Patent ID: 7770205

Claim:
A component or peripheral device associated with a computer, the component or peripheral device comprising: a port configured to establish an initial binding with the computer via one of an internal bus and a direct, one-to-one coupling, the initial binding including: a message sent from the component to a monitor program running on the computer, a cryptographic algorithm configured for a subsequent authentication, wherein the cryptographic algorithm produces cryptographic data and the component and the monitor program exchange the cryptographic data in the subsequent authentication; a memory in the component or peripheral device configured to store authentication information including the cryptographic data, the authentication information used to generate a challenge that is sent to the computer; and a processor of the component or peripheral device coupled to the memory and the port, the processor programmed to: after the initial binding, power cycle the component; determine that a limited operating mode flag is cleared; send a challenge from the component to the monitor program; receive at the component a signed response incorporating the challenge; determine at the component that the signed response is incorrect; set the limited operating mode flag; and operate the component in a limited function operating mode until a successful challenge and response resets the component.