Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support – Data processing protection using cryptography – By stored data protection
Reexamination Certificate
1998-04-08
2001-06-05
Swann, Tod (Department: 2767)
Electrical computers and digital processing systems: support
Data processing protection using cryptography
By stored data protection
C713S152000, C713S152000, C713S183000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06243813
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a personal computer (PC), and more particularly, to a PC having a security function, a security method therefor, and methods of installing and detaching a security device in and from the PC.
Currently, PC's are being used by many different kinds of people for various applications, some of which involve highly sensitive information. Thus, PC's have provided users with various measures for securing such information.
A PC security method has three aspects: a first aspect of preventing an unauthorized user from booting the PC; a second aspect of preventing the usage of input devices such as a keyboard or mouse; and a third aspect of preventing valuable information from being read and copied.
The above security method generally requires a user to input a password for permitting the use of PC. However, if the password is revealed, the conventional PC protection function is useless.
Furthermore, it is not difficult for an unauthorized user who doesn't know the password to find it on a hard disk. Thus, an unauthorized user can copy valuable information from the booted PC without permission, thereby exposing information. Also, even if the PC includes the security device, it may be detached from the PC by an unauthorized user and the hard disk thereof may be accessed to expose information.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
To solve the problems, it is an object of the present invention to provide a PC having a security function, which stores a password therein and controls the booting of the PC, wherein since only this PC can decode encrypted information, security can be guaranteed even if an unauthorized user copies information stored in the PC without permission.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a PC security method for controlling the booting of the PC.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a PC security method where information stored in the PC is encrypted to prevent it from being decoded by another PC, thereby securing information even if it is copied from the PC without permission.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a PC security method where a password is stored in the PC.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for installing a security device in the PC.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a method for detaching a security device from the PC.
According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a personal computer having a securing function comprising: an input/output portion for inputting/outputting a password; a main memory portion for storing the password; a hard disk for storing the password and a boot sector without partition, which is booted in response to a booting permission signal; a security portion including a booting controller for generating the booting permission signal in response to an initializing signal, according to whether the password is valid and whether the hard disk is the hard disk which is initially installed in the system, an encrypting/decoding portion for encrypting/decoding data in response to a disk input/output requesting signal, in accordance with the type of a disk or diskette and operation mode such as reading and writing, and a storing portion for storing a boot sector with partition and password; and a central controller for controlling the hard disk and the security portion, generating the initializing signal when power is supplied thereto and the disk input/output requesting signal in response to a signal input to the input/output portion, and controlling the various data stored in the security portion, wherein the hard disk is booted in response to whether the security portion exists and whether the security portion is the security portion which is initially installed in the system.
According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a personal computer security method for controlling the boot of the personal computer including a hard disk and security portion for storing various programs for security of the personal computer, the security method comprising the steps of: (a) preventing the booting of the personal computer if a password input by a user is not valid; (b) terminating the booting of the personal computer if the security portion is detached; (c) controlling the input/output of data to/from the hard disk using the security portion if the security portion is that which is initially installed in the PC together with the hard disk; and (d) booting the hard disk.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a personal computer security method for preventing information stored in a personal computer from being accessed by an unauthorized user, the personal computer including a hard disk and security portion for controlling the input/output of data to/from the hard disk, comprising the steps of: (a) determining whether the type of a disk to/from which the user intends to input/output data is a hard disk; (b) determining whether to read information from a diskette if the disk is not a hard disk; (c) decoding information written on the diskette if the information written on the diskette is corresponds to encrypted information stored in the hard disk to supply the decoded signal to a user; (d) determining whether to write information on the diskette if it is determined not to read information from the diskette in step (b); (e) writing information on the diskette after encrypting data so as to be decoded only by the security portion if it is determined to write information on the diskette; and (f) performing a disk interrupt operation initiated by the personal computer if it is determined not to record information on the diskette in step (d) or it is determined in step (a) that the type of a disk to/from which the user intends to input/output data is a hard disk.
According to yet another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a personal computer security method for storing the password of a personal computer, wherein the personal computer includes a hard disk, input/output portion, main memory portion and security portion for securing the personal computer in any portion in/from which data can be written/read.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of installing a security device in a personal computer, comprising the steps of: installing the security device in the hard disk and the central controller of the personal computer; storing an original booting data of the boot sector of the hard disk in a special file; installing new booting data in the boot sector; copying the new booting data installed in the boot sector into the security device; removing only a partition from the new booting data so as to prevent the personal computer from being used without the security device; and registering the password and identification number of the personal computer in the hard disk and the security device.
According to a still further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of detaching a security device from a personal computer, wherein the method is performed by installing again original booting data stored as a special file in the boot sector of the personal computer and allowing only an authorized user to remove the password.
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Kabakoff Steve
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
Sughrue Mion Zinn Macpeak & Seas, PLLC
Swann Tod
LandOfFree
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