Abstract: A set of security claims for a communication channel are obtained, the set of security claims including one or more security claims each identifying a security characteristic of the communication channel. The security claims are stored, as is a digital signature generated over the set of security claims by an entity. The security claims and digital signature are subsequently accessed when a computing device is to transfer data to and/or from the communication channel. The set of security claims is compared to a security policy of the computing device, and the entity that digitally signed the set of security claims is identified. One or more security precautions that the computing device is to use in transferring data to and/or from the communication channel are determined based at least in part on the comparing and the entity that has digitally signed the set of security claims.

Abstract: Protected content distribution is accomplished by a first entity generating a set of asymmetric key pairs, creating a plurality of sets of private keys by selecting a combination of private keys from the set of asymmetric key pairs for each created set, and distributing the sets of private keys to playback devices. A second entity produces protected content including encrypted content and a public key media key block, encrypts a symmetric content key with each public key in the set of asymmetric key pairs to form the public key media key block and encrypts a content title with the symmetric content key to form the encrypted content. A playback device stores one set of private keys, receives the protected content, and decrypts and plays the content title stored in the protected content when a selected one of the set of private keys stored by the playback device successfully decrypts the encrypted symmetric content key stored in the public key media key block of the received protected content.

Abstract: A portable secure data file includes an encrypted data portion and a metadata portion. When a request associated with a current user of a device to access a portable secure data file is received, one or more records in the metadata portion are accessed to determine whether the current user is permitted to access the file data in the encrypted data portion. If a record indicates the user is permitted to access the file data, a content encryption key in that record is used to decrypt the encrypted data portion.

Abstract: In an example, one or more cryptographic keys may be associated with a group. Any member of the group may use the key to encrypt and decrypt information, thereby allowing members of the group to share encrypted information. Domain controllers (DCs) maintain copies of the group's keys. The DCs may synchronize with each other, so that each DC may have a copy of the group's keys. Keys may have expiration dates, and any client connected to a DC may generate a new key when a key is nearing expiration. The various clients may create new keys at differing amounts of time before expiration on various DCs. DCs that store keys early thus may have time to propagate the newly-created keys through synchronization before other DCs are requested to store keys created by other clients. In this way, the creation of an excessive number of new keys may be avoided.

Abstract: A communication channel has an associated channel authenticator that includes a channel identifier, a use policy identifying how an owner of the communication channel indicates the communication channel is used, and a digital signature over the channel identifier and use policy. The identifier of the communication channel and the use policy can be verified by a computing device, and a check made as to whether a current security policy of the computing device is satisfied by the use policy. An access that the computing device is allowed to have to the communication channel is determined based at least in part on both whether the current security policy is satisfied by the use policy and whether the identifier of the communication channel and the use policy are verified.

Abstract: This document describes tools that constrain a login to a subset of access rights. In one embodiment, the tools generate a constrained password by executing a cryptographic algorithm on a user ID, general password, and one or more desired constraints. The constrained password is used in place of the general password to gain access rights that are a subset of the access rights that would be granted if the general password were used instead.

Abstract: In accordance with one or more aspects, an initial output string is generated by a random number generator. The initial output string is sent to a random number service, and an indication of failure is received from the random number service if the initial output string is the same as a previous initial output string received by the random number service. Operation of the device is ceased in response to the indication of failure. Additionally, entropy estimates for hash values of an entropy source can be generated by an entropy estimation service based on hash values of various entropy source values received by the entropy estimation service. The hash values can be incorporated into an entropy pool of the device, and the entropy estimate of the pool being updated based on the estimated entropy of the entropy source.

Abstract: A method of representing a first end-user license agreement (EULA) offered to a user and automatically responding to a subsequent EULA offered to the user is disclosed. The representation may be in a logical language having parameters corresponding to legal terms of the EULA, logical operators, and the capability to form and nest logical expressions. A logical library may store parameters corresponding to legal terms. A logical expression may be created that corresponds to a user's term preferences, and may be evaluated using the terms of a subsequent EULA to automatically determine the user's acceptance or rejection of the subsequent EULA. A user's application preferences of the logical expressions and terms may be received and used by the method. EULA responses may be signified in a log and/or by sending a record or message to the offering party. A similar method is disclosed for other types of electronic agreements.

Abstract: A conditional activation system distributes a security policy to the computer systems of an enterprise. Upon receiving a security policy at a computer system, the computer system may install the received security policy without activation. When a security policy is installed without activation, it is loaded onto a computer system but is not used to process security enforcement events. The computer system may then determine whether a security policy activation criterion has been satisfied and, if so, activate the security policy.

