Abstract:
A security block for securing I/O ports of an electronic instrument physically prevents any breach of data through a protected I/O port, such as a USB port, by securing cables that may be plugged into the port by means of a locked cover. The cables are prevented from being removed and USB memory devices are prevented from being connected in their place. In a second aspect, a portion of the security block covers unused I/O ports thereby preventing USB memory devices and other devices from being connected to unoccupied I/O ports. The locking mechanism can be either a padlock, or a locking screw, or the like.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0001]     The subject invention generally concerns the field of electronic equipment having a communications connector, and specifically concerns apparatus for preventing unauthorized access to that connector.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     There are organizations and companies in existence that may need to maintain a high degree of security with respect to the information resident on their employees&#39; computers. Electronic transmissions can be limited, such that, transmission to unauthorized destinations may be blocked. Such a company may also want to prevent the making of copies of confidential or secret data For example, such a company may mandate that none of its computers may include a drive for recording of data onto removable memory media. Such a drive may be, for example, a floppy disk drive, or a CD-ROM burner. In this way, no person could access the computer, write confidential or secret data to removable media, and then abscond with that confidential or secret data.  
         [0003]     It is herein recognized that modern technology has provided yet another way to write data from a computer to a removable medium. Unfortunately, this technology cannot be so easily banished from the computer. That technology is the USB port. One may think that a simple change to the operating system software to “turn-off” USB capability would solve this problem. However, many computer peripherals are connected to modern computers via the USB port, including keyboards and computer mice. The removable medium to be controlled in this case is the USB thumb drive, also known as, a USB flash drive, among other names.  
         [0004]     The task at hand is to prevent the use of such USB thumb drives, while at the same time, permitting the use of USB keyboards and other legitimate USB devices.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0005]     The security block of the subject invention physically prevents any breach of data through a protected I/O port, such as a USB port, by securing cables that may be plugged into the port by means of a locked cover. The cables are prevented from being removed and USB memory devices are prevented from being connected in their place.  
         [0006]     In a second aspect of the invention, a portion of the security block covers unused I/O ports thereby preventing USB memory devices and other devices from being connected to the unoccupied I/O ports.  
         [0007]     In one embodiment of the invention the locking mechanism is, for example, a padlock; in a second embodiment of the invention, one or more locking screws may be used as the locking mechanism. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING  
       [0008]      FIG. 1  shows, in pictorial form, a portion of a wall of an electronic instrument, and apparatus according to the subject invention in an open position.  
         [0009]      FIG. 2  shows, in pictorial form, a portion of a wall of an electronic instrument, and apparatus according to the subject invention in a engaged and locked position.  
         [0010]      FIG. 3  shows, in perspective view, a portion of the apparatus of  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  
         [0011]      FIG. 4  shows, in perspective view, a further portion of the apparatus of  FIGS. 1 and 2 .  
         [0012]      FIG. 5  shows, in perspective view, a second embodiment of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS  
       [0013]     In the following detailed description, one skilled in the art will recognize that similar reference numerals in the drawing serve similar functions and need not be described repeatedly.  
         [0014]     It is herein recognized that many modern test and measurement instruments, such as oscilloscopes and logic analyzers, include a pc motherboard (i.e., a personal computer) which may run standard computer software, as well as software tailored to the measurement task at hand. Other electronic equipment may also include such a pc motherboard. Thus, the security risk described above with respect to a personal computer (i.e., desktop, or pc), may also equally apply to modern test and measurement instruments or other electronic equipment.  
         [0015]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a Security Block  100  of the subject invention comprises two sheet metal parts, a primary housing  110 , and a secondary housing (i.e., locking cover)  115  that fit over at least one USB port mounted on a mother board of an electronic instrument  120 . Electronic instrument  120  may be a PC, a consumer electronics unit, or a test and measurement instrument, such as, a logic analyzer or oscilloscope, for example.  
         [0016]     Primary housing  110  is preferably made of sheet metal, for example, steel (although another suitable strong material, such as aluminum, titanium, or even acrylic may be used), and is formed in a generally rectangular shape. That is, a primary housing  110  has two right angle bends formed in it to make an enclosure having three closed sides. The three closed sides are generally perpendicular to the wall of electronic instrument  120 . Primary Housing  110  has one open side, and a rear-facing side portion  113 . Rear facing side portion  113  has an opening formed in it that beginning from an area approximately overlaying the USB ports and extending to the open end of primary housing  110 . Primary Housing  110  is preferably fixed to the wall of electronic instrument  120  by means of at least one screw  125  and by a combination of a tab  112  of primary housing  110  and a corresponding slot in the wall of electronic instrument  120 . Three USB cables,  130 ,  135 ,  137  are shown passing through the opening in primary housing  110  and connected to USB ports of electronic instrument  120 . Primary housing  110  has an aperture (i.e., a hole)  110   a  formed in it, the use of which will be discussed below.  
         [0017]     Locking cover  115  is preferably made of sheet metal (although another suitable strong material may be used), and is formed in a shape that in combination with primary housing  110  achieves a generally closed rectangular shape. That is, locking cover  115  has two opposite right angle bends formed in it to make a z-shaped structure having three sides. The three sides are generally perpendicular to the wall of electronic instrument  120 . Locking cover  115  has a rear-facing side portion  117 . Rear-facing side portion  117  has an opening formed in it that causes it to appear generally L-shaped. Locking cover  115  is preferably sized to slide into the open side of primary housing  110 , thus providing the missing closed wall needed to surround the USB ports of electronic instrument  120 . Locking cover  115  has an aperture (i.e., a hole)  115   a  formed in it, the use of which will be discussed below.  
