Secure mobile office wireless local-area network application integration package running from CD-ROM

• US 7,464,403 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2003
• Issued: 12/09/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thomas James Jr. Hardman
• Original Assignee: Thomas James Jr. Hardman
• Inventors: Hardman, Thomas James Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): CERVETTI, DAVID GARCIA
• Application Number:
  US10/623,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20070283339A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,967 Days
• Field of Search: 726/11, 726/3, 726/12, 726/14, 717/168, 713/164
• US Class Current: 726/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/575 Secure boot
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4403 Processor initialisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/029 Firewall traversal, e.g. tunnelling or, creating pinholes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/164 at the network layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

This Invention permits very rapid installation of operating systems onto off-the-shelf hardware. Furthermore, this Invention addresses multiple configuration issues pertaining to the creation of unique “InterNet Hosts”, and thus enables the very rapid installation of operating systems preconfigured to boot into a “ready to internetwork” mode with no subsequent configuration needs. It integrates several different existing security and encryption models which are considered robust. Further, the media on which this Invention will be distributed, and from which it will be run, are read-only CD-ROM, providing further defense against InterNet-based attacks.

A variety of scripts generates a series of CD-ROMs which will each boot an Intel-ix86-based PC to an individual network identity, all of which will have the characteristics listed above, and will automatically network if provided with the IEEE 802.11b standard wireless PC Cards.

Claims

1. A computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions that when executed by a processor cause a computer to perform a method for creating a preconfigured network, the method comprising:

creating a plurality of nodes on bootable read-only media of a TCP/IP (“

transmission control protocol/internet protocol”

) network capable of encrypted communications as follows;

installing an operating system to a target partition of a computer hard drive mass storage device residing in a computer;

compiling an operating system kernel supporting IPSec (“

Internet Protocol Security”

) and a plurality of virtual disks;

copying the compiled operating system kernel to the target partition;

compiling an authentication server and copying associated files to the target partition;

restarting the computer to boot from the target partition;

initializing the authentication server which will control authentication and authorization functions for the network;

creating instances within the authentication server of specific IP addresses and hostnames;

generating, in a specific directory, multiple unique instances of authentication and authorization information for the authentication server;

configuring parameters for IPSec;

configuring start-up parameters for the operating system;

configuring the authentication server;

configuring the operating system loader;

rebooting to an original instance of the operating system to begin per-node generation of bootable read-only media images to be written to storage media;

moving the authentication and authorization information for the authentication server from the target partition to a local directory;

copying the target partition to a processing partition;

iteratively generating unique bootable read-only media image information, including internet protocol (“

IP”

) address, hostname information, and routing information for the plurality of nodes, from the processing partition;

copying the previously-generated host-specific authentication and authorization information which must conform to the newly generated internet protocol (“

IP”

) address from the local directory into the processing partition; and

writing the generated unique bootable read-only media image information to read-only media;

wherein each bootable image on read-only media, when used as the boot image for a computer, boots the computer into the operating system such that each such computer will have a unique preconfigured IP address.