Patents by Inventor Ned Smith

Ned Smith has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 8510569
    Abstract: In one embodiment, a processor includes a microcode storage including processor instructions to create and execute a hidden resource manager (HRM) to execute in a hidden environment that is not visible to system software. The processor may further include an extend register to store security information including a measurement of at least one kernel code module of the hidden environment and a status of a verification of the at least one kernel code module. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 16, 2009
    Date of Patent: August 13, 2013
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Ned Smith, Vedvyas Shanbhogue, Arvind Kumar, Purushottam Goel
  • Publication number: 20130124876
    Abstract: In an embodiment, an apparatus is provided that may include an integrated circuit to be removably communicatively coupled to at least one storage device. The integrated circuit of this embodiment may be capable of encrypting and/or and decrypting, based at least in part upon a first key, data to be, in at least in part, stored in and/or retrieved from, respectively, at least one region of the at least one storage device. The at least one region and a second key may be associated with at least one access privilege authorized, at least in part, by an administrator. The second key may be stored, at least in part, externally to the at least one storage device. The first key may be obtainable, at least in part, based, at least in part, upon at least one operation involving the second key. Of course, many alternatives, modifications, and variations are possible without departing from this embodiment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 26, 2012
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Inventors: Nitin Sarangdhar, Ned Smith, Vincent Von Bokern
  • Patent number: 8434155
    Abstract: Machine readable media, methods, and computing devices are disclosed which establish a protected memory channel between an operating system loader of a user partition and services of a management partition. One computing device includes protected storage, read only memory, firmware, a storage device and a processor. The storage device is to store the virtual machine monitor and an operating system having an operating system loader. The virtual machine monitor is to establish a protected memory channel between the one or more integrity services of a management partition and the operating system loader of a user partition in response to measuring and verifying the operating system loader based upon the manifest. The processor is to execute the code of the read only memory, the firmware, the virtual machine monitor, the operating system, the operating system loader, the management partition, and the user partition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Ravi Sahita, Ned Smith
  • Patent number: 8422678
    Abstract: A method, apparatus and system enable security keys to be processed in a dedicated partition on a secure wireless platform. Specifically, embodiments of the present invention may utilize a secure processing area (i.e., a dedicated partition) to generate security keys and to utilize the security keys to perform a 4-way handshake to provide confidentiality and integrity protection for all data communication between the wireless node and an access point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 16, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2013
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Kapil Sood, Ned Smith
  • Patent number: 8356175
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus to perform associated extensions for negotiated channel security protocols are disclosed. A disclosed method to extend a security protocol comprises exchanging identifying information between a first and a second endpoint, determining a secret based on the exchanged identifying information, determining a first master secret based on the determined secret and a second master secret determined in a prior protocol exchange block, and deriving a session key based on the first master secret.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 15, 2013
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Ned Smith, Rajan S. Palanivel
  • Patent number: 8300825
    Abstract: In an embodiment, an apparatus is provided that may include an integrated circuit to be removably communicatively coupled to at least one storage device. The integrated circuit of this embodiment may be capable of encrypting and/or and decrypting, based at least in part upon a first key, data to be, in at least in part, stored in and/or retrieved from, respectively, at least one region of the at least one storage device. The at least one region and a second key may be associated with at least one access privilege authorized, at least in part, by an administrator. The second key may be stored, at least in part, externally to the at least one storage device. The first key may be obtainable, at least in part, based, at least in part, upon at least one operation involving the second key. Of course, many alternatives, modifications, and variations are possible without departing from this embodiment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Nitin Sarangdhar, Ned Smith, Vincent Von Bokern
  • Patent number: 8281135
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for controlling access to data stored on a plurality of storage devices associated with a first platform. The method includes authenticating a user to access the first platform, wherein the first platform includes first and second storage devices, chipset encryption hardware, and a memory. Data stored on the storage devices are encrypted, with first data on the first storage device being encrypted by the chipset encryption hardware and second data stored on the second storage device being encrypted by another encryption mechanism. The data are decrypted and the user is allowed to access the first data and the second data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Ned Smith
  • Publication number: 20120226825
    Abstract: In a processor based system comprising a plurality of logical machines, selecting a logical machine of the system to serve as a host; the host communicating with a policy decision point (PDP) of a network to provision a data channel interconnecting the processor based system and the network and to provision a logical data channel interconnecting each logical machine of the system to the network.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Inventors: Ned Smith, Jesse Walker, Kapil Sood
  • Patent number: 8201239
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the present invention includes a method for obtaining a pre-boot authentication (PBA) image from a full disk encryption disk in a pre-boot environment, executing the PBA using a chipset to obtain user credential information, authorizing the user based on the user credential information and stored credential information, and storing the user credential information in a PBA metadata region of the disk. Other embodiments are described and claimed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Ned Smith, Vincent J. Zimmer
  • Patent number: 8180923
    Abstract: In a processor based system comprising a plurality of logical machines, selecting a logical machine of the system to serve as a host; the host communicating with a policy decision point (PDP) of a network to provision a data channel interconnecting the processor based system and the network and to provision a logical data channel interconnecting each logical machine of the system to the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 29, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Ned Smith, Jesse Walker, Kapil Sood
  • Publication number: 20120084555
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for controlling access to data stored on a plurality of storage devices associated with a first platform. The method includes authenticating a user to access the first platform, wherein the first platform includes first and second storage devices, chipset encryption hardware, and a memory. Data stored on the storage devices are encrypted, with first data on the first storage device being encrypted by the chipset encryption hardware and second data stored on the second storage device being encrypted by another encryption mechanism. The data are decrypted and the user is allowed to access the first data and the second data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Publication date: April 5, 2012
