Abstract:
Security system for preventing a personal computer (PC) including at least a location in the PC adapted to receive a PCMCIA card from being used by unauthorized people including an extractable card having a connection adapted to insert said extractable card into the location for receiving a PCMCIA card. Further included are a processor and a wireless transceiver for remotely transmitting alarm information relative to the PC. Still further included is a program stored in the memory of the PC for communicating with the processor in order to activate selected security functions.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Technical Field  
           [0002]    The present invention relates to systems at the disposal of users to prevent their personal computer such as portables or notebooks to be stolen or hacked and relates in particular to a security system for preventing a personal computer from being stolen or used by unauthorized people.  
           [0003]    2. Background  
           [0004]    As personal computers are targets for hackers and thieves, passwords are used to protect the vital data or prevent the computer from being used by unauthorized people. These passwords are in conjunction with encryption and authentication keys used to establish secure communications between computers. It is possible today to install a program in the computer that will encrypt sensitive data so that these data cannot be read by anyone who does not have the unlocking key. But it is necessary to store the key somewhere, and if this key is not complex, it will be found.  
           [0005]    Despite the constant development of new technologies, passwords are still the most common security tools; they are also the most abused, and often the easiest for an attacker to break. Passwords present a kind of security paradox. The best passwords are the most difficult to guess: long and random. Unfortunately, these are also the most difficult to remember. Moreover, most experts strongly recommend to use different passwords for each e-mail, e-commerce, or other account, and that you change them regularly. As a result, most people either choose easily guessable passwords, or write them down where they can be copied or stolen.  
           [0006]    The answer to this conundrum is to use password safes. These programs provide a space to store the long, complex, or random passwords, and then encrypts them so that they cannot be stolen. Some password safes will even generate random passwords for you. But they are located on your disk and need also a password to activate the software.  
           [0007]    For preventing a PC from being stolen, a standalone alarm system can be used. It is implemented on a PC card which is used as an intermediate device for connecting to the monitor and printer via a cable and special security tabs. If anyone disconnects the cables or takes apart the PC or if the power is off and someone attempts to use the computer without entering a special electronic security key, a deafening alarm sounds. But, such a system is efficient only when the user or someone else can hear the alarm.  
           [0008]    If nobody is present, the thief has time enough to stop the alarm or even if the alarm is not stopped, to escape with the PC.  
         SUMMARY OF INVENTION  
         [0009]    Accordingly, a feature of the invention is to provide a security system to be installed on existing personal computers having at least a location for a PCMCIA card, such a system enabling the authorized user to be automatically warned if anyone attempts to steal its PC or to use it without being authorized.  
           [0010]    Accordingly, the feature of the present invention relates therefore to a security system for preventing a personal computer (PC) that includes at least a location in the PC adapted to receive a PCMCIA card from being used by unauthorized people having an extractable card having a connection element adapted to be insert the extractable card into the location for receiving a PCMCIA card, and including a processor and wireless transceiver for remotely transmitting alarm information relative to the PC. A further feature includes a program stored in the memory of the PC for communicating with the processor in order to activate selected security functions.  
           [0011]    Various other objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will become more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS  
       [0012]    The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be better understood by reading the following more particular description of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a personal computer having a PCMCIA slot enabling to insert an extractable card and a removable key connected thereto according to the invention.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 2 is a block-diagram representing all the features included in the extractable card and the removable key according to the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0015]    In reference to FIG. 1, the security system according to the invention can be implemented with a personal computer  10  having an interface slot  12  for inserting a PCMCIA card  14 . Today, all personal computers have such a PCMCIA interface and also include a battery to support the PC when it is not connected to an AC plug. Such PCs are running an operating system stored on the hard disk.  
         [0016]    According to the invention, an extractable card  14  includes a plurality of security features on it for insertion into the slot  12 . This extractable card includes a removable key  16  for enabling the user to receive security signals when he is remote from the PC as explained in the following description.  
         [0017]    As illustrated in FIG. 2, the extractable card  14  includes a connector  20  to connect the card to the PCMCIA connection, a processor  22  linked to the connector  20  by a bus  24  and adapted to control all the functions of the extractable card, a battery  26 , a buzzer  28 , a radio transceiver  30  and its antenna  32 . The removable key  16  also includes a processor  34 , a battery  36 , and a buzzer  38 , a radio transceiver  30  and its antenna  32 . Furthermore, it includes a radio transceiver  40  and its antenna  42  to receive radio signals emitted by the radio emitter  30  of the extractable card  14 , and some other features like a motion detector  44 , a LED  46  and press button  48  the operation of which will be explained in the following. The removable key  16  is connected to extractable card  14  by means of a connector  50  adapted to be firmly connected with a connector  52  of the extractable card. Note that the extractable card processor  22  and the removable key processor  34  are connected together by means of a bus  54  when the removable key is attached to the extractable card.  
         [0018]    In combination with the extractable card and the removable key, the security system according to the invention also comprises a security program stored in the memory of the PC with the operating system of this one in order to activate the different security functions associated with the extractable card and the removable key.  
