Pluggable security device

• US 8,378,821 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2010
• Issued: 02/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cicada Security Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Cicada Security Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Edelstein, Fredric, Morrison, James
• Primary Examiner(s): Zimmerman, Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, An T
• Application Number:
  US12/732,624
• Publication Number:
  US 20110187532A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,061 Days
• Field of Search: 726 34- 36, 340/500, 340/540, 340/568.1, 340/571, 340/505, 340/568.2, 340/384.6, 340/384.7, 340/539.11, 340/825
• US Class Current: 340/568.1
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1418 Removal detected by failure in electrical connection between the appliance and a control centre, home control panel or a power supply
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1436 with motion detection

Abstract

A pluggable security device for protecting an electronic device, such as a laptop, is disclosed. The pluggable security device has a battery, a siren, and an optional accelerometer. The security device is triggered by unplugging from the electronic device, or by sensing acceleration, or by disconnecting the electronic device from AC power or from a network. Once the security device is triggered and its internal siren is activated, it can only be deactivated by reinserting the pluggable security device into the electronic device it has been disconnected from and by entering a password in the electronic device.

Claims

1. A security device, comprising:

an enclosure;

a connector for plugging the security device to an electronic device and providing a first electrical connection to the electronic device, wherein the electronic device also has a separate second electrical connection to a computer network;

an alarm sound source disposed within the enclosure and being configured to produce an audible alarm sound; and

a microprocessor unit (MPU) disposed within the enclosure and being configured to control the security device,

wherein the MPU is configured to generate an alarm including activating the alarm sound source in response to detecting disconnection of the electronic device from the computer network.

2. The security device of claim 1, further comprising a battery disposed within the enclosure for providing electrical power to the alarm sound source and the MPU.

3. A system, comprising:

a first pluggable security device configured to be plugged into a first electronic device for providing security protection for the first electronic device, wherein the first pluggable security device comprises;

an enclosure;

a connector for plugging the first pluggable security device to the first electronic device and providing a first electrical connection to the first electronic device;

an alarm sound source disposed within the enclosure and being configured to produce an audible alarm sound; and

a microprocessor unit (MPU) disposed within the enclosure and being configured to control the first pluggable security device; and

a security server configured to be connected to the first electronic device through a computer network via a second electrical connection to the electronic device separate from the first electrical connection,

wherein the security server is configured to store first configuration data defining a security policy for the first pluggable security device, and

wherein the security server is configured to distribute the first configuration data to the first security device via the computer network and the first electronic device, and

wherein the first configuration data includes at least one of;

(1) data defining an alarm triggering policy for the first pluggable security device, the alarm triggering policy defining a set of events which will cause the first security device to trigger an alarm; and

(2) data defining an alarm action policy for the first pluggable security device, the alarm action policy defining a set of actions to be taken in response to an alarm being triggered,

wherein the first pluggable security device is configured in response to the first configuration data, and

wherein the MPU is configured to generate an alarm including activating the alarm sound source, in response to detecting disconnection of the first electronic device from the computer network.

4. The system of claim 3, further comprising a second pluggable security device configured to be plugged into a second electronic device for providing security protection for the second electronic device,

wherein the security server is configured to store second configuration data defining a security policy for the second pluggable security device, and

wherein the security server is configured to distribute the second configuration data to the second security device via the computer network and the second electronic device, and

wherein the second configuration data includes at least one of:

(1) data defining an alarm triggering policy for the second pluggable security device, the alarm triggering policy defining a set of events which will cause the second security device to trigger an alarm; and

