Security apparatus and method

• US 7,945,709 B2
• Filed: 10/02/2002
• Issued: 05/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/15/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Absolute Software Corporation
• Original Assignee: Absolute Software Corporation
• Inventors: Cotichini, Christian, Nguyen, Thanh Cam, Cain, Fraser
• Primary Examiner(s): CHEN, ALAN S
• Application Number:
  US10/263,462
• Publication Number:
  US 20030172306A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,149 Days
• Field of Search: 713/200, 713/201, 713/202, 713/190, 713/192, 379/40, 379 58- 59, 709200-202, 709/217, 710/7, 710/15, 710/19
• US Class Current: 710/15
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/02 using radio waves G01S19/00 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 12/1408 by using cryptography for digital transmission H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 13/126 and has means for transferring I/O instructions and statuses between control unit and main processor
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/313 using a call-back technique via a telephone network
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/73 by creating or determining hardware identification, e.g. serial numbers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/88 Detecting or preventing theft or loss
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/28 Restricting access to network management systems or functions, e.g. using authorisation function to access network configuration
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0817 by checking functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/12 Detection or prevention of fraud
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/30 Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent

Abstract

A system for locating and monitoring electronic devices utilizing a security system that is secretly and transparently embedded within the computer. This security system causes the client computer to periodically and conditionally call a host system to report its serial number via an encoded series of dialed numbers. A host monitoring system receives calls from various clients and determines which calls to accept and which to reject by comparing the decoded client serial numbers with a predefined and updated list of numbers corresponding to reported stolen computers. The host also concurrently obtains the caller ID of the calling client to determine the physical location of the client computer. The caller ID and the serial number are subsequently transmitted to a notifying station in order to facilitate the recovery of the stolen device. The security system remains hidden from the user, and actively resists attempts to disable it.

Claims

1. A method for monitoring an electronic device comprising the steps of:

the electronic device initiating communication to a remote location using a concealed agent without alerting a user and without triggering by the remote location; and

identifying the electronic device and determining whether the electronic device has been reported lost based on information communicated by the electronic device.