Computer with security function and method therefor

• US 7,008,456 B1
• Filed: 01/20/2000
• Issued: 03/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Tanaka, Jun, Horikoshi, Seita, Nomura, Masahiko, Usui, Hideyuki, Horikoshi, Hideto, Tamura, Fumio
• Primary Examiner(s): Morse, Gregory
• Assistant Examiner(s): Brown, Christopher J.
• Application Number:
  US09/488,653
• Time in Patent Office: 2,238 Days
• Field of Search: 713/200
• US Class Current: 726/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1616 with folding flat displays, e.g. laptop computers or notebooks having a clamshell configuration, with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1698 the I/O peripheral being a sending/receiving arrangement to establish a cordless communication link, e.g. radio or infrared link, integrated cellular phone details of antennas disposed inside a computer H01Q1/2266
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/109 by using specially-adapted hardware at the client
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/30 Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss

Abstract

A technique for prohibiting access to a computer having a security function when a security device is illegally removed from the computer. The security device is a hardware component that constitutes a part of a security function for a computer. When the security device is illegally removed from the computer, access to the computer is prohibited. Data indicating that the security device is attached to the computer are stored in a nonvolatile memory. Then, when a specific event, such as a power-ON event, is used as a trigger, the procedure for prohibiting the access to the computer is initiated. Following this, based on the data stored in the memory, it is detected that the security device was once attached to the computer and that it has now been removed. If currently the security device is not attached to the computer, although it was attached before, the access to the computer is prohibited.

Claims

1. A method for prohibiting access to a computer, having a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip and capable of having a removable radio frequency (RF) antenna security device installed therein, after a radio frequency antenna security device has been removed from said computer, comprising the steps of:

(a) storing data comprising at least an antenna history, antenna error, detect coil, detect enable, tamper and access protection bit regions indicating that said security device was originally attached to said computer in a first region of first storage means at said RF chip in said computer, wherein said first storage means is capable of storing data received from said RF antenna while a main power source of said computer is turned off;

(b) starting a procedure for prohibiting the access to change said stored data at said computer following the completion of said step (a);

(c) using said data stored in said first region to verify that said security device was once attached to said computer by accessing at least said antenna history bit;

(d) dynamically determining that said security device is no longer attached to said computer; and

(e) prohibiting the access to said computer in response to said steps (c) and (d).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step (b) is initiated in response to a trigger event.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said step (e) is performed only when an authorized password is not entered.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising the step of:

storing, in response to receipt of an authorized password, data indicating that said security device that was once attached to said computer has been removed in a second region of said first storage means.

8. The method according to claim 1 wherein said storing is done in response to receipt of an RF excitation signal received from a remote RF transmitter.

5. A computer, having a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip, capable of having a removable radio frequency (RF) antenna security device installed therein, comprising:

first storage means at said RFID chip capable of storing data received from said RF antenna while a main power source of said computer is turned off;

a central processing unit;

means for storing data comprising at least antenna history, antenna error, detect coil, detect enable, tamper and access protection bit regions indicating that said security device that was once attached to said computer has been removed therefrom in a region of the first storage means;

detection means for using data stored in said region to detect that said security device attached to said computer has been removed therefrom; and

means for prohibiting, in response to said detection mean, access to said computer.

6. The computer according to claim 5 further comprising means for determining it removal of said security device was authorized means for storing, in response to said determination data indicating that said security device that was once attached to said computer has been legitimately removed therefrom in a second region of said first storage means.

7. The computer according to claim 5, wherein said RF antenna is attached to a lid of a device bay of said computer.