Patent ID: 8555083

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for protecting against unauthorized access of encrypted data during power-management modes, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising: detecting initiation of a power-management mode that suspends the functionality of at least one component of the computing device while maintaining the functionality of the computing device's memory; before the computing device enters the power-management mode: identifying, within the memory of the computing device, an encryption key that is required to access encrypted data stored in a storage device of the computing device; removing the encryption key from the memory of the computing device in order to protect against unauthorized access of the encrypted data during implementation of the power-management mode; upon discontinuation of the power-management mode, obtaining user credentials from a user of the computing device in order to authenticate the user; upon successful authentication of the user, regenerating the encryption key based at least in part on the user credentials by entering at least a portion of the user credentials into a key derivation function that regenerates the encryption key by introducing a salt that expands the portion of the user credentials into the encryption key in order to enable access to the encrypted data stored in the storage device.