Encrypted warranty verification and diagnostic tool

• US 9,323,951 B2
• Filed: 03/13/2013
• Issued: 04/26/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Craig, Ronald E., Creasman, James D., Gibson, Robert A., Poetzinger, John A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Moorthy, Aravind
• Application Number:
  US13/802,496
• Publication Number:
  US 20140281443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 726/16, 726/34, 713/1, 713/168
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/57 Certifying or maintaining trusted computer platforms, e.g. secure boots or power-downs, version controls, system software checks, secure updates or assessing vulnerabilities
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/64 Protecting data integrity, e.g. using checksums, certificates or signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/4401 Bootstrapping security arrangements therefor G06F21/57
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/012 Providing warranty services
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, an approach is provided in which a diagnostic system retrieves encrypted utilization data from an electronic system that were generated from utilization data corresponding to the electronic system'"'"'s usage. The diagnostic system decrypts the encrypted utilization data and determines whether the decrypted utilization data are valid. When the decrypted utilization data are valid, the diagnostic system displays the decrypted utilization data on a display. In another embodiment, the diagnostic system retrieves cryptographically-protected utilization data from the electronic system and determines the authenticity of the cryptographically-protected utilization data. Once the cryptographically-protected utilization data are authenticated, the diagnostic system displays the corresponding utilization data on a display.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

retrieving, by a diagnostic system, encrypted utilization data from an electronic system, wherein the encrypted utilization data are generated from utilization data corresponding to usage of the electronic system;

decrypting the encrypted utilization data by the diagnostic system, the decrypting resulting in decrypted utilization data;

in response to determining that the decrypted utilization data are valid, extracting a first user boot-up timestamp from the decrypted utilization data that specifies a first occurrence in an electronic system lifecycle at which the electronic system was booted-up by a user; and

displaying, by the diagnostic system, at least a portion of the decrypted utilization data on a display, wherein the displayed portion of the decrypted utilization data includes the first user boot-up time.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

displaying an out of warranty message on the display in response to determining that the decrypted utilization data are invalid.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the diagnostic system is a hand-held self-powered unit that couples to the electronic system through one or more diagnostic-specific connections that are separate from a main connection included on the electronic system.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the diagnostic system provides power to the electronic system through the one or more diagnostic-specific connections.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the power provided to the electronic system powers only a portion of the electronic system that provides the encrypted utilization data to the diagnostic system through the one or more diagnostic-specific connections.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

prior to retrieving the encrypted utilization data from the electronic system;

applying power by the diagnostic system to the electronic system through a diagnostic-specific connection, wherein the power provided to the electronic system powers only a portion of the electronic system; and

invoking a read signal by the diagnostic system to the electronic system through the diagnostic specific connection, wherein the read signal invokes the electronic system to supply the encrypted utilization data to the diagnostic system;

in response to decrypting the encrypted utilization data and determining that the decrypted utilization data are invalid, displaying an error message on the display, wherein the invalid decrypted utilization data indicates that the electronic system is selected from the group consisting of a tampered system and a counterfeit system.

7. An information handling system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory coupled to at least one of the processors;

a display accessible to at least one of the processors;

a set of computer program instructions stored in the memory and executed by at least one of the processors in order to perform actions of;

retrieving encrypted utilization data from an electronic system, wherein the encrypted utilization data are generated from utilization data corresponding to usage of the electronic system;

decrypting the encrypted utilization data, the decrypting resulting in decrypted utilization data; and

in response to determining that the decrypted utilization data are valid, extracting a first user boot-up timestamp from the decrypted utilization data that specifies a first occurrence in an electronic system lifecycle at which the electronic system was booted-up by a user; and

displaying at least a portion of the decrypted utilization data on a display, wherein the displayed portion of the decrypted utilization data includes the first user boot-up time.

8. The information handling system of claim 7 wherein the set of computer program instructions, when executed by at least one of the processors, performs additional actions comprising:

displaying an out of warranty message on the display in response to determining that the decrypted utilization data are invalid.

9. The information handling system of claim 7 wherein the information handling system is a hand-held self-powered unit that couples to the electronic system through one or more diagnostic-specific connections that are separate from a main connection included on the electronic system.

10. The information handling system of claim 9 wherein the information handling system provides power to the electronic system through the one or more diagnostic-specific connections.

11. The information handling system of claim 10 wherein the power provided to the electronic system powers only a portion of the electronic system that provides the encrypted utilization data to the diagnostic system through the one or more diagnostic-specific connections.

12. A computer program product stored in a computer readable storage medium, comprising computer program code that, when executed by an information handling system, causes the information handling system to perform actions comprising:

retrieving encrypted utilization data from an electronic system, wherein the encrypted utilization data are generated from utilization data corresponding to usage of the electronic system;

decrypting the encrypted utilization data, the decrypting resulting in decrypted utilization data; and

in response to determining that the decrypted utilization data are valid, extracting a first user boot-up timestamp from the decrypted utilization data that specifies a first occurrence in an electronic system lifecycle at which the electronic system was booted-up by a user; and

displaying at least a portion of the decrypted utilization data on a display, wherein the displayed portion of the decrypted utilization data includes the first user boot-up time.

13. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the computer program code, when executed by the information handling system, causes the information handling system to perform additional actions comprising:

displaying an out of warranty message on the display in response to determining that the decrypted utilization data are invalid.

14. The computer program product of claim 12 wherein the information handling system is a hand-held self-powered unit that couples to the electronic system through one or more diagnostic-specific connections that are separate from a main connection included on the electronic system, and wherein the information handling system provides power to the electronic system through the one or more diagnostic-specific connections.

15. A method comprising:

retrieving, by a diagnostic system, cryptographically-protected utilization data from an electronic system, wherein the cryptographically-protected utilization data are generated from utilization data corresponding to usage of the electronic system;

determining, by the diagnostic system, whether the cryptographically-protected utilization data are authentic;

in response to determining that the cryptographically-protected utilization data are authentic, extracting a first user boot-up timestamp from the decrypted utilization data that specifies a first occurrence in an electronic system lifecycle at which the electronic system was booted-up by a user; and

displaying, by the diagnostic system, at least a portion of the decrypted utilization data on a display, wherein the displayed portion of the decrypted utilization data includes the first user boot-up time.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

displaying an out of warranty message on the display that indicates the cryptographically-protected utilization data are unauthentic.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the error message indicates the electronic system is out of warranty.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the determining of whether the cryptographically-protected utilization data are authentic further comprises analyzing a message authentication code corresponding to at least a portion of the cryptographically-protected utilization data, the message authentication code selected from the group consisting of a hash-based message authentication code and a cipher-based message authentication code.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the diagnostic system is a hand-held self-powered unit that couples to the electronic system through one or more diagnostic-specific connections that are separate from a main connection included on the electronic system.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the diagnostic system provides power to the electronic system through the one or more diagnostic-specific connections that powers only a portion of the electronic system that provides the encrypted utilization data to the diagnostic system through the one or more diagnostic-specific connections.

21. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

prior to retrieving the cryptographically-protected utilization data from the electronic system;

applying power by the diagnostic system to the electronic system through a diagnostic-specific connection, wherein the power provided to the electronic system powers only a portion of the electronic system; and

invoking a read signal by the diagnostic system to the electronic system through the diagnostic specific connection, wherein the read signal invokes the electronic system to supply the cryptographically-protected utilization data to the diagnostic system;

in response to determining that the cryptographically-protected utilization data are unauthentic, displaying an error message on the display, wherein the unauthentic cryptographically-protected utilization data indicates that the electronic system is selected from the group consisting of a tampered system and a counterfeit system.