Method and System for Controlling Communication Ports

• US 20110302568A1
• Filed: 08/12/2011
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OL Security LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Six Circle Limited Liability Company (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Bacastow, Steven V.
• Granted Patent: US 8,566,924 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 717/168
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/85 interconnection devices, e.g. bus-connected or in-line devices

Abstract

A method for limiting devices and controlling the applications executed from USB ports on personal computers (PCs). More specifically, the present invention relates to a method for ensuring that only authorized devices and applications are accessed from USB ports using software and configuration files on the PC. Using the software application stored on the PC storage device in conjunction with functionality performed by a designed security file server, the use of USB applications and devices is limited to authorized applications and devices.

Claims

1-7. -7. (canceled)

8. A method for controlling a device accessed from a port on a computer wherein the computer is in communication with a remote computer, comprising the steps of:

detecting that the device is coupled to the computer;

a software module stored in a memory of the computer and having access to a configuration rule in accordance with a security policy, the software module sending a request for an update from the computer to the remote computer;

if an update is available, the software module receiving the update from the remote computer and updating the configuration rule; and

the software module granting or denying access to the device based on the updated configuration rule.

9. A method for controlling a device accessed from a port on a computer wherein the computer is in communication with a remote computer, comprising the steps of:

detecting that the device is coupled to the computer;

a software module stored in a memory of the computer and having access to a configuration rule in accordance with a security policy, the software module sending a request for an update from the computer to the remote computer; and

if an update is not available, the software module granting or denying access to the device based on the configuration rule.