Method and system for providing limited-life machine-specific passwords for data processing systems
US6601175B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Mar 16, 1999 |
| Grant date | Jul 29, 2003 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Mar 16, 2019 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F21/31
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Features of a data processing system, such as its configuration, are protected utilizing a machine-specific limited-life password. The data processing system includes execution resources for executing a watchdog program, a limited-life value generator, and non-volatile storage that stores a machine-specific value at least partially derived from relatively unique information associated with the data processing system (and preferably also derived from a secret control password). In response to each attempted access to the protected features of the data processing system, the watchdog program generates at least one machine-specific limited-life password from the machine-specific value and a limited-life value generated by the limited-life value generator. The watchdog program allows access to the protected features in response to entry of the machine-specific limited-life password and otherwise denies access. Depending upon implementation, the limited-life value can represent a timestamp that limits the duration that the machine-specific limited-life value is valid or a nonce that limits the number of times that the machine-specific limited-life value can be used.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.