Patent ID: 8756409

Claim:
A system for retrieving at boot time encrypted data stored on a computer, the computer having a processor coupled through a system bus to I/O devices and to a system memory, the computer further having a basic input output system (BIOS) unit operatively coupled to the system bus for loading a computer operating system during a computer boot procedure, the system memory being accessible to the computer operating system via the system bus, the system comprising: a boot adapter, comprising interface logic, for connecting the system bus to a separate boot bus, the boot adapter for allowing communication between the system bus and the boot bus; a boot memory coupled to the boot bus, the boot memory comprising storage locations for storing the encrypted data; a boot connector coupled to the boot bus; a display coupled to the boot connector; a boot key device connected to the boot bus for storing a public key; and a boot BIOS, separate from the BIOS unit, for loading a boot operating system during the computer boot procedure, the boot operating system having instructions for accessing the boot memory via the boot bus during the computer boot procedure, for decrypting the encrypted data stored in the boot memory using the public key stored in the boot key device, and for displaying the decrypted data on the display coupled to the boot connector.