Trusted workstation in a networked client/server computing system

• US 6,477,648 B1
• Filed: 03/23/1997
• Issued: 11/05/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Novell Incorporated (Open Text Corporation)
• Inventors: Anderson, James P., Wiseman, Willard Monten, Hale, Douglas Lavell, Schell, Roger R.
• Primary Examiner(s): BADERMAN, SCOTT T
• Application Number:
  US08/828,724
• Time in Patent Office: 2,053 Days
• Field of Search: 713/1, 713/2, 713/176, 713/200, 713/201, 713/202
• US Class Current: 726/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/82 Protecting input, output or interconnection devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/009 Trust
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2211/1097 Boot, Start, Initialise, Power
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/062 applying encryption of the keys cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution using key encryption key H04L9/0822
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/35 involving non-standard use of addresses for implementing network functionalities, e.g. coding subscription information within the address or functional addressing, i.e. assigning an address to a function
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

A trusted workstation includes a network interface card (NIC) with trusted computing base (TCB) extensions that provide for securely booting the workstation and performing subsequent receive and transmit packet filtering in support of a network'"'"'s system architecture requirements. The NIC includes a send address confirm circuit which includes a trusted source address (e.g., a MAC address) uniquely associated with the trusted workstation. For each packet to be transmitted from the trusted workstation over the network, the NIC first checks the source address inserted in the packet by the NIC driver running in the user session to be sure that the driver inserted source address is to equal to the trusted address resident. Thus, if untrusted software on the workstation attempts mischiefly transmit a forged packet with a source address other than the trusted source address, the NIC prohibits transmission of the packet with the forged source address. This prevents the trusted workstation from forging its packets with another client'"'"'s source address. The NIC also includes a receive address confirmation circuit which ensures that the trusted workstation only receives packets from authorized servers.

Claims

1. A BIOS computer-readable memory comprising computer-executable program instructions stored therein for being executed by a computer during initialization of the computer following a hardware reset of said computer, said computer-executable program instructions comprising identification and authentication instructions for being executed by said computer for identifying and authenticating a computer user entirely during a pre-boot state of said computer, said pre-boot state taking place after said hardware reset and before booting of any operating system in said computer in response to said hardware reset, said computer-executable program instructions also including verification instructions for being executed by said computer during said pre-boot state for verifying a signature of said identification and authentication instructions to detect whether unauthorized modification has been made to said identification and authentication instructions.

2. A BIOS computer-readable memory according to claim 1, wherein verification of said signature comprises use of a public key stored in said memory.

3. A BIOS computer-readable memory according to claim 1, wherein said memory is a read-only memory in said computer.

4. A BIOS computer-readable memory comprising computer-executable program instructions stored therein for being executed by a computer during initialization of the computer following a hardware reset of said computer, said program instructions comprising instructions for verifying, entirely during a pre-boot state of said computer, whether at least one pre-boot module of executable program instructions is authentic and for preventing said at least one pre-boot module from being loaded and executed by said computer during said pre-boot state unless a signature of said pre-boot module is verified during said pre-boot state, said pre-boot state taking place after said hardware reset and before booting of any operating system in said computer in response to said hardware reset.

5. A BIOS computer-readable memory according to claim 4, wherein verification of said signature comprises use of a public key associated with a certificate authority, said key being stored in said memory.

6. A BIOS computer-readable memory according to claim 4, wherein said memory is a read-only memory in said computer.

7. A BIOS computer-readable memory comprising computer-executable program instructions stored therein for being executed by a computer during initialization of the computer following a hardware reset of said computer, said computer-executable program instructions comprising instructions for:

initiating and controlling downloading of at least one pre-boot module of executable computer program instructions from a server to the computer during a pre-boot state of said computer;

verifying a signature of said at least one pre-boot module whereby to detect whether said at least one pre-boot module has been unauthorizedly modified, during said pre-boot state; and

if said signature of said at least one module is verified, initiating execution of said at least one pre-boot module in said computer during said pre-boot state;

wherein said at least one pre-boot module includes program instructions for identifying and authenticating a user of said computer entirely during said pre-boot state, said pre-boot state taking place after said hardware reset and before booting of any operating system in said computer in response to said hardware reset.

8. A BIOS computer-readable memory according to claim 7, wherein verification of said signature comprises use of a public key stored in said memory.

9. A BIOS computer-readable memory according to claim 7, wherein said memory is read-only memory.

10. A BIOS computer-readable memory comprising computer-executable program instructions stored therein for being executed by a computer during initialization of the computer following a hardware reset of said computer, said program instructions comprising instructions for being executed during a pre-boot state of said computer to verify a signature of a pre-boot module of executable instructions to determine authenticity of said pre-boot module of executable instructions, said pre-boot module of executable instructions being for preventing the computer from booting any operating system unless a user of said computer is successfully authenticated during said pre-boot state.

11. A BIOS computer-readable memory according to claim 10, wherein verification of said signature comprises use of a master key stored in said memory.

12. A BIOS computer-readable memory according to claim 10, wherein said memory is a read-only memory.

13. A BIOS computer-readable memory comprising computer-executable program instructions stored therein for being executed by a computer during initialization of the computer following a hardware reset of said computer, said program instructions comprising instructions for being executed by said computer entirely during a pre-boot state of said computer for validating a signature of a pre-boot module of instructions whereby to determine authenticity of said module of instructions, said module of instructions being for preventing the computer from communicating with a server unless a user of said computer is successfully authenticated during said pre-boot state, said pre-boot state taking place after said hardware reset and prior to booting of any operating system in said computer in response to said hardware reset.

14. A BIOS computer-readable memory according to claim 13, wherein validation of said signature comprises use of a root master key associated with a certificate authority, said key being stored in said memory.

15. A BIOS computer-readable memory according to claim 14, wherein said memory is a read-only memory in said computer.