18123002. BIOS PROTECTION USING AGENT-BASED VALIDATION OF BIOS VERSION simplified abstract (Dell Products L.P.)
Contents
BIOS PROTECTION USING AGENT-BASED VALIDATION OF BIOS VERSION
Organization Name
Inventor(s)
Tomer Shachar of Beer Sheva (IL)
Yevgeni Gehtman of Modi'in (IL)
BIOS PROTECTION USING AGENT-BASED VALIDATION OF BIOS VERSION - A simplified explanation of the abstract
This abstract first appeared for US patent application 18123002 titled 'BIOS PROTECTION USING AGENT-BASED VALIDATION OF BIOS VERSION
The patent application discusses techniques for protecting the basic input/output system (BIOS) of a device by validating the BIOS version.
- Obtaining identifiers of designated versions of the BIOS and the active BIOS version
- Updating the active BIOS version to a designated version if they do not match
- Initiating the boot process using the designated BIOS version
- Identifiers may include hash values of approved BIOS versions
- An agent executed by the operating system may perform these actions
Potential Applications: - Enhancing security of devices by ensuring only approved BIOS versions are used - Preventing unauthorized modifications to the BIOS - Protecting against malware that targets the BIOS
Problems Solved: - Unauthorized changes to the BIOS - Security vulnerabilities due to outdated BIOS versions - Malware attacks targeting the BIOS
Benefits: - Improved device security - Reduced risk of unauthorized access - Enhanced protection against malware attacks
Commercial Applications: Title: "Enhanced BIOS Security System for Devices" This technology can be used in industries where data security is critical, such as finance, healthcare, and government sectors. It can also be integrated into consumer electronics to provide enhanced security features.
Questions about BIOS Version Validation: 1. How does BIOS version validation enhance device security?
- BIOS version validation ensures that only approved versions of the BIOS are used, reducing the risk of unauthorized access and malware attacks.
2. What are the potential risks of not validating BIOS versions?
- Not validating BIOS versions can lead to security vulnerabilities, unauthorized modifications, and exposure to malware attacks.
Original Abstract Submitted
Techniques are provided for basic input/output system (BIOS) protection using BIOS version validation. One method comprises obtaining, by an entity associated with an operating system of a device, identifiers of designated versions of a BIOS of the device; obtaining, by the entity, an identifier of an active BIOS version; updating, by the entity, the active BIOS version to a given designated version of the BIOS, responsive to the entity determining that the identifier of the active BIOS version does not match the identifiers of the designated versions of the BIOS; and initiating, by the entity, a boot process of the processing device using the given designated version of the BIOS. The identifiers of the designated versions of the BIOS may comprise hash values of corresponding approved versions of the BIOS. The entity may comprise an agent executed by the operating system.
