Secure computer architectures, systems, and applications

• US 9,614,839 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2015
• Issued: 04/04/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mordecai Barkan
• Original Assignee: Mordecai Barkan
• Inventors: Barkan, Mordecai
• Primary Examiner(s): Rahman, Mahfuzur
• Application Number:
  US14/743,911
• Publication Number:
  US 20150312253A1
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 726 11
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/53 by executing in a restricted environment, e.g. sandbox or secure virtual machine
• 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 21/71 to assure secure computing or processing of information
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/85 interconnection devices, e.g. bus-connected or in-line devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0471 applying encryption by an intermediary, e.g. receiving clear information at the intermediary and encrypting the received information at the intermediary before forwarding
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002

Abstract

Secure computer architectures, systems, and applications are provided herein. An exemplary computing system may include a trusted environment having a trusted processor and memory that provides a trusted computing environment that performs computing functions that could expose the computing device to a security risk, and a legacy environment having a secondary processor and memory for providing a legacy computing environment that manages computing functions exposed to unsecure environments.

Claims

1. A computing device, comprising:

a trusted environment comprising;

a trusted hardware processor; and

a trusted memory for storing executable instructions, the trusted hardware processor executing the executable instructions to provide a trusted computing environment;

a legacy environment comprising;

a legacy hardware processor that is physically separated from the trusted hardware processor; and

a legacy memory for storing executable instructions, the legacy hardware processor executing the executable instructions to provide a legacy computing environment;

a network hardware interface that is dedicated for the trusted environment, the network hardware interface being inaccessible to the legacy environment; and

input/output (I/O) devices, wherein each of the I/O devices comprises dedicated connections for the trusted environment, each of the I/O devices being inaccessible to the legacy environment;

wherein the trusted environment receives input from the I/O devices and the network hardware interface and monitors, compares, evaluates, blocks, processes or modifies the received input for transmitting to the legacy environment;

wherein the trusted environment monitors, compares, evaluates, blocks, processes or modifies input received from the legacy environment for transmitting to the I/O devices and the network hardware interface;

wherein the trusted hardware processor utilizes a hardware gated channel to control computing functions of the legacy environment; and

wherein the legacy environment executes safe applications to generate output in a structured form.

2. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein applications of the computing device that utilize sensitive information are only executed from within the trusted environment.

3. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein content downloaded from a network is stored and executed only in the legacy environment, the downloaded content being inaccessible by the trusted environment.

4. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein authentication data for the computing device is stored in the trusted environment and cannot be accessed by the legacy environment.

5. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein the trusted environment is embodied on a physical device that selectively couples with the computing device.

6. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein the computing device is configured to separately execute portions of a computing operation using both the trusted environment and the legacy environment, wherein the trusted environment executes portions of the computing operation that could expose the computing device to a security risk while the legacy environment executes portions of the computing operation that are computing resource intensive and could not pose a security risk.

7. The computing device according to claim 1, further comprising the legacy environment communicating with an external device or network.

8. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein the trusted memory stores sensitive data.

9. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein the trusted computing environment comprises a sensitive information module that is executed by the trusted hardware processor to detect requests for passwords from either the trusted computing environment, the legacy computing environment, or a network device.

10. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein the trusted and legacy computing environments cooperate to provide encrypted data by the trusted computing environment providing data that is to be encrypted while the trusted computing environment applies an encryption algorithm to the data provided by the legacy computing environment, the encryption algorithm being inaccessible to the legacy computing environment.

11. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein location or position information of the computing device is accessible only to the trusted computing environment.

12. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein the trusted computing environment includes a trusted web browser and the legacy computing environment includes a legacy web browser, wherein the trusted web browser and the legacy web browser are configured to cooperate together when accessing a network to prevent malware attacks.

13. The computing device according to claim 1, further comprising a firewall application that is executed by the trusted hardware processor to secure network access for the computing device.

14. The computing device according to claim 1, wherein the trusted computing environment is configured to manage email addresses for the computing device.

15. A method for providing secure computing operations on a computing device, the method comprising:

executing a legacy computing environment by a legacy processor executing instructions stored in a legacy memory, the legacy computing environment being utilized to facilitate computing resource intensive functions of the computing device or computing operations that expose the computing device to security risks that are external to the computing device; and

executing a trusted computing environment by a trusted processor executing instructions stored in a trusted memory, the trusted computing environment being utilized to process input and output operations of the computing device and monitor the legacy computing environment;

executing a first portion of an application in the trusted computing environment and executing a second portion of the application in the legacy computing environment;

combining an output of the first portion of the application executed in the trusted computing environment with an output of the second portion of the application executed in the legacy computing environment;

executing a third portion of the application in another legacy computing environment; and

executing a trusted browser application within the trusted computing environment.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising transmitting sensitive information only via a network interface associated with the trusted computing environment.

17. The method according to claim 15, further comprising storing sensitive information for a user in the trusted computing environment in such a way that the sensitive information cannot be accessed by the legacy computing environment.

18. A computing device, comprising:

a trusted environment comprising;

a trusted processor; and

a trusted memory for storing executable instructions, the trusted memory storing passwords for a user;

a legacy environment comprising;

a secondary processor that is physically separated from the trusted processor; and

a secondary memory for storing executable instructions, the secondary processor executing the instructions to provide a legacy computing environment that utilizes applications or network resources that require one or more of the passwords for authenticating the user; and

wherein the trusted environment provides one or more passwords in response to a request, in such a way that the one or more passwords provided by the trusted environment are not exposed to the legacy environment;

a network interface that is dedicated for the trusted environment, the network interface being inaccessible to the legacy environment; and

input/output (I/O) devices, wherein each of the I/O devices comprises dedicated connections for the trusted environment, wherein at least a portion of the I/O devices which do not pose a security risk to a computing system device are coupled with the legacy environment;

wherein the legacy environment executes safe applications to generate output in a structured form;

wherein the trusted environment comprises a content insertion module that is executed by the trusted processor to insert trusted data into the structured form; and

wherein content downloaded from a network is stored and executed only in the legacy environment, the downloaded content being inaccessible by the trusted environment.