         [0018]     Referring to  FIG. 2 , primary housing  210  is shown installed over the USB ports, followed by its locking cover  215 , which locking cover  215  is shown in its engaged (i.e., closed) position. When locking cover  215  is installed in its engaged position, cable  230 ,  235  are trapped in position by the close proximity of top portions  212 ,  217  of security block  200 , and apertures  210   a  and  215   a  (not shown) are axially aligned. Locking cover  215  is locked in place using, for example, a standard padlock  240  having a shackle  242 , preferably having a 9/32″ shackle dimension, wherein shackle  242  is inserted through aligned apertures  210   a  and  215   a . When locking cover  215  is in its engaged (i.e., closed) position, primary housing  210  cannot be removed from the wall of electronic instrument  220  because screw  125  of  FIG. 1  is also covered and is no longer accessible.  
         [0019]     There may be additional, unused, USB ports covered by closed arrangement of primary housing  210  and locking cover  215 . In such a case, the intent would be to deny access to all but, for example, three USB ports on electronic instrument  220 , which receive USB cables  230 ,  235 ,  237  coupled to legitimate peripheral devices, such as a keyboard and a mouse (not shown). These ports can only be accessed by opening padlock  240  and removing locking cover  215 . Opening security block  200  in this manner allows the customer to install mouse and/or keyboard plugs  230 ,  235 , and then lock them in place, so that they cannot be removed. Now, electronic instrument  220  can be operated with mouse and keyboard, and no other devices can be plugged into its USB ports.  
         [0020]     Security block  200  may be made large enough to cover any reasonable number of USB ports, for example, four ports. The invention allows a predetermined subset of these USB ports, or all of them, to be used, where any cables plugged into the used ports are locked in place, and any unused ports are blocked, such that another cable cannot be connected. In this way, USB memory devices cannot be connected to the USB ports of the computer or instrument without unlocking security block  200 , and for security purposes, the combination or key to padlock  240  would not be accessible to the user.  
         [0021]      FIG. 3  shows, in perspective view, an illustration of primary housing  310 . Note that, in this view, one can see that primary housing  310  has an additional aperture, (i.e., hole)  310   b . Hole  310   b  is a channel through which screw  125  of  FIG. 1  is connected to the wall of electronic instrument  120 . Tab  312  is intended to be inserted into a corresponding slot in the wall of electronic instrument  120 . As noted above, if desired, more than one screw may be used to attach primary housing  310  to electronic instrument  120 . Moreover, any such means of attachment will suffice, such as a rivet, or even a weld.  
         [0022]      FIG. 4  shows, in perspective view, an illustration of secondary housing, or locking cover,  415 . In this view, one can see more clearly the bends in member  415  that serve as the missing fourth side of primary housing  410  when locking cover  415  is installed in its engaged position.  
         [0023]     A second embodiment of the invention is shown in  FIG. 5 . The security block  500  of  FIG. 5  comprises a primary portion  510  and a locking cover  515 , and employs at least one locking screw  540 , and preferably more, as the locking mechanism instead of requiring the use of padlock  240 . Locking screws  540  may be of any of a variety of commercially available screws having a head modified for easy insertion and difficult or impossible extraction. One such locking screw is a one way screw manufactured by Tamperproof Screw Co. Inc., Hicksville, N.Y. In this manner, the two portions  510 ,  515  of the security block are engaged to form a complete enclosure and are locked together with a device that is not reasonable removable by the average user. If desired, the locking screw chosen can be of a type that is removable by an authorized individual in possession of a special tool designed for that purpose. One such a removable security screw is the Keyed-Lok® screw manufactured by Bryce Fastener Mfg. Inc., Gilbert, Ariz. In this case, the security screw or screws can be removed, and the cables changed, reasonably quickly, when required.  
         [0024]     What has been described is a two-portion lockable security block that allows use of certain ones of a plurality of USB ports while blocking access to others. An advantage of the subject invention is that when security block  100  is affixed to electronic instrument  120  with screw  125 , it is removable. Because it is removable, it can be taken off of electronic instrument  120 , for use on another instrument in the event that electronic instrument  120  is moved to a area having lesser, or no, security requirements. A further advantage provided by security block  100 , is that devices using the permitted USB connectors may be easily changed in the event that they become defective. To understand why this is particularly advantageous, consider the following. One could imagine a security system in which the keyboard and mouse were “hardwired in”, only to find at a later date, that a key has ceased to work properly. Such a situation would cause lost time, and extra expense, both of which are avoided by use of the subject invention.  
         [0025]     One skilled in the art will recognize that the subject invention can be applied to I/O ports other than a USB I/O port on a variety of electrical instruments, as needed for security purposes. Moreover, one skilled in the art will recognize that the subject invention may use a different form of lock than that used in the described embodiment. The term “enclose” as used with respect to the primary housing in the following claims means to “wall” and is not intended to mean “surround” (i.e., not closed by all sides). The I/O ports are surrounded when the two security block portions  110 ,  115  are engaged.  
         [0026]     One skilled in the art will also realize that cover portion  115  can be adapted to be mounted to the wall of instrument  120  instead of primary portion  110 . Thus, the “three-sided” portion will be removable and the “single-sided” portion will be fixed. Moreover, one skilled in the art will note that primary portion  110  and cover portion  115  may be formed such that each form two sides the square that is completed upon assembly. The only requirement on this point is that at least one side of security block  100  be fixed to the wall of instrument  120 . These and other modifications are intended to be covered by the following claims.