ENABLING ACCESS TO REMOVABLE HARD DISK DRIVES

• US 20110307708A1
• Filed: 06/14/2010
• Published: 12/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kritt, Barry A., Law, Douglas A., Vargas, Juan F.
• Granted Patent: US 8,924,733 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/183
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/74 operating in dual or compartmented mode, i.e. at least one secure mode
• 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 2221/2105 Dual mode as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2147 Locking files
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 1/00 Secret communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/00 Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/08 Key distribution or management, e.g. generation, sharing or updating, of cryptographic keys or passwords network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting key management in a packet data network H04L63/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0822 using key encryption key
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0863 involving passwords or one-time passwords network architectures or network communication protocols for using one-time keys in a packet data network H04L63/067
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer program product for accessing a device. The device receives a key from an operating system in response to the device in a locked state being connected to a data processing system after the operating system for the data processing system is running. The device compares the key received from the operating system with a set of keys stored in the device. The key is based on a system identifier for the data processing system and a password. The device determines whether a match is present between the key and the set of keys. The device changes the device from the locked state to an unlocked state in response to a determination that the match is present.

Claims

1. A method for accessing a device, the method comprising:

responsive to the device in a locked state being connected to a data processing system after an operating system for the data processing system is running, receiving, by the device, a key from the operating system;

comparing, by the device, the key received from the operating system with a set of keys stored in the device, wherein the key is based on a system identifier for the data processing system and a password;

determining, by the device, whether a match is present between the key and the set of keys; and

responsive to a determination that the match is present, changing, by the device, the device from the locked state to an unlocked state.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to an absence of the determination that the match is present, waiting, by the device, for an administrative password for the device.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

identifying, by the operating system, the system identifier and the password; and

generating, by the operating system, the key using the system identifier and the password.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing, by the device, the set of keys in a data structure in the device.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

responsive to the device in the locked state being connected to the data processing system after the operating system for data processing system is running, determining, by the device, whether the device has been enabled for use with the data processing system; and

responsive to a determination that the device has not been enabled for use with the data processing system, preventing, by the device, activating the changing step.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the device is selected from one of a storage device, a peripheral device, a hard disk drive, a solid state drive, a universal serial bus drive, and a printer.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein the data structure is a table.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a device, wherein the device has a locked state and an unlocked state; and

an access system located in the device, wherein the access system is configured to receive a key from an operating system in response to the device in the locked state being connected to a data processing system after the operating system for the data processing system is running;

compare the key received from the operating system with a set of keys stored in the device, wherein the key is based on a system identifier for the data processing system and a password;

determine whether a match is present between the key and the set of keys; and

change the device from the locked state to an unlocked state in response to a determination that the match is present.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the access system is further configured to receive an administrative password for the device in response to an absence of the determination that the match is present.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the operating system is configured to identify the system identifier and the password;

and generate the key using the system identifier and the password.

11. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the access system is configured to store the set of keys in a data structure in the device.

12. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the access system is configured to determine whether the device has been enabled for use with the data processing system in response to the device in the locked state being connected to the data processing system after the operating system for the data processing system is running;

and prevent activating the changing step in response to a determination that the device has not been enabled for use with the data processing system.

13. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the device is selected from one of a storage device, a peripheral device, a hard disk drive, a solid state drive, a universal serial bus drive, and a printer.

14. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the data structure is a table.

15. A computer program product for accessing a device comprising:

a computer readable storage medium;

program code, stored on the computer readable storage medium, for receiving a key from an operating system in response to the device in a locked state being connected to a data processing system after the operating system for the data processing system is running;

program code, stored on the computer readable storage medium, for comparing the key received from the operating system with a set of keys stored in the device, wherein the key is based on a system identifier for the data processing system and a password;

program code, stored on the computer readable storage medium, for determining whether a match is present between the key and the set of keys; and

program code, stored on the computer readable storage medium, for changing the device from the locked state to an unlocked state in response to a determination that the match is present.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:

program code, stored on the computer readable storage medium, for requesting an administrative password for the device in response to an absence of the determination that the match is present.

17. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:

program code, stored on the computer readable storage medium, for storing the set of keys in a data structure in the device.

18. The computer program product of claim 15 further comprising:

program code, stored on the computer readable storage medium, for determining whether the device has been enabled for use with the data processing system in response to the device in the locked state being connected to the data processing system after the operating system for the data processing system is running; and

program code, stored on the computer readable storage medium, for preventing activating the changing step in response to a determination that the device has not been enabled for use with the data processing system.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the device is selected from one of a storage device, a peripheral device, a hard disk drive, a solid state drive, a universal serial bus drive, and a printer.

20. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein the data structure is a table.