Methods, systems and apparatus to secure devices via physical and/or virtual locking

• US 9,449,200 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2014
• Issued: 09/20/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Priev, Avi, Nayshtut, Alex, Li, Hong, Porat, Shahar
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand, Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): KAPLAN, BENJAMIN A
• Application Number:
  US14/229,422
• Publication Number:
  US 20150278558A1
• Time in Patent Office: 907 Days
• Field of Search: 726/35
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/86 Secure or tamper-resistant housings
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss

Abstract

Methods, systems, apparatus and articles of manufacture are disclosed to secure devices. An example disclosed apparatus includes a platform detector to determine when the device is within a threshold proximity to a platform, a device locking manager to initiate a locking service for the device when within the threshold proximity, and a device tampering manager to initiate a tampering remedy in response to detecting an indication of tampering.

Claims

1. An apparatus to secure a device, comprising:

a platform detector structured to determine when the device is within a threshold proximity to a platform;

a device locking manager structured to, in response to the device being within the threshold proximity of the platform, automatically activate a physical lock to physically restrain the device to the platform; and

a device tampering manager structured to initiate a tampering remedy in response to detecting an indication of tampering.

2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the physical lock includes a device locking module engageable to a corresponding platform locking module.

3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further including a credential engine structured to release the physical lock in response to receipt of authorized credentials.

4. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the indication of tampering is an occurrence of a force satisfying a threshold.

5. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, further including a force sensor to generate a force value corresponding to the force to compare to the threshold.

6. An apparatus as defined in claim 4, further including a credential engine structured to prompt for authorized credentials in response to the occurrence of the force satisfying the threshold.

7. An apparatus as defined in claim 1, further including a sacrificial component connected to the physical lock, the sacrificial component to be destroyed in response to a force satisfying a threshold being applied between the physical lock and the platform.

8. A method to secure a device, comprising:

determining, with a processor, when the device is within a threshold proximity to a platform;

when the device is within the threshold proximity to the platform, activating, with the processor, a physical lock to physically restrain the device to the platform; and

initiating, with the processor, a tampering remedy in response to detecting an indication of tampering.

9. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein the physical lock includes a device locking module engageable to a corresponding platform locking module.

10. A method as defined in claim 8, wherein the indication of tampering is an occurrence of a force satisfying a threshold.

11. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein the tampering remedy is a tampering message generated in response to the occurrence of the force satisfying the threshold.

12. A method as defined in claim 8, further including destroying a sacrificial component connected to the physical lock in response to a force satisfying a threshold being applied between the physical lock and the platform.

13. A method as defined in claim 10, further including, in response to the occurrence of the force satisfying the threshold, prompting for authorized credentials.

14. A method as defined in claim 8, further including releasing the physical lock in response to receipt of authorized credentials.

15. A machine accessible storage device or storage disk comprising instructions that, when executed, cause a machine to at least:

determine when a device is within a threshold proximity to a platform;

when the device is determined to be within the threshold proximity to the platform, activate a physical lock to physically restrain the device to the platform; and

initiate a tampering remedy in response to detecting an indication of tampering.

16. A machine accessible storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 15, further including instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to incapacitate a sacrificial component connected to the physical lock in response to a force satisfying a threshold being applied between the physical lock and the platform.

17. A machine accessible storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 15, further including instructions that, when executed, cause the machine to release the physical lock in response to receipt of authorized credentials.

18. A machine accessible storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 15, wherein the indication of tampering is an occurrence of a force satisfying a threshold.

19. A machine accessible storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 18, further including instructions that, when executed, cause the machine, in response to the occurrence of the force satisfying the threshold, to prompt for authorized credentials.

20. A machine accessible storage device or storage disk as defined in claim 18, wherein the tampering remedy is a tampering message generated in response to the occurrence of the force satisfying the threshold.