System and method for controlling the use of a computer

Patent 5361359 Issued on November 1, 1994. Estimated Expiration Date:

August 31, 2012. Estimated Expiration Date is calculated based on simple USPTO term provisions. It does not account for terminal disclaimers, term adjustments, failure to pay maintenance fees, or other factors which might affect the term of a patent.

Abstract Claims Description Full Text

Patent References

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Inventors

Assignee

Trusted Information Systems, Inc.

Application

No. 937424 filed on 08/31/1992

US Classes:

340/5.74Access to electrical information

Examiners

Primary: Shaw, Gareth D.
Assistant: Richey, Michael T.

Attorney, Agent or Firm

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox

Foreign Patent References

0325776A2 EP. 08/13/1989
0432333A1 EP. 06/13/1991
0468625A2 EP. 01/13/1992

International Class

H04L 009/00

Abstract

A system and method for auditing and controlling the use of a computer. An operating system and selected programs and data , referred to as approved applications and approved data , are stored on a protected media which cannot be modified by any ordinary user or application program, regardless of operating system privilege. The protected media can be modified by the operating system, as well as by an administrator using a trusted path mechanism. The trusted path mechanism establishes a reliable communication channel between the administrator and the computer system. The present invention may be configured to collect user audit data concerning user activity and system status and to write the audit data to the protected media. Also, the present invention may be configured to limit execution of application programs to the approved applications.

Other References

IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, vol. 34, No. 8, Jan. 1992, New York, US; pp. 214-215; Mechanism for Trusted Computing Base Isolation
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