COMPUTER SYSTEM FOR PREVENTING THE DISABLING OF CONTENT BLOCKING SOFTWARE FUNCTIONALITY THEREIN, AND METHOD THEREFOR

• US 20140325665A1
• Filed: 04/26/2013
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ONYX Protected Systems LLC
• Original Assignee: ONYX Protected Systems LLC
• Inventors: Duca, Frederick J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,092,596 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• 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 21/575 Secure boot

Abstract

In a computer system having a hard drive and a processor, operating system software stored on the hard drive and implemented by the processor, and a display on which icons, features, lists and menus representative of executable programs of the operating system software are displayable, there is a method for preventing the disabling or circumventing of content blocking software functionality to be installed in the computer system at time of manufacture. In the method, system restore is turned off prior to installation of the content blocking software onto the computer system, and then content blocking software-related features are hid once the content blocking software is installed. The method includes preventing booting of the computer system from external sources, preventing modifying of BIOS settings of the computer system, and the disabling of selected advanced troubleshooting tools in the operating system software.

Claims

1. A computer system configured for preventing the disabling or circumventing of content blocking software functionality to be installed at time of manufacture therein, comprising:

a housing, the housing enclosing a hard drive and a processor,

operating system software stored on the hard drive and implemented by the processor,

a display on which icons, features, lists and menus representative of executable programs of the operating system software are displayable,

means for turning off system restore prior to installation of the content blocking software onto the computer system,

means for hiding content blocking software-related features once the content blocking software is installed,

means for preventing booting of the computer system from external sources,

means for preventing modifying of BIOS settings of the computer system, and

means for disabling selected advanced troubleshooting tools in the operating system software.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein means for hiding content blocking software-related features once the content blocking software is installed includes:

means for hiding the content blocking software from an add/remove programs list of executable programs that is part of the operating system software and displayable on the display,

means for hiding a content blocking software installation directory that is part of the operating system software and displayable on the display, and

means for hiding a tray icon for the content blocking software that is displayable on the display.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein means for disabling selected advanced troubleshooting tools in the operating system software includes:

means for disabling Windows Registry Editor tools, denoted as executable files regedit.exe and regedt32.exe.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein means for disabling selected advanced troubleshooting tools in the operating system software includes:

means for disabling a command prompt tool, denoted as executable file cmd.exe.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein means for disabling selected advanced troubleshooting tools in the operating system software includes:

means for disabling a local group policy tool, denoted as file secpol.msc.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein means for disabling selected advanced troubleshooting tools in the operating system software includes:

means for disabling a task manager tool, denoted as executable file taskmgr.exe.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein means for disabling selected advanced troubleshooting tools in the operating system software includes:

means for disabling a system configuration tool, denoted as executable file msconfig.exe.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein means for disabling selected advanced troubleshooting tools in the operating system software includes:

means for disabling a run command tool, denoted as executable file run.exe.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein means for disabling selected advanced troubleshooting tools in the operating system software includes:

means for disabling a Process Monitor tool used in system administration, computer forensics, and application debugging.

10. In a computer system having a hard drive and a processor, operating system software stored on the hard drive and implemented by the processor, and a display on which icons, features, lists and menus representative of executable programs of the operating system software are displayable, a method for preventing the disabling or circumventing of content blocking software functionality to be installed in the computer system at time of manufacture, comprising:

turning off system restore prior to installation of the content blocking software onto the computer system,

hiding content blocking software-related features once the content blocking software is installed,

preventing booting of the computer system from external sources,

preventing modifying of BIOS settings of the computer system, and

disabling selected advanced troubleshooting tools in the operating system software.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein hiding content blocking software-related features once the content blocking software is installed includes:

hiding the content blocking software from an add/remove programs list of executable programs that is part of the operating system software and displayable on the display,

hiding a content blocking software installation directory that is part of the operating system software and displayable on the display, and

hiding a tray icon for the content blocking software that is displayable on the display.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein disabling selected advanced troubleshooting tools in the operating system software includes:

disabling Windows Registry Editor tools, denoted as executable files regedit.exe and regedt32.exe.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein disabling selected advanced troubleshooting tools in the operating system software includes:

disabling a command prompt tool, denoted as executable file cmd.exe.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein disabling selected advanced troubleshooting tools in the operating system software includes:

disabling a local group policy tool, denoted as file secpol.msc.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein disabling selected advanced troubleshooting tools in the operating system software includes:

disabling a task manager tool, denoted as executable file taskmgr.exe.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein disabling selected advanced troubleshooting tools in the operating system software includes:

disabling a system configuration tool, denoted as executable file msconfig.exe.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein disabling selected advanced troubleshooting tools in the operating system software includes:

disabling a run command tool, denoted as executable file run.exe.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein disabling selected advanced troubleshooting tools in the operating system software includes:

disabling a Process Monitor tool used in system administration, computer forensics, and application debugging.