Abstract:
A machine-implemented method is provided for securing a storage-equipped device against introduction of malicious configuration data into configuration data storage, the method comprising steps of receiving by the device, a trusted signal for modification of the configuration of the device; responsive to the receiving, placing the device into a restricted mode of operation and at least one of deactivating a service and rebooting the device; responsive to the placing the device into the restricted mode of operation and the deactivating or rebooting, permitting configuration data entry into a restricted portion of the configuration data storage. A corresponding device and computer program product are also described.
Abstract:
A method for verifying the integrity of data in a message by a data processing device, the message comprising a plurality of packets, the method comprising: receiving, at the device from a first resource, a manifest associated with the message, the manifest comprising a plurality of group check values for the plurality of packets; receiving, at the device, from the first or a different resource, the message; generating a first progression of rolling hashes for the plurality of packets; deriving group check values from the first progression of rolling hashes for groups of the plurality of packets along one or more paths; verifying the integrity of the data in the message based on or in response to a determination that the derived group check values correspond to the plurality of group check values in the manifest.
Abstract:
A method for detecting and responding to a configuration setting capable of causing undesired energy consumption in a configurable electronic device comprises measuring a power state of at least one connection point of the configurable electronic device to establish a measured power state value; comparing the measured power state value with a stored power state value for the connection point; and responsive to a discrepancy between the measured power state value and the stored power state value for the connection point where the discrepancy is capable of causing undesired energy consumption, emitting a condition signal.
Abstract:
A machine implemented method of authenticating a communication channel between a first device and a second device by providing proof of proximity between both devices, the method comprising: generating, at the first device, an acoustic authentication signal to be received at the second device via a solid body acoustic coupling established between the first device and the second device thereby providing proof of proximity between both devices and so authenticating the communication channel between the first device and the second device.
Abstract:
A method of accessing a remote resource (4) from a data processing device (2) includes obtaining a first URL corresponding to the remote resource (4), obtaining secret data corresponding to the first URL, using the secret data to generate an obscured URL at the data processing device (2), and accessing the remote resource using the obscured URL. This allows the user of the device (2) to see a first URL which is intelligible and provides useful information about the device, without sharing that information with the network. The obscured URL identifies the actual location of the remote resource and can be an unintelligible stream of digits or letters.
Abstract:
A data processing device 2 has a processor 4 which executes software directly from non-volatile memory 6, 8. The processor 4 has a runtime component 20 which dynamically maps software element identifiers specified by the software to corresponding software elements in memory 6, 8. Mapping information 22 is used to determine which software elements identifiers correspond to which software elements. This provides a level of indirection which can be used to make software updates more efficient, by updating only parts of the software while leaving old parts of the software as they are. Updated software elements can be stored to memory and the mapping information updated to point to the new elements, while existing mappings may be retained.
Abstract:
A data processing system operates in a plurality of modes including a first privilege mode and a second privilege mode with the first privilege mode giving rights of access that are not available in the second privilege mode. Application code executes in the second privilege mode and generates function calls to hypervisor code which executes in the first privilege mode. These function calk are to perform a secure function requiring the rights of access which are only available in the first privilege mode. Scheduling code which executes in the second privilege mode controls scheduling of both the application code and the hypervisor code. Memory protection circuitry operating with physical addresses serves to control access permissions required to access different regions within the memory address space using configuration data which is written by the hypervisor code. The hypervisor code temporarily grants access to different regions within the physical memory address space to the system in the second privilege mode as needed to support the execution of code scheduled by the scheduling code.
Abstract:
A method of creating, at a permissions management resource, access permissions relating to a subject device for at least one data processing device, the method comprising: obtaining, at the permissions management resource, input data; generating, at the permissions management resource, at least one permission relating to accessing the subject device in response to the input data; transmitting, from the permissions management resource to the subject device and/or the at least one processing device, a communication comprising the at least one permission.
Abstract:
There is provided a data processing apparatus that includes an input policy filter that receives input data and an input provenance that relates to the input data. The filter forwards some or all of the input data and the input provenance according to at least one input policy. A processing environment receives the input data forwarded by the input policy filter and processes the input data to generate output data. A management environment produces an attestation of the processing environment and produces an output provenance based on the input provenance and the attestation. An output policy filter receives the output data and the output provenance and forwards the output data and the output provenance according to at least one output policy.
Abstract:
A method of accessing data sent between a remote resource and a data processing device, the method comprising: caching data uploaded from the remote resource or caching data sent to the remote resource at one or more intermediate network nodes between the data processing device and the remote resource; and accessing the cached data stored at the one or more intermediate network nodes.