Patent ID: 7565678

Claim:
A set top box, comprising: a first port coupling a processor to a first communications network and to a database, the first port sending resource information associated with the set top box, the resource information describing at least two disk drives and a capacity of each disk drive; a second port coupling the processor to a second communications network; the second port receiving an operating instruction over the second communications network that permits the processor to access an additional portion of the at least two disk drives; wherein the processor executes the operating instruction to repartition the capacity of a disk drive; a firewall determining when a source is authorized to communicate with the set top box and determining when a communications protocol is authorized, the firewall thus protecting the set top box from unauthorized access; the processor receiving an instruction over the second communications network when there is a difference between the capacity of the disk drives and authorized storage for the set top box defined in the database, the difference indicating unauthorized modifications to the set top box, the instruction causing the processor to disable a resource of the set top box.