System and method for securing a computer system

• US 8,685,110 B2
• Filed: 11/25/2008
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/25/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Fellingham, Paul James, Dowens, John P
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoffman, Brandon
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, ANTHONY D
• Application Number:
  US12/277,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20100132054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,953 Days
• Field of Search: 726/35, 726 26- 30
• US Class Current: 726/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 13/1436 with motion detection
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 25/001 Alarm cancelling procedures or alarm forwarding decisions, e.g. based on absence of alarm confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: Y04S 40/20 Information technology specific aspects, e.g. CAD, simulation, modelling, system security

Abstract

A secured computer system includes a communication interface and an intrusion detection module. The computer system may be portable and configured for wireless communication with a user of the system. The user may activate and configure an alarm monitor, which may be triggered by motion of the computer system. If the triggered alarm is not deactivated, an alarm sequence is activated. If the alarm sequence is not cancelled, then security measures for protecting sensitive data on the computer system from unauthorized access may be executed. The security measures may include removing data or rendering a storage device inaccessible.

Claims

1. A method for securing data stored on a logical volume of a portable computer system, comprising:

configuring, at the portable computer system, a security monitor by selecting data for securing, and entering parameters, the parameters comprising wait times, message addresses, audio features and visual features;

activating, via a wireless network, the security monitor in response to receiving user input via the wireless network;

activating a power lock to lock a power supply of the portable computer system and secure the power supply from undesired access;

determining an alarm has been triggered in response detecting a physical movement of the portable computer system;

determining whether the alarm has been deactivated;

if an alarm trigger time has elapsed and the alarm has not been deactivated, activating an alarm sequence in response to the detecting a physical movement of the portable computer system;

generating an audio alarm, based on the alarm sequence;

sending an alarm triggered message to a user of the portable computer system, wherein the alarm triggered message comprises a notification that the alarm sequence has been activated and an email comprising instructions for deactivating the alarm sequence;

in response to receiving a response to the alarm triggered message confirming the alarm sequence by the user, accelerating the alarm sequence to eliminate further delays;

if a deactivation message is received from the user during a first time period, deactivating the alarm sequence;

if the alarm sequence is not cancelled within the first time period, determining whether a timer has elapsed; and

if the timer has elapsed, completing the alarm sequence, wherein completing the alarm sequence comprises;

reformatting the logical volume and overwriting all sectors of the logical volume to render all data stored on the portable computer system unreadable.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving wireless communications from the user of the portable computer system via the wireless network.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the activating the alarm sequence further comprises:

transmitting a message via a wireless communications interface to a user, the message comprising a notification of an alarm condition.

4. A portable computer system to secure data stored on a logical volume, comprising:

a processor;

a communication interface for communicating between the computer portable system and an authorized user of the portable computer system;

a data storage device;

an intrusion detection module; and

a memory to store computer program instructions, the computer program instructions when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

configuring a security monitor by selecting data for securing, and entering parameters, the parameters comprising wait times, message addresses, audio features and visual features;

activating, via a wireless network, the security monitor in response to receiving user input via the wireless network;

activating a power lock to lock a power supply of the portable computer system and secure the power supply from undesired access;

determining an alarm has been triggered in response detecting a physical movement of the portable computer system;

determining whether the alarm has been deactivated;

if an alarm trigger time has elapsed and the alarm has not been deactivated, initiating an alarm sequence in response to the detecting a physical movement of the portable computer system;

generating an audio alarm, based on the alarm sequence;

sending an alarm triggered message to the authorized user of the portable computer system, wherein the alarm triggered message comprises a notification that the alarm sequence has been activated and an email comprising instructions for deactivating the alarm sequence;

in response to receiving a response to the alarm triggered message confirming the alarm sequence by the user, accelerating the alarm sequence to eliminate further delays;

if a deactivation message is received from the user during a first time period, deactivating the alarm sequence;

if the alarm sequence is not cancelled within the first time period, determining whether a timer has elapsed; and

if the timer has elapsed, completing the alarm sequence,

wherein completing the alarm sequence comprises;

reformatting the logical volume and overwriting all sectors of the logical volume to render all data stored on the data storage device unreadable.

5. The portable computer system of claim 4, the operations further comprising:

completing the alarm sequence after the first time period has elapsed, wherein the first time period begins after the alarm sequence is initiated.