Abstract: Described is a technology by which computer data secrets sealed by a trusted platform module (TPM) or like device may be securely migrated from a physical source computing machine to a physically different destination machine. For example, migration of TPM secrets allows migration of a virtual machine from one physical machine to another. A destination machine receives a set of data sealed at a source machine. The set of data includes a migration key and a secret sealed by the migration key. The destination machine performs attestation with a key server to attest that the destination machine is entitled to access the sealed secret, via credentials, known good configuration and/or other policy compliance. The key server unseals the migration key, and provides a returned key (e.g., the migration key or a session key) to the destination machine for unsealing the secrets.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method for utilizing a pseudonym to protect the identity of a platform and its user is described. The method comprises producing a pseudonym that includes a public pseudonym key. The public pseudonym key is placed in a certificate template. Hash operations are performed on the certificate template to produce a certificate hash value, which is transformed from the platform. Thereafter, a signed result is returned to the platform. The signed result is a digital signature for the transformed certificate hash value. Upon performing an inverse transformation of the signed result, a digital signature of the certificate hash value is recovered. This digital signature may be used for data integrity checks for subsequent communications using the pseudonym.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and technologies for configuring a conventional smart card and a client machine, and for performing a smart card authorization using the configured smart card and client. Further, the combination of methods provides for mutual authentication—authentication of the client to the user, and authentication of the user to the client. The authentication methods include presenting a specified token to the user sufficient to authenticate the client to the user and thus protect the user-provided PIN. Security is strengthened by using an integrity key based on approved client system configurations. Security is further strengthened by calculating a PIN? value based on a user-specified PIN and a modifier and using the PIN? value for unlocking the smart card.

Abstract: The subject disclosure pertains to a domain identification system, comprising a principal that has a key and a mnemonically meaningless identifier, the mnemonically meaningless identifier is used to identify the component in a networked environment. The mnemonically meaningless identifier can be bound to the public key by a binding. The component may be part of a neighborhood of components, and each member component knows the members' binding.

Abstract: A weighted entropy pool service system and methods. Weights are associated with entropy sources and are used to estimate a quantity of entropy contained in data from the entropy sources. An interface is optionally provided to facilitate connecting user entropy sources to the entropy pool service. The quantity of entropy contained in the system is tracked as entropy is distributed to entropy consumers. A persistent entropy pool state file stores entropy across system restarts.

Abstract: Access control as it relates to policies or permissions is provided based on a created model. A security policy is abstracted and can be independent of a mechanism used to protect resources. An asbstract model of a potential user, user role and/or resource is created without associating a specific individual and/or resource with a model. These abstract user models and abstract resource models can be used across applications or within disparate applications. The abstracted security policies can be selectively applied to the model. Specific users and/or resources can be associated with one or more abstract user model or abstract resource model. The models can be nested to provide configurations for larger systems.

Abstract: A Universal Serial Bus (USB) compatible storage device is utilized as a security token for storage of cryptographic keys. A cryptographic subsystem of a processor accesses cryptographic keys in containers on the USB compatible storage device. Accessing includes storing and/or retrieving. The processor does not include an infrastructure dedicated to the USB compatible storage device. Cryptographic key storage is redirected from an in-processor container to the USB compatible storage device. No password or PIN is required to access the cryptographic keys, yet enhanced security is provided. Utilizing a USB compatible storage device for a cryptographic key container provides a convenient, portable, mechanism for carrying the cryptographic key, and additional security is provided via physical possession of the device.

Abstract: A processing system has a processor that can operate in a normal ring 0 operating mode and one or more higher ring operating modes above the normal ring 0 operating mode. In addition, the processor can operate in an isolated execution mode. A memory in the processing system may include an ordinary memory area that can be accessed from the normal ring 0 operating mode, as well as an isolated memory area that can be accessed from the isolated execution mode but not from the normal ring 0 operating mode. The processing system may also include an operating system (OS) nub, as well as a key generator. The key generator may generate an OS nub key (OSNK) based at least in part on an identification of the OS nub and a master binding key (BK0) of the platform. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus to provide secure firmware storage and service access are disclosed. One example method may include receiving a request to execute an instruction in a pre-boot environment, determining an identity of the instruction, determining if an access control list includes an entry corresponding to the instruction, and selectively allowing the execution of the instruction if the access control list includes an entry corresponding to the instruction.

Abstract: Access to a storage device, such as a disk, is controlled by performing a disk operation using a single cryptographic engine. Keys associated with each layer of a layered structure associated with controlling access to the storage device are combined. The resultant of this combination is used as the key to the cryptographic engine. Data to be retrieved from and written to the storage device are operated on by the cryptographic engine utilizing the combined key. Keys are combined by combining functions associated with layers of the layered structure. A combining function can include an exclusive or function, a cryptographic hash function, or a combination thereof.

Abstract: Protected content distribution is accomplished by a first entity generating a set of asymmetric key pairs, creating a plurality of sets of private keys by selecting a combination of private keys from the set of asymmetric key pairs for each created set, and distributing the sets of private keys to playback devices. A second entity produces protected content including encrypted content and a public key media key block, encrypts a symmetric content key with each public key in the set of asymmetric key pairs to form the public key media key block and encrypts a content title with the symmetric content key to form the encrypted content. A playback device stores one set of private keys, receives the protected content, and decrypts and plays the content title stored in the protected content when a selected one of the set of private keys stored by the playback device successfully decrypts the encrypted symmetric content key stored in the public key media key block of the received protected content.