Patent ID: 8335931

Claim:
An accessory configured to interface with a host computer having a basic input/output system (BIOS) that is initiated on power-up of the host computer to complete a boot sequence, the host computer being configured with at least one hardware device, the accessory comprising: a cryptological chip; a communications controller configured to interface between the accessory and the host computer; a bootable first memory section readable by the host computer without decryption, the first memory configured to be writeable only by a program having an authentication key that is processable by the cryptological chip; a second memory section encrypted with a cryptological key processable by the cryptological chip, the second memory configured to be readable or writeable only by a program having the cryptological key; the first memory further configured with: a booting software configured to communicate with the BIOS on power-up of the host computer via the communications controller, the booting software carrying instructions causing the host computer to use the first memory to complete the boot sequence; a set of device drivers loaded by the booting software during the boot sequence; and the cryptological key; wherein the booting software contains instructions to load an operating system software and application software from the second memory using the cryptological key; the second memory further configured with: the operating system (OS) software configured to regulate the way application software uses the host computer's at least one hardware device; a list software configured to prevent unauthorized application software from running.