(2) data defining an alarm action policy for the second pluggable security device, the alarm action policy defining a set of actions to be taken in response to an alarm being triggered,

wherein the second pluggable security device is configured in response to the second configuration data, and

wherein the second configuration data is different from the first configuration data.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the first configuration data includes the data defining the alarm triggering policy for the first pluggable security device.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the alarm triggering policy comprises triggering an alarm in response to a user definable subset of a set of alarm triggering events comprising:

unplugging of the pluggable security device from the first electronic device;

detecting an acceleration of the first pluggable security device that is greater than an acceleration threshold;

disconnecting the electronic device from the computer network;

detecting a failed authentication attempt; and

switching of the first electronic device from an external power source to an internal power source.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the first configuration data includes the data defining the alarm action policy for the first pluggable security device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the alarm action policy comprises a user definable subset of a set of alarm actions comprising:

sounding an alarm in the first pluggable security device;

sounding an alarm in the first electronic device;

dismounting an encrypted data storage device in the first electronic device;

locking the first electronic device; and

sending, from the security server a message to a user of the first electronic device.

9. The system of claim 3, wherein the security server is further configured to periodically ping the first electronic device via the computer network, and in response to the security server not receiving a response to a ping of the first electronic device, to send a message from the security server indicating a security problem with the first electronic device.

10. The system of claim 3, wherein the first pluggable security device further comprises a battery disposed within the enclosure for providing electrical power to the alarm sound source and the MPU.

11. A method, comprising:

providing a first pluggable security device configured to be plugged into a first electronic device, via a first electrical connection of the electronic device, for providing security protection for the first electronic device;

providing a security server configured to be connected to the first electronic device through a computer network via a second electrical connection to the electronic device separate from the first electrical connection;

storing at the security server first configuration data for the first pluggable security device defining a security policy for the first pluggable security device;

communicating the first configuration data from the security server to the first electronic device via the computer network;

communicating the first configuration data from the first electronic device to the first pluggable security device;

configuring the first pluggable security device in response to the first configuration data;

detecting a connection state between the first electronic device and the computer network; and

activating an alarm sound source in the first pluggable security device in response to detecting disconnection of the first electronic device from the computer network,

wherein the first configuration data includes at least one of;

(1) data defining an alarm triggering policy for the first pluggable security device, the alarm triggering policy defining a set of events which will cause the first pluggable security device to trigger an alarm; and

(2) data defining an alarm action policy for the first pluggable security device, the alarm action policy defining a set of actions to be taken in response to an alarm being triggered.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

providing a second pluggable security device configured to be plugged into a second electronic device for providing security protection for the second electronic device;

storing at the security server second configuration data defining a security policy for the second pluggable security device;

communicating the second configuration data from the security server to the second electronic device via the computer network;

communicating the second configuration data from the second electronic device to the second pluggable security device; and

configuring the second pluggable security device in response to the second configuration data,

wherein the second configuration data includes at least one of;

(1) data defining an alarm triggering policy for the second pluggable security device, the alarm triggering policy defining a set of events which will cause the second pluggable security device to trigger an alarm; and

(2) data defining an alarm action policy for the second pluggable security device, the alarm action policy defining a set of actions to be taken in response to an alarm being triggered, and

wherein the second configuration data is different from the first configuration data.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first configuration data includes the data defining the alarm triggering policy for the first pluggable security device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the alarm triggering policy comprises triggering an alarm in response to a user definable subset of a set of alarm triggering events comprising:

unplugging of the first pluggable security device from the first electronic device;

detecting an acceleration of the first pluggable security device that is greater than an acceleration threshold;

disconnecting the first electronic device from the computer network;

detecting a failed authentication attempt; and

switching of the first electronic device from an external power source to an internal power source.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first configuration data includes the data defining the alarm action policy for the first pluggable security device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the alarm action policy comprises a user definable subset of a set of alarm actions comprising:

sounding an alarm in the first pluggable security device;

sounding an alarm in the first electronic device;

dismounting an encrypted data storage device in the first electronic device;

locking the first electronic device; and

sending, from the security server a message to a user of the first electronic device.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating a reaction to an alarm, the reaction comprising at least one of:

sounding the audible alarm sound in the first pluggable security device; and

sounding an audible alarm in the first electronic device.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

the security server periodically pinging the first electronic device via the computer network; and

in response to the security server not receiving a response to a ping of the first electronic device, sending a message from the security server indicating a security problem with the first electronic device.