System for protecting computers via intelligent tokens or smart cards
First Claim
1. A method for reducing the possibility of corruption of critical information required in the operation of a computer comprising:
- storing the critical information in a device,communicating authorization information between the device and the computer, andin the course of booting the computer, executing modified boot code that causes the device, in response to the authorization information, to allow the computer access to the critical information stored in the device.
2 Assignments
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Accused Products
Abstract
The possibility of corruption of critical information required in the operation of a computer is reduced by storing the critical information in a device; communicating authorization information between the device and the computer; and causing the device, in response to the authorization information, to enable the computer to read the critical information stored in the device. The device includes a housing, a memory within the housing containing information needed for startup of the host computer, and a communication channel for allowing the memory to be accessed externally of the housing. The device is initialized by storing the critical information in memory on the device, storing authorization information in memory on the device, and configuring a microprocessor in the device to release the critical information to the computer only after completing an authorization routine based on the authorization information.
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Citations
17 Claims
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1. A method for reducing the possibility of corruption of critical information required in the operation of a computer comprising:
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storing the critical information in a device, communicating authorization information between the device and the computer, and in the course of booting the computer, executing modified boot code that causes the device, in response to the authorization information, to allow the computer access to the critical information stored in the device. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of booting a computer, comprising
storing, in a device which is separate from the computer, boot information, user authorization information, and device authorization information in the form of a secret shared with the computer, providing a communication link between the device and the computer, receiving possibly valid authorization information from a user, in the device, checking the possibly valid authorization information against the stored user authorization information to determine validity, if the password is determined to be valid, passing the boot information and the shared secret information from the device to the computer, in the computer, checking the validity of the shared secret information, and in the course of booting the computer, executing modified boot code that causes, if the shared secret information is valid, the boot information to be used in booting the computer.
Specification