SPATIAL SECURITY FOR STORED DATA

• US 20140283111A1
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: DOLPH, Blaine H., PATIL, Sandeep R., SIVAKUMAR, Gandhi, TREVATHAN, Matthew B., SHIRAGUPPI, Riyazahamad M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,767,323 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6218 to a system of files or objects, e.g. local or distributed file system or database
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/80 in storage media based on magnetic or optical technology, e.g. disks with sectors preventing unauthorised reproduction or copying of disc-type recordable media G11B20/00

Abstract

Systems and methods of providing spatial security of data stored on a hard disk drive. A method includes associating a user with at least one track and/or sector of the hard disk drive. The method also includes locking the at least one track and/or sector as a default setting. The method additionally includes determining the user has moved into a predefined area. The method further includes unlocking the at least one track and/or sector based on the determining the user has moved into the predefined area.

Claims

1. A method of providing spatial security of data stored on a hard disk drive, comprising:

associating a user with at least one track and/or sector of the hard disk drive;

locking the at least one track and/or sector as a default setting;

determining the user has moved into a predefined area; and

unlocking the at least one track and/or sector based on the determining the user has moved into the predefined area.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the locking comprises causing a hard disk controller to prevent read/write access to the at least one track and/or sector.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the unlocking comprises causing a hard disk controller to permit read/write access to the at least one track and/or sector.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the user has moved out of the predefined area; and

locking the at least one track and/or sector based on the determining the user has moved out of the predefined area.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising prompting the user with at least one additional security measure after the unlocking.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the at least one additional security measure comprises at least one of a password and a decryption key.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising permitting read/write access to other tracks and/or sectors of the hard disk drive while the at least one track and/or sector is locked.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the user has moved into the predefined area comprises detecting that a geo-spatial coordinate locator associated with the user has crossed a boundary of the predefined area.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the user has moved into the predefined area comprises:

determining coordinates of a geo-spatial coordinate locator associated with the user; and

comparing the determined coordinates to coordinates of a boundary of the predefined area.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the user has moved into the predefined area comprises detecting that a geo-spatial coordinate locator associated with the user is within a predefined distance from a computer device that is connected to the hard disk drive.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating an alarm when another user attempts to access the at least one track and/or sector while the at least one track and/or sector is locked.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein a service provider at least one of creates, maintains, deploys and supports the computer infrastructure.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein steps of claim 1 are provided by a service provider on a subscription, advertising, and/or fee basis.

14. A system implemented in hardware, comprising:

a geo-spatial reader substrate configured to determine when a geo-spatial coordinate locator moves into or out of a predefined area; and

an intelligent spatial security steward storage controller (ISSSC) configured to at least one of;

unlock at least one track and/or sector of a hard disk drive when the geo-spatial coordinate locator moves into the predefined area, and lock the at least one track and/or sector of the hard disk drive when the geo-spatial coordinate locator moves out of the predefined area.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the predefined area is associated with a computer device that is connected to the hard disk drive.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the ISSSC locks the at least one track and/or sector by causing a hard disk controller to prevent read/write access from the computer device to the at least one track and/or sector.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the ISSSC unlocks the at least one track and/or sector by causing a hard disk controller to permit read/write access from the computer device to the at least one track and/or sector.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein other tracks and/or sectors of the hard disk drive are accessible using the computer device while the at least one track and/or sector is locked.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the geo-spatial reader substrate determines when a geo-spatial coordinate locator moves into or out of the predefined area using at least one of:

radio-frequency identification, global positioning system coordinates, and near field communication.

20. A computer program product for providing spatial security of data stored on a hard disk drive, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to associate a user with a low level portion of the hard disk drive;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to prevent read/write access to the low level portion of the hard disk drive when a user is determined to be outside of a predefined area; and

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices, to permit read/write access to the low level portion of the hard disk drive when a user is determined to be inside the predefined area.

21. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein the low level portion of the hard disk drive comprises at least one track and/or sector contained in the hard disk drive.

22. The computer program product of claim 20, wherein:

the preventing read/write access comprises causing a hard disk controller to prevent read/write access from a computing device associated with the predefined area; and

the permitting read/write access comprises causing the hard disk controller to permit read/write access from the computing device associated with the predefined area.

23. A computer system for providing spatial security of data stored on a hard disk drive, the system comprising:

a CPU, a computer readable memory and a computer readable storage media;

program instructions to determine when a user moves into or out of a predefined area associated with a computer device connected to the hard disk drive;

program instructions to unlock at least one track and/or sector of the hard disk drive when the user moves into the predefined area; and

program instructions to lock the at least one track and/or sector of the hard disk drive when the user moves out of the predefined area,

wherein each of the program instructions are stored on the computer readable storage media for execution by the CPU via the computer readable memory.