Abstract:
Systems and methods for trusted integration of untrusted components. An example system includes at least three electrical components and voting (consensus) circuitry. The components have varied hierarchical implementations for providing common output given common input. The voting circuitry is configured to receive, as input, outputs from the components and provide a consensus output that is a majority of the outputs received from the components. Such a diversity of multiple untrusted system components (hardware and/or software) engaged in redundant operation can be integrated to as a consensus-based trusted system with a high degree of fault tolerance to unforeseen environmental interference, cyberattack, supply chain counterfeit, inserted Trojan logic, or component design flaws. The degree of fault tolerance can be increased by increasing the degree of diversity of redundant operational nodes or by increasing the number of diversely implemented operational nodes.
Abstract:
A computing entity comprises a trusted monitoring component having a first processing means and a first memory means, the trusted monitoring component being a self-contained autonomous data processing unit, and a computer platform having a main processing means and a main memory area, along with a plurality of associated physical and logical resources such as peripheral devices including printers, modems, application programs, operating systems and the like. The computer platform is capable of entering a plurality of different states of operation, each state of operation having a different level of security and trustworthiness. Selected ones of the states comprise trusted states in which a user can enter sensitive confidential information with a high degree of certainty that the computer platform has not been compromised by external influences such as viruses, hackers or hostile attacks. To enter a trusted state, references made automatically to the trusted component, and to exit a trusted state reference must be made to the trusted component. On exiting the trusted state, all references to the trusted state are deleted from the computer platform. On entering the trusted state, the state is entered in a reproducible and known manner, having a reproducible and known configuration which is confirmed by the trusted component.
Abstract:
A method of security monitoring of data files in a computer platform is carried out by a trusted component having a processor and trusted memory area. The method comprises creating one or a plurality of data files in an untrusted memory area of said computing platform, for each created data file, periodically generating a digest data by applying a hash function to each data file, storing the digest data in a trusted memory area and for each file periodically comparing a current digest data of the file with a previously generated digest data of the file. Any differences between a previous and a current digest data indicate that a file in the untrusted memory area has been corrupted.
Abstract:
A method and system for facilitating digital commerce using a secure digital commerce system is provided. The secure digital commerce system is arranged according to a client/server architecture and includes a modularized DCS client and DCS server. The DCS client and the DCS server are incorporated into an online purchasing system, such as a virtual store, to perform the purchase and online delivery of electronic content. The DCS client includes a set of components which include a secured copy of the merchandise and various components needed to license and purchase the merchandise and to unsecure and process (e.g., execute) the licensed merchandise. The DCS client communicates with the DCS server to download the components onto a customer's computer system and to license and purchase a requested item of merchandise. The DCS server, which includes a content supplier server, a licensing and purchasing broker, and a payment processing function, supplies merchandise-specific components and licenses the requested item of merchandise by generating an electronic certificate. The eletronic certificate contains license parameters that are specific to the requested merchandise and an indicated purchasing option. Once a valid eletronic license certificate for the requested merchandise is received by the DCS client, the merchandise is made available to the customer for use in accordance with the licensing parameters contained in the electronic license certificate.
Abstract:
Communication apparatus including a public network, a secured network, a plurality of public nodes connected to the public network and a plurality of secured nodes connected to the secured network and to the public network. The nodes including means for communicating therebetween over the networks, wherein each secured node includes a communication controller, a computer system and a secured storage area. A secured node divides a confidential message into at least two segments and transmits the segments via the networks wherein at least a selected one of the segments is transmitted via at least one of the secured networks. The communication controller is also operative to disconnect the secured storage area from the computer station and the public network when the communication between the computer station and the public network is in progress.
Abstract:
Each software component loaded for a verified operating system on a client computer must satisfy a set of boot rules for a boot certificate. A verified operating system identifier is created from the boot certificate. The boot certificate is published and signed by a boot authority that attests to the validity of the operating system booted under the boot certificate. Each software component for the operating system is associated with a component certificate published and signed by the same boot authority that signed the boot certificate. The boot rules determine the validity of the software component based on the contents of the component and boot certificates. The client computer transmits the verified operating system identity and the boot certificate to a server computer, such as a content provider, and the content provider determines whether to trust the verified operating system with its content. Downloaded data is secured on permanent storage through a key derived from the verified operating system identifier. The boot certificate, component certificates, and secured content define the boot domain.
Abstract:
A computing apparatus comprises a plurality of hardware modules (102, 104, 106) and a shared communication infrastructure (110) by which the modules can communicate with each other in the usual way. In order to increase the level of trust and security in the apparatus, a trusted hardware module (120) is also provided and is connected to the other modules by respective communication paths (122a; 122b; 122c), distinct from the communication infrastructure, by which each of those modules can communicate directly with the trusted module but cannot communicate directly with any other of the modules. The trusted module can therefore have secure communications, for example of "unsafe" data, with each of the other modules without any of the remaining modules eavesdropping, and the trusted module can route unsafe data between any pair of the other modules, or decline to provide such routing, for example in dependance on policy stored in the trusted module.
Abstract:
The present invention is a system and a method for the use of a biometric feature as a key to grant access to a computer. The computer comprises a processor connected to a biometric sensor and a resource for operating the biometric sensor. The processor has a nonenabled state and an enabled state. In the nonenabled state the processor cannot execute applications loaded into memory from a hard drive. In the enabled state the processor can execute such applications. A user gains access to the computer and enables the processor by having a biometric feature input onto the computer using the biometric sensor. The resource that operates the biometric sensor then compares data representing the biometric feature to enrolled user data contained within the resource. If the data representing the biometric feature matches the enrolled user data then the resource switches the processor from the nonenabled state to the enabled state. If there is not a match then the processor remains in the nonenabled state.
Abstract:
A security enhanced computer system arrangement includes a coprocessor (10) and a multiprocessor logic controller (38) inserted into the architecture of a conventional computer system. The coprocessor and multiprocessor logic controller is interposed between the CPU of the conventional computer system to intercept and replace control signals that are passed over certain of the critical control signal lines associated with the CPU. The CPU is released by allowing control signals to again pass between it and the computer system. Isolating the CPU control signal from the remainder of the computer system, allows a multiprocessor logic controller (38) to interrupt the normal computer system operation at any time and permit the coprocessor to check digital signatures of any firmware or software in the computer system. The multiprocessor logic controller arrangement thereby isolates the CPU of the conventional computer system from the remainder of the conventional computer system, permitting separate control over the CPU and separate control over the remainder of the computer system.
Abstract:
A method and apparatus for preboot file and information transfer between workstations (13) and other workstations (15) or workstations (13) and servers (11) on local area networks. During a workstation boot sequence, the various components of the workstation and network operating system are loaded and executed. Since all control of the workstation after the boot sequence is passed to the workstation operating system, any mangement tasks performed after boot must be performed by application programs (23) running on the workstation. The present invention overcomes problems created by using such application programs to perform management tasks by providing a hardware component (27), for example a ROM or PROM (61) containing appropriate programming placed in the usually unused boot ROM socket of a LAN card installed in the individual workstations (13), or a chip including a PROM or ROM (61) built onto the motherboard or system board of the individual workstations. The program in the PROM (61) is set up so that, at system start-up (31), prior to loading of the workstation operating system software during the boot sequence, it performs certain operating system functions (35) by using the basic input/output system (BIOS) of the workstation to enable the workstation to communicate with a server on the network and make the necessary resource of the workstation available to a server management application (11c) running on the server via the network. This process, controlled by a system administrator (15), allows a variety of preboot functions to take place in the workstation.