Patent ID: 8250648

Claim:
A security system for securing access to an operating system of a computer having at least a host central processing unit (CPU), a memory used by the host CPU to load programs from the operating system in order to operate the computer, a storage device for storing data to be used by the computer; and a chain of components connecting the host CPU to the storage device, the security system comprising: a security partition formed in the storage device, the operating system of the computer being stored in the security partition; and a security device comprising a hardware processor or controller for intercepting communications and selectively blocking access to operating system data between the host CPU and the security partition; wherein the security device is deployed along the chain of components that connect the host CPU to the storage device; wherein the security device's processor or controller is distinct from the host CPU; and wherein during operation of the operating system the security device is arranged to: intercept requests to write changes to operating system files in the security partition; in response to the requests, instead of write the changes to the operating system files in the security partition as targeted by the requests, write the changes to a location different than the security partition; and cause normal operation of the operating system to continue without writing the changes to the operating system files in the security partition.