Sense and respond RFID disk purge for computing devices

• US 7,538,674 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2006
• Issued: 05/26/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Garfinkle, Steven M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Bugg; George A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Labbees; Edny
• Application Number:
  US11/334,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20070192869A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,224 Days
• Field of Search: 3405721-5729, 235/375, 726/26, 726/16
• US Class Current: 340/572.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1409 for removal detection of electrical appliances by detecting their physical disconnection from an electrical system, e.g. using a switch incorporated in the plug connector
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0269 System arrangements wherein the object is to detect the exact location of child or item using a navigation satellite system, e.g. GPS

Abstract

A system, method and computer program product for purging contents of a data storage device provided in a computing device. The system is an RFID-based system comprising: an RFID device provided in the computing device and adapted for receiving and sending RFID signals, and in response to receipt of an RFID signal, the device generating an activation signal representing an instruction to purge contents of data storage device contents; and, a control means responsive to the activation signal received from the RFID device for invoking logic to initiate a physical purge of contents of the data storage device. By applying GPS and RFID object movement can be detected and alerts triggered and data signals generated that invokes logic to yield a disk or data purge thus ensuring that a compromised computing device has no recoverable or accessible data.

Claims

1. An RFID-based data purge system for a host computing device having a storage device operatively associated therewith, said system comprising:

an RFID device provided in said host computing device and provided in other computing devices for receiving and sending RFID signal;

means for automatically detecting a triggering event associated with said host computing device, said trigger event comprising detection of a physical removal of said storage device from said host computing device, said detecting means initiating, without manual intervention, automatic purging of content of said data storage device by automatically generating, via said RFID device, an RFID activation signal including an identification code representing an instruction to purge contents of said data storage device contents;

said RFID device allows detection of a remote triggering event via wireless RF signal;

control means responsive to said RFID activation for invoking logic to initiate a physical purge of contents of said data storage device, said control means including a purge BIOS module executing logic stored at a physical level of said storage device to ensure a physical delete of said storage device contents; and

said RFID device at said host computer generating further RFID activation signals for communication to said other computer devices via said RFID device of said host computing device, said further RFID activation signals for receipt by said other computing devices to initiate purging of stored contents at said other computing devices; and

,

wherein said data storage device and said other computing devices each comprise a power supply device operable for powering said RFID device and said purge BIOS module such that said physical purge of data storage device contents is performed when said storage device is removed from said host computing device or, is performed when said host computing device is not powered.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said one RFID signal is initiated by a user that is remotely located from said computing device.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein said computing device further comprises:

a satellite based navigation position receiver configured for receiving position determining signals from a satellite based navigation system and determining a position of said computer device; and

,

means for comparing said determined position with a predetermined position data stored in said device, wherein said activation signal representing an instruction to purge contents of data storage device is generated in response to a determination that a location of said computer device has changed relative to said predetermined position.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a detected trigger event comprising satisfaction of a predetermined criteria.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein a predetermined criteria includes:

detection of an invalid system password entry, or detecting a number of log-in attempts exceeding a threshold number.

6. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein a predetermined criteria includes:

detection of an invalid search password, or detecting a number of invalid search attempts exceeding a threshold number.

7. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein a predetermined criteria includes:

detection of an invalid search password, or detecting a number of invalid search attempts.

8. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein a predetermined criteria includes:

detection of meeting a user defined security criteria, or detection of exceeding a number of attempts to circumvent a user defined security criteria.

9. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein a predetermined criteria includes:

detecting an occurrence of one or more of;

computer device tampering, theft, vibration, a temperature change, or detection of human conversation and movement in proximity to the computing device.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a computing device comprises one or more of:

a pervasive digital device, a laptop computer, a notebook computer, a personal computer, or a server device.

13. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving position determining signals from a satellite based navigation system to determine a position of said computer device; and

,

comparing said determined position with a predetermined position data stored in said device, said activation signal representing an instruction to purge contents of data storage device being generated in response to a determination that a location of said computer device has changed relative to said predetermined position.

14. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein a detected trigger event comprises satisfaction of a predetermined criteria.

15. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein a predetermined criteria includes:

detecting an invalid system password entry, or detecting a number of log-in attempts exceeding a threshold number.

16. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein a predetermined criteria includes one of:

detecting an invalid search password, or detecting a number of invalid search attempts exceeding a threshold number, or detection of meeting a user defined security criteria, or detection of exceeding a number of attempts to circumvent a user defined security criteria.

17. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein a predetermined criteria includes:

detecting an occurrence of;

computer device tampering, theft, vibration, a temperature change, or detection of human conversation and movement in proximity to the computing device.

11. A method for purging content of a data storage device provided in a host computing device, said method comprising:

providing an RFID device in said host computing device adapted for receiving and sending RFID signals;

providing said RFID device in other computing devices for receiving and sending RFID signals;

automatically detecting a triggering event associated with said host computing device, said trigger event comprising detection of a physical removal of said storage device from said host computing device; and

,

automatically initiating, without manual intervention, automatic purging of content of said data storage device by generating, via said RFID device, an RFID activation signal including an identification code representing an instruction to purge contents of data storage device;

said RFID device allows detection of a remote triggering event via wireless RF signal; and

,

activating a purge BIOS module that executes logic stored at a physical level of said data storage device to initiate and ensure a complete physical purge of said data storage device contents based upon a received said RFID activation signal;

generating, at said host computer, further RFID activation signals for communication to said other computing devices having said RFID device, said further activation signals for receipt by said other computing devices to initiate automatic purging of stored contents at said other computing devices; and

,

powering, at each said data storage device and said other computing device, each said RFID device such that said physical purge of data storage device contents is performed when said storage device is physically removed from said host computing device or, is performed when said host computing device is not powered.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, further including:

enabling a user to initiate generation of an RFID signal for receipt by said RFID device while remotely located from said computing device.

18. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium including computing usable program code for purging content of a data storage device provided in a host computing device, said computer program product including;

computer usable program code for adapting an RFID device in said computing device for receiving and sending RFID signals;

computer usable program code for providing said RFID device in other computing devices for receiving and sending RFID signals;

computer usable program code for automatically detecting a triggering event associated with said host computing device, said trigger event comprising detection of a physical removal of said storage device from said host computing device;

computer usable program code for automatically initiating, without manual intervention, automatic purging of content of said data storage device by generating, via said RFID device, an RFID activation signal including an identification code representing an instruction to purge contents of data storage contents;

said RFID device allows detection of remote triggering event via wireless RF signal; and

,

computer usable program code for activating a purge BIOS module that executes logic stored at a physical level of said data storage device to initiate a physical purge of said data storage device contents based upon a received said RFID activation signal,

computer usable program code for generating, by said host computer, further RFID activation signals for communication to said other computing devices having said RFID device, said further RFID activation signals for receipt by said other computing devices to initiate automatic purging of stored contents at said other computing devices;

wherein said RFID device at each said data storage device and said other computing devices, is powered such that said physical purge of data storage device contents is performed when said data storage device is physically removed from said host computing device, or, is performed when said host computing device is not powered.