User controllable platform-level trigger to set policy for protecting platform from malware

• US 9,916,454 B2
• Filed: 06/20/2016
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Thadikaran, Paul J., Triantafillou, Nicholas D., Bowen, Thomas R., Saxena, Paritosh
• Primary Examiner(s): DADA, BEEMNET W
• Application Number:
  US15/187,530
• Publication Number:
  US 20160306978A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1441 for a range
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1466 Key-lock mechanism
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/575 Secure boot
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2212/1052 Security improvement

Abstract

Embodiments of systems, apparatuses, and methods to protect data stored in a storage system of a device from malware alternation are described. In some embodiments, a system receives an indication that the data is to be protected. In addition, the system further triggers an interrupt of the device and secures the data from the malware alternation.

Claims

1. A method to protect data stored in a storage system of a device from malware alternation, comprising:

initiating a boot sequence of the device, the data stored in a plurality of sectors in the storage system;

during the boot sequence, selectively locking different ones of the plurality of sectors, wherein the selectively locking of the different ones of the plurality of sectors is an incremental locking of the different ones of the plurality of sectors during different periods of the boot up sequence; and

completing the boot sequence such that the plurality of sectors locked.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the locking of the different ones of the plurality sectors comprises:

preventing a process from writing other data to the different ones of the plurality of sectors.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the data includes a master boot record of the device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data includes parts of an operating system of the device that are not to be altered after the completing the boot sequence.