6. The portable computer system of claim 4, the operations further comprising:

specifying a portion of data stored on the data storage device for removal according to the alarm sequence.

7. The portable computer system of claim 6, wherein the specified portion of data comprises data files stored under a logical volume installed on the data storage device.

8. The portable computer system of claim 7, wherein the specified portion of data comprises a logical address space configured on the data storage device.

9. The portable computer system of claim 4, wherein the communications interface communicates wirelessly.

10. The portable computer system of claim 4, further comprising:

a photovoltaic power source coupled to the portable computer system.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions, which, when executed on a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

configuring a security monitor by selecting data for securing, and entering parameters, the parameters comprising wait times, message addresses, audio features and visual features

activating, via a wireless network, the security monitor in response to receiving user input via the wireless network;

activating a power lock to lock a power supply of the portable computer system and secure the power supply from undesired access;

determining an alarm has been triggered in response detecting a physical movement of the portable computer system;

determining whether the alarm has been deactivated;

detecting a triggered alarm indicating physical movement of a portable computer system;

if an alarm trigger time has elapsed and the alarm has not been deactivated, activating an alarm sequence in response to the detecting a physical movement of the portable computer system;

executing an alarm sequence based on the triggered alarm after a first time period has elapsed;

generating an audio alarm, based on the alarm sequence;

sending an alarm triggered message to a user of the portable computer system, wherein the alarm triggered message comprises a notification that the alarm sequence has been activated and an email comprising instructions for deactivating the alarm sequence;

in response to receiving a response to the alarm triggered message confirming the alarm sequence by the user, accelerating the alarm sequence to eliminate further delays;

if a deactivation message is received from the user during the first time period, deactivating the alarm sequence; and

if the alarm sequence is not cancelled by the user of the portable computer system prior to the elapse of a second time period, complete the alarm sequence, wherein the instructions to complete the alarm sequence are executable to reformat a particular logical volume of data stored on the portable computer system and overwrite all sectors of the logical volume to irreversibly render the data stored on the portable computer system inaccessible.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions of claim 11, the operations further comprising:

formatting the data stored for rendering as irreversibly inaccessible.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions of claim 12, the method operations further comprising:

in response to sending the alarm triggered message, receiving the deactivation message from the user.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions of claim 13, wherein the deactivation message indicates termination of the alarm sequence.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium storing program instructions of claim 13, the operations comprising:

receiving a trigger message from the user, wherein the trigger message indicates a continuation of the alarm sequence.

16. The computer-readable medium storing program instructions of claim 11, the operations further comprising:

exchanging messages between the user and the portable computer system using wireless communication.

17. A system for securing data stored on a logical volume of a computer system, comprising:

a processor;

a memory to store computer program instructions, the computer program instructions when executed on the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

configuring, at the portable computer system, a security monitor by selecting data for securing, and entering parameters, the parameters comprising wait times, message addresses, audio features and visual features

activating, via a wireless network, the security monitor in response to receiving user input via the wireless network;

activating a power lock to lock a power supply of the portable computer system and secure the power supply from undesired access;

determining an alarm has been triggered in response detecting a physical movement of the portable computer system;

determining whether the alarm has been deactivated;

if the alarm trigger time has elapsed and the alarm has not been deactivated, activating an alarm sequence in response to detecting a physical movement of the portable computer system;

generating an audio alarm, based on the alarm sequence;

sending an alarm triggered message to a user of the portable computer system, wherein the alarm triggered message comprises a notification that the alarm sequence has been activated and an email comprising instructions for deactivating the alarm sequence;

receiving a response to the alarm triggered message confirming the alarm sequence by the user;

in response to the receiving a response to the alarm triggered message confirming the alarm sequence by the user, accelerating the alarm sequence to eliminate further delays;

deactivating the alarm sequence, if a deactivation message is received from the user during a first time period;

if the alarm sequence is not cancelled within the first time period, determining whether a timer has elapsed; and

if the timer has elapsed, completing the alarm sequence if the alarm sequence is not deactivated within the first time period, wherein completing the alarm sequence comprises;

reformatting the logical volume and overwriting all sectors of the logical volume to render all data stored on the portable computer system unreadable.