IP Library Granted Patent US 10,482,253
Granted Patent B2
US 10,482,253 · App. 15/941,728 · Granted Nov 19, 2019

Configuring basic input output system (BIOS) features based on a policy

Inventors: Charles D. Robison (Buford, GA); Ricardo L. Martinez (Leander, TX); Joseph Kozlowski (Hutto, TX); Daniel L. Hamlin (Round Rock, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L. P.
G06F21/572G06F9/44505H04L9/30H04L9/3263
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,482,253
App. No.
15/941,728
Granted
Nov 19, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

In some examples, a computing device may receive (i) settings associated with one or more features of a basic input output system (BIOS) of the computing device and (ii) a device identifier that uniquely identifies the computing device. The computing device may determine a policy identifier that identifies a policy being implemented by the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS. The computing device may retrieve a public key associated with an organization that acquired the computing device and sending a request to a service to validate the policy. The request may include the policy identifier and the public key. After the computing device receives a response from the service indicating that the policy is valid, the computing device may initiate a reboot and modify, during the reboot, the one or more features of the BIOS of the computing device based on the settings.

Claims (85)

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors of a computing device, settings associated with one or more features of a basic input output system (BIOS) of the computing device;

receiving, by the one or more processors, a device identifier that uniquely identifies the computing device;

determining, by the one or more processors, a policy identifier that identifies a policy being implemented by the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS;

retrieving, by the one or more processors, a public key associated with an organization that acquired the computing device;

sending to a service, by the one or more processors, a request to validate the policy, the request including the policy identifier and the public key;

receiving, by the one or more processors, a response indicating that the policy is valid;

initiating, by the one or more processors, a reboot; and

modifying, by the one or more processors and during the reboot, the one or more features of the BIOS of the computing device based on the settings.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS comprise at least one of:

disabling an imaging device associated with the computing device;

disabling a microphone associated with the computing device; or

disabling a port associated with the computing device.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

downloading, by a software agent associated with the organization, an encrypted package from the service, wherein the encrypted package includes the policy and a plurality of device identifiers.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

compiling, by the software agent, the policy to create the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:

sending, by the software agent, an executable file to a particular computing device of a plurality of computing devices acquired by the organization, the executable file including:

the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS; and

a particular device identifier of the plurality of device identifiers that corresponds to the particular computing device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS include a policy identifier identifying a particular policy of a plurality of policies;

the settings implement the particular policy.

7. A computing device comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media to store instructions executable by the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving settings associated with one or more features of a basic input output system (BIOS) of the computing device;

receiving a device identifier that uniquely identifies the computing device;

determining a policy identifier that identifies a policy being implemented by the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS;

retrieving a public key associated with an organization that acquired the computing device;

sending a request to a service to validate the policy, the request including the policy identifier and the public key;

receiving a response from the service;

based at least in part on determining that the response indicates that the policy is valid:

initiating a reboot; and

modifying, during the reboot, the one or more features of the BIOS of the computing device based on the settings.

8. The computing device of claim 7 , the operations further comprising:

based at least in part on determining that the response indicates that the policy is invalid:

deleting the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS; and

providing a message indicating that the settings are invalid.

9. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS comprise at least one of:

disabling a camera associated with the computing device;

disabling a microphone associated with the computing device; or

disabling a port associated with the computing device.

10. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein:

the policy is compiled to create the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS.

11. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein:

the service includes an account associated with the organization;

the account includes the policy; and

the account is accessed by presenting a digital certificate associated with the account.

12. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein:

the policy is created by a solution provider that is different from the organization.

13. The computing device of claim 7 , wherein:

the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS include a policy identifier identifying a particular policy of a plurality of policies; and

the settings implement the particular policy.

14. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media to store instructions executable by one or more processors of a target device to perform operations comprising:

receiving settings associated with one or more features of a basic input output system (BIOS) of the computing device;

receiving a device identifier that uniquely identifies the computing device;

determining a policy identifier that identifies a policy being implemented by the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS;

initiating a reboot;

modifying, during the reboot, the one or more features of the BIOS of the computing device based on the settings;

retrieving a public key associated with an organization that acquired the computing device;

sending a request to a service to validate the policy, the request including the policy identifier and the public key;

receiving a response from the service;

based at least in part on determining that the response indicates that the policy is valid, marking the BIOS as validated.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14 , further comprising:

based at least in part on determining that the response indicates that the policy is invalid:

restoring the one or more features of the BIOS to one or more previous settings;

deleting the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS; and

providing a message indicating that the settings are invalid.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14 , wherein the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS comprise at least one of:

disabling a camera associated with the computing device;

disabling a microphone associated with the computing device; or

disabling a port associated with the computing device.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14 , wherein:

the policy is compiled to create the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14 , further comprising:

downloading, by a software agent associated with the organization, an encrypted package from the service, wherein the encrypted package includes the policy and a plurality of device identifiers.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 18 , further comprising:

sending, by the software agent, an executable file to a particular computing device of a plurality of computing devices acquired by the organization, the executable file including:

the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS; and

a particular device identifier of the plurality of device identifiers that corresponds to the particular computing device.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 14 , wherein:

the settings associated with the one or more features of the BIOS include a policy identifier identifying a particular policy of a plurality of policies; and

the settings implement the particular policy.

Assignments (8)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (053546/0001) Recorded Jun 23, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL MARKETING L.P. (ON BEHALF OF ITSELF AND AS SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.); DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; DELL MARKETING CORPORATION (SUCCESSOR-IN-INTEREST TO FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC. AND WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.); EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 071642/0001 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME (046366/0014) Recorded May 20, 2022
From: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 060450/0306 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST AT REEL 046286 FRAME 0653 Recorded Nov 2, 2021
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
Reel/Frame 058298/0093 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2020
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 053546/0001 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Mar 21, 2019
From: CREDANT TECHNOLOGIES, INC.; DELL INTERNATIONAL L.L.C.; DELL MARKETING L.P.; DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; DELL USA L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; FORCE10 NETWORKS, INC.; WYSE TECHNOLOGY L.L.C.; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A.
Reel/Frame 049452/0223 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (CREDIT) Recorded Jun 1, 2018
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 046286/0653 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT (NOTES) Recorded Jun 1, 2018
From: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.; EMC CORPORATION; EMC IP HOLDING COMPANY LLC
To: THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON TRUST COMPANY, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 046366/0014 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 4, 2018
From: ROBISON, CHARLES D.; MARTINEZ, RICARDO L.; KOZLOWSKI, JOSEPH; HAMLIN, DANIEL L.
To: DELL PRODUCTS L. P.
Reel/Frame 045434/0897 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20190303578A1 · Oct 3, 2019