    Inventor: Ned Smith
  • Publication number: 20120023591
    Abstract: Machine readable media, methods, and computing devices are disclosed which establish a protected memory channel between an operating system loader of a user partition and services of a management partition. One computing device includes protected storage, read only memory, firmware, a storage device and a processor. The storage device is to store the virtual machine monitor and an operating system having an operating system loader. The virtual machine monitor is to establish a protected memory channel between the one or more integrity services of a management partition and the operating system loader of a user partition in response to measuring and verifying the operating system loader based upon the manifest. The processor is to execute the code of the read only memory, the firmware, the virtual machine monitor, the operating system, the operating system loader, the management partition, and the user partition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2011
    Publication date: January 26, 2012
    Inventors: Ravi Sahita, Ned Smith
  • Patent number: 8103883
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for controlling access to data stored on a plurality of storage devices associated with a first platform. The method includes authenticating a user to access the first platform, wherein the first platform includes first and second storage devices, chipset encryption hardware, and a memory. Data stored on the storage devices are encrypted, with first data on the first storage device being encrypted by the chipset encryption hardware and second data stored on the second storage device being encrypted by another encryption mechanism. The data are decrypted and the user is allowed to access the first data and the second data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2012
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventor: Ned Smith
  • Patent number: 8042190
    Abstract: Machine readable media, methods, and computing devices are disclosed which establish a protected memory channel between an operating system loader of a user partition and services of a management partition. One computing device includes protected storage, read only memory, firmware, a storage device and a processor. The storage device is to store the virtual machine monitor and an operating system having an operating system loader. The virtual machine monitor is to establish a protected memory channel between the one or more integrity services of a management partition and the operating system loader of a user partition in response to measuring and verifying the operating system loader based upon the manifest. The processor is to execute the code of the read only memory, the firmware, the virtual machine monitor, the operating system, the operating system loader, the management partition, and the user partition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2011
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Ravi Sahita, Ned Smith
  • Patent number: 8032942
    Abstract: Systems, methods and machine readable media for configuring virtual platform modules are disclosed. One method includes launching a virtual machine monitor, and determining, with the virtual machine monitor, whether a configuration policy that defines a configuration for a virtual trusted platform module is trusted. The method further includes configuring the virtual trusted platform module per the configuration policy in response to the virtual machine monitor determining that the configuration policy is trusted. The method also includes launching, via the virtual machine monitor, a virtual machine associated with the virtual trusted platform module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 4, 2011
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Ned Smith, Willard Wiseman, Alok Kumar, Tasneem Brutch, Vincent Scarlata, Faraz Siddiqi
  • Publication number: 20100169669
    Abstract: A method, system, and computer-readable storage medium containing instructions for controlling access to data stored on a plurality of storage devices associated with a first platform. The method includes authenticating a user to access the first platform, wherein the first platform includes first and second storage devices, chipset encryption hardware, and a memory. Data stored on the storage devices are encrypted, with first data on the first storage device being encrypted by the chipset encryption hardware and second data stored on the second storage device being encrypted by another encryption mechanism. The data are decrypted and the user is allowed to access the first data and the second data.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventor: Ned Smith
  • Publication number: 20100169640
    Abstract: A manageability engine (ME) receives an authentication response from a user during pre-boot authentication and registers the user with a key distribution center (KDC), indicating that the user has successfully authenticated to the PC. The KDC supplies the ME with single-sign-on credentials in the form of a Key Encryption Key (KEK). The KEK may later be used by the PC to obtain a credential used to establish secure access to Enterprise servers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2008
    Publication date: July 1, 2010
    Inventors: Ned Smith, Purushottam Goel
  • Patent number: 7739724
    Abstract: Architectures and techniques that allow a firmware agent to operate as a tamper-resistant agent on a host platform that may be used as a trusted policy enforcement point (PEP) on the host platform to enforce policies even when the host operating system is compromised. The PEP may be used to open access control and/or remediation channels on the host platform. The firmware agent may also act as a local policy decision point (PDP) on the host platform in accordance with an authorized enterprise PDP entity by providing policies if a host trust agent is non-responsive and may function as a passive agent when the host trust agent is functional.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: David Durham, Ravi Sahita, Karanvir Grewal, Ned Smith, Kapil Sood
  • Publication number: 20100107224
    Abstract: Architectures and techniques that allow a firmware agent to operate as a tamper-resistant agent on a host platform that may be used as a trusted policy enforcement point (PEP) on the host platform to enforce policies even when the host operating system is compromised. The PEP may be used to open access control and/or remediation channels on the host platform. The firmware agent may also act as a local policy decision point (PDP) on the host platform in accordance with an authorized enterprise PDP entity by providing policies if a host trust agent is non-responsive and may function as a passive agent when the host trust agent is functional.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 22, 2009
    Publication date: April 29, 2010
    Inventors: David Durham, Ravi Sahita, Karanvir Grewal, Ned Smith, Kapil Sood
  • Publication number: 20100082960
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are disclosed to protect an operating system booted by a client computing device and provided by a server computing device. One such method includes requesting a trusted platform module of the client computing device to unseal a sealed encryption key, and receiving an encrypted operating system via a network in response to initiating a boot process of the client computing device. The illustrative method also includes decrypting the encrypted operating system received via the network using an unsealed encryption key obtained in response to requesting the trusted platform module to unseal the sealed encryption key, and executing the decrypted operating system.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2008
    Publication date: April 1, 2010
    Inventors: Steve Grobman, Carl Klotz, Ned Smith