predetermined zone of operation stored in the non-volatile memory and compares the predetermined zone of operation to the current location as tracked by the GPS unit to determine if the hard drive storage unit is within the predetermined zone of operation.

17. The computing apparatus of claim 16 further comprising a computer processor in the hard drive storage unit to control power to the hard drive storage unit and wherein power is supplied to the hard drive storage unit if the hard drive storage unit is within the predetermined zone of operation and power is not supplied to the hard drive storage unit if the hard drive storage unit is outside of the predetermined zone of operation.

18. The computing apparatus of claim 12 wherein the non-volatile memory contains a command to disable the hard drive storage unit and the transceiver receives an instruction from the instrumentality to implement the command to disable the hard drive storage unit.

19. The computing apparatus of claim 12 wherein if the current location of the hard drive storage unit is outside of a predetermined zone of operation as determined by the compare module, a notification that the hard drive storage unit is outside of the predetermined zone of operation is sent by the transceiver to the instrumentality and power is cut to the hard drive storage unit.

20. The computing apparatus of claim 12 and further comprising a printed circuit assembly within the housing and having the GPS unit, non-volatile memory, compare module and transceiver mounted on the printed circuit assembly wherein the hard drive storage unit, GPS unit, non-volatile memory, compare module, transceiver and printed circuit assembly form an integrated hard drive storage unit apparatus.

21. The computing apparatus of claim 11 wherein the hard drive storage unit apparatus is inoperable if removed from the computing apparatus.

22. A method of securing a hard drive storage unit in a computer, the hard drive storage unit having a housing for the hard drive storage unit, a non-volatile memory within the housing to store data regarding a predetermined zone of operation of the hard drive storage unit, a computer processor, a global positioning system (GPS) unit within the housing to track the current location of the hard drive storage unit and a compare module to monitor any change between the permitted location and current location of the hard drive storage unit, the method comprising:

registering the GPS unit by a computer processor with an instrumentality upon initial power up of the hard drive storage unit;

defining by a computer processor in response to information received from a user a predetermined zone of operation;

storing by a computer processor the predetermined zone of operation in the non-volatile memory;

storing a command by a computer processor in the non-volatile memory to disable the hard drive storage unit;

determining by the GPS unit a current location of the hard drive storage unit;

referencing by the compare module the predetermined zone of operation stored in the non-volatile memory and determining if the current location of the hard drive storage unit is within the predetermined zone of operation;

controlling power to the hard drive storage unit by the computer processor and wherein power is supplied to the hard drive storage unit if the hard drive storage unit is within the predetermined zone of operation and power is not supplied to the hard drive storage unit if the hard drive storage unit is outside of the predetermined zone of operation; and

receiving an instruction by a computer processor from the instrumentality to implement the command to format the hard drive storage unit.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of notifying by the transceiver the instrumentality if the hard drive storage unit is outside of the predetermined zone of operation.

24. The method of claim 22 further comprising the step of rendering by the non-volatile memory the hard drive storage unit inoperable if the hard drive storage unit is removed from the computer.

25. A method of securing a hard drive storage unit in a computer, the hard drive storage unit having a housing for the hard drive storage unit, a non-volatile memory within the housing to store data regarding a location of the hard drive storage unit, a global positioning system (GPS) unit within the housing to track the current location of the hard drive storage unit and a compare module to monitor any change between the predetermined zone of operation and a current location, the method comprising:

storing by a computer processor a predetermined zone of operation in the non-volatile memory;

referencing by the compare module the predetermined zone of operation stored in the non-volatile memory and determining if the current location of the hard drive storage unit is within the predetermined zone of operation; and

disabling by the non-volatile memory the hard drive storage unit if the hard drive storage unit is outside of the predetermined zone of operation.