         [0019]    The main security functions which are detailed hereafter are the following:  
         [0020]    Secure operating system boot;  
         [0021]    Encryption/decryption of selected files;  
         [0022]    Motion detector mode;  
         [0023]    Power detection mode; and  
         [0024]    Secure communication between the extractable card and the removable key  
         [0025]    Secure Operating System Boot  
         [0026]    When this function is activated through the security program, the PC will only boot if the extractable card with the attached key  16  is inserted in the PCMCIA slot.  
         [0027]    At the boot time, the operating system of the PC requests access securely to the extractable card and this one grants authorization only if the removable key is connected to the extractable card inasmuch as the removable key provides a one time synchronized unique password to the extractable card. This one validates the one time password of the removable key by using its one time password and as a result sends the boot authorization to the PC. Note that, after a configurable number of consecutive unsuccessful trials, the security program will destroy itself.  
         [0028]    Encryption/Decryption of Selected Files  
         [0029]    Selected files can be defined in the security program as needed to be dynamically encrypted/decrypted whenever they are used. However, the encryption/decryption will not be made in the PC itself because the PC software can be hacked or tricked by hackers (the software would be visible in the hard disk data). Instead, such a processing is made by the processor  22  of the extractable card. For this, the encryption process will use a 128 bits encryption key available only in the removable key  16  after authentication through the use of the one time password as explained above. Thus, the PC could be used by an external user in agreement with the PC owner, but sensitive files cannot be accessed even with some tricky software because they cannot be decrypted.  
         [0030]    Note that, after authentication, the extractable key and the removable key connected together exchange information regularly in order to synchronize the one time password. This process is necessary to avoid a discrepancy due to clock shift over a long period of time between the clocks of both extractable card and removable key. A regular authentication is also necessary between the PC and the extractable card and a similar regular exchange of information takes place between them in order to synchronize the one time password used to encrypt/decrypt the exchanged data.  
         [0031]    Motion Detector Mode  
         [0032]    When this function is set in the security program, the removable key  16  has to be connected to the extractable card. Any motion above a configured threshold is detected by motion detector  44  of the removable key  16 . When the alarm is raised because a motion is detected (e.g. When unauthorized people try to steal the PC) the following actions can be configured by the security program:  
         [0033]    Beep the PC buzzer;  
         [0034]    Beep the buzzer  28  of extractable card  14 ;  
         [0035]    Beep the buzzer  38  of removable key  16 ; and  
         [0036]    Freeze the PC.  
         [0037]    Power Detection Mode  
         [0038]    When this mode is set in the security program, an alarm will be activated when either the AC plug is removed, or the PC battery is removed or the PC is powered off or the extractable card is removed.  
         [0039]    The actions are configurable for the security program:  
         [0040]    Beep the PC buzzer;  
         [0041]    Beep the buzzer  28  of extractable card  14 ;  
         [0042]    Beep the buzzer  38  of removable key  16 ; and  
         [0043]    Freeze the PC.  
         [0044]    Secure Communication Mode Between the Extractable Card and the Removable Key  
         [0045]    This mode is activated when the removable key  16  is removed from the extractable card  14  by the PC owner who is at a location remote from his PC.  
         [0046]    In the two preceding cases when the motion detector mode or the power detection mode is set, the extractable card  14  transmits encrypted data based on the one time password mentioned above to the removed key  16  by means of the radio transceiver  30  and the antenna  32 . This information is received by removable key  16  by means of the antenna  42  and the radio transceiver  40 . Upon reception of this information signals, the buzzer  38  of the key  16  will start beeping. If press button is pressed during at least a predetermined time, e.g. 4 seconds, the buzzer stops beeping and the LED  46  starts flashing. LED  46  will flash at a refresh rate proportional to the level of the radio signal received by antenna  42 , giving thus an indication of the distance between the extractable card and the removable key so that the PC owner may assume whether his PC has been stolen or moved.  
         [0047]    It must be noted that radio detectors may be provided at the gates of a building so that the information received by these detectors enables to detect where the stolen PC is located in the building.  
         [0048]    In conclusion, by using the different security functions provided by the security system according to the invention, the following features can be used: The PC owner can get encrypted sensitive data that is only accessible with the removable key;  
         [0049]    When positioned in some location (table, desk . . . ) and whenever the PC is significantly moved by an unauthorized person, the PC will generate an audible alarm alerting the people staying near the PC;  
         [0050]    When the extractable card is significantly moved, an alarm is generated to alert the remotely located PC owner who has the removable key with him;  
         [0051]    When stolen in a room of a building, the PC can be identified through the use of radio detectors located at the gates of the building; and  
         [0052]    If a thief tries to prevent the different functions from being activated by removing either the extractable card, the AC power, or the battery, the alarm will still occur if these items are removed from the computer.  
         [0053]    It is to be understood that the provided illustrative examples are by no means exhaustive of the many possible uses for my invention.  
         [0054]    From the foregoing description, one skilled in the art can easily ascertain the essential characteristics of this invention and, without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, can make various changes and modifications of the invention to adapt it to various usages and conditions.  
         [0055]    It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to the sole embodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodiments within the scope of the following claims: