Method and system for protecting data

• US 7,717,326 B2
• Filed: 11/15/2006
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kumhyr, David Bruce, Nesbitt, Pamela Ann, Ullmann, Lorin Evan, Yellepeddy, Krishna Kishore
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US11/560,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20080112300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,280 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/380, 235/449, 235/435, 235/492, 235/487, 235/486
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 27/034 on discs G11B27/036, G11B27/038 take precedence

Abstract

A system for protecting data within a portable storage device. A self-destruct unit associated with the portable storage device is enabled. If the portable storage device is not within a pre-specified route tolerance or if the portable storage device is not at a pre-selected identification checkpoint, an alert message is sent. In response to receiving a particular response, a self-destruct signal is sent to the enabled self-destruct unit. Then the enabled self-destruct unit creates an electromagnetic pulse from a xenon flash tube to render confidential data within the portable storage device unusable.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for protecting data within a portable storage device, the computer implemented method comprising:

enabling a self destruct unit associated with the portable storage device to form an enabled self-destruct unit;

determining if the portable storage device is within a pre-specified route tolerance;

determining if the portable storage device is at a pre-selected identification checkpoint;

sending an alert message if the portable storage device is not within the pre-specified route tolerance or if the portable storage device is not at the pre-selected identification checkpoint; and

responsive to receiving a particular response, sending a self destruct signal to the enabled self destruct unit, wherein the enabled self destruct unit creates an electromagnetic pulse from a xenon flash tube to render confidential data within the portable storage device unusable.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically sending the self-destruct signal to the enabled self destruct unit, wherein the enabled self destruct unit creates the electromagnetic pulse from the xenon flash tube to render the confidential data within the portable storage device unusable if the portable storage device is not within the pre-specified route tolerance or if the portable storage device is not at the pre-selected identification checkpoint.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein a radio frequency identification tag is associated with the portable storage device, and wherein the radio frequency identification tag includes an end-of-life date for the portable storage device, and wherein an alert is sent to a system administrator to initiate a transfer of the confidential data to another portable storage device when the end-of life date is within a pre-determined time period.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 3, wherein the radio frequency identification tag includes the self-destruct unit, a ground positioning unit, and a security key that is used to decrypt encrypted confidential data contained within the portable storage device.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the portable storage device is one of a floppy disk, magnetic tape, compact disc—

read only memory, memory stick, portable media enclosure, or media library.

6. A computer program product for protecting data within a portable storage device, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer usable program code embodied therein, the computer usable medium comprising;

first computer usable program code configured to enable a self-destruct unit associated with the portable storage device to form an enabled self-destruct unit;

second computer usable program code configured to determine if the portable storage device is within a pre-specified route tolerance;

third computer usable program code configured to determine if the portable storage device is at a pre-selected identification checkpoint;

fourth computer usable program code configured to send an alert message if the portable storage device is not within the pre-specified route tolerance or if the portable storage device is not at the pre-selected identification checkpoint; and

fifth computer usable program code configured to send a self-destruct signal to the enabled self-destruct unit in response to receiving a particular response, wherein the enabled self-destruct unit creates an electromagnetic pulse from a xenon flash tube to render confidential data within the portable storage device unusable.

7. The computer usable medium of claim 6, further comprising:

sixth computer usable program code configured to automatically send the self-destruct signal to the enabled self-destruct unit, wherein the enabled self-destruct unit creates the electromagnetic pulse from the xenon flash tube to render the confidential data within the portable storage device unusable if the portable storage device is not within the pre-specified route tolerance or if the portable storage device is not at the pre-selected identification checkpoint.

8. The computer usable medium of claim 6, wherein a radio frequency identification tag is associated with the portable storage device, and wherein the radio frequency identification tag includes an end-of-life date for the portable storage device, and wherein an alert is sent to a system administrator to initiate a transfer of the confidential data to another portable storage device when the end-of-life date is within a pre-determined time period.

9. The computer usable medium of claim 8, wherein the radio frequency identification tag includes the self-destruct unit, a ground positioning unit, and a security key that is used to decrypt encrypted confidential data contained within the portable storage device.

10. The computer usable medium of claim 6, wherein the portable storage device is one of a floppy disk, magnetic tape, compact disc—

read only memory, memory stick, portable media enclosure, or media library.

11. A system for protecting data, comprising:

a network for providing communication capabilities between components of the system;

a portable storage device for storing confidential data, wherein an identification tag is associated with the portable storage device for identifying the portable storage device, and wherein a self-destruct unit is associated with the portable storage device for rendering the confidential data unusable, and wherein a ground positioning unit is associated with the portable storage device for locating the portable storage device;

an identification reader coupled to the network for reading the identification tag at a pre-selected identification checkpoint;

a bus system;

a storage device connected to the bus system, wherein the storage device includes a set of instructions; and

a processing unit connected to the bus system, wherein the processing unit executes the set of instructions to enable the self-destruct unit to form an enabled self-destruct unit, determine if the portable storage device is within the pre-specified route tolerance using the ground positioning unit, determine if the portable storage device is at the pre-selected identification checkpoint using the identification reader, send an alert message if the portable storage device is not within the pre-specified route tolerance or if the portable storage device is not at the pre-selected identification checkpoint, and send a self-destruct signal via the network to the enabled self-destruct unit in response to receiving a particular response, wherein the enabled self-destruct unit creates an electromagnetic pulse from a xenon flash tube to render the confidential data within the portable storage device unusable.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processing unit executes a further set of instructions to automatically send the self-destruct signal to the enabled self-destruct unit, wherein the enabled self-destruct unit creates the electromagnetic pulse from the xenon flash tube to render the confidential data within the portable storage device unusable if the portable storage device is not within the pre-specified route tolerance or if the portable storage device is not at the pre-selected identification checkpoint.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the identification tag includes an end-of-life date for the portable storage device, and wherein an alert is sent to a system administrator to initiate a transfer of the confidential data to another portable storage device when the end-of-life date is within a pre-determined time period.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the portable storage device is one of a floppy disk, magnetic tape, compact disc—

read only memory, memory stick, portable media enclosure, or media library.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the identification tag includes the self-destruct unit, the ground positioning unit, and a security key that is used to decrypt encrypted confidential data contained within the portable storage device.