Authentication of a request to alter at least one of a BIOS and a setting associated with the BIOS

1. A system, comprising:

storage; and

a basic input/output system (BIOS) stored in said storage and adapted to be executed by a processor, said BIOS having a setting associated therewith; and

wherein said system receives an encrypted value that comprises an encrypted hash of a request to alter at least one of said BIOS and said setting, a first key being used to encrypt said value, said value also comprises an argument associated with said request; and

wherein said processor uses a second key corresponding to said first key to authenticate said request; and

wherein, if said BIOS setting is to be modified, said argument comprises an identifier that specifies the BIOS setting to be modified as well as a new value for the specified BIOS setting.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said processor performs a security action if the processor is unable to successfully authenticate said request.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said security action comprises a security alert indication.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said processor performs said request if said request is successfully authenticated.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said processor decrypts said encrypted value using said second key.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said first key comprises a private key and said second key comprises a public key.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein said second key is embedded in said BIOS.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said system receives a message, said message comprising said encrypted value and also said request in a form that is not encrypted.

9. A method, comprising:

receiving an encrypted value that comprises an encrypted hash of a request to alter at least one of a basic input/output system (BIOS) and a setting associated with said BIOS, a first key being used to encrypt said value, said encrypted value also comprises an argument associated with said request; and

decrypting said encrypted value using a second key to recover said hash of the request, said second key associated with said first key;

wherein, if said BIOS setting is to be modified, said argument comprises an identifier that specifies the BIOS setting to be modified as well as a new value for the specified BIOS setting.

10. The method of claim 9 further comprising determining whether to perform said request based on said recovered hash of the request.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising performing a security action upon determining that the request should not be performed.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising generating a security alert upon determining that the request should not be performed.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising receiving the request in a form that is not encrypted.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising computing a new hash of the unencrypted request and comparing said new hash to the recovered hash.

15. A system, comprising:

means for decrypting an encrypted value from a message, said encrypted value comprising an encrypted first hash of a request to alter at least one of a basic input/output system (BIOS) and a setting associated with said BIOS, a first key being used to encrypt said hash, and said message also comprising a not encrypted form of said request, said encrypted value also comprises an argument associated with said request;

means for computing a second hash of said encrypted request; and

means for comparing said first and second hashes to authenticate said message;

wherein, if said BIOS setting is to be modified, said argument comprises an identifier that specifies the BIOS setting to be modified as well as a new value for the specified BIOS setting.

16. The system of claim 15 further comprising means for performing said request if said first and second hashes match.

17. The system of claim 15 further comprising means for performing a security action if said first and second hashes do not match.