Methods and systems for providing and controlling cryptographic secure communications terminal operable to provide a plurality of desktop environments

1. A method for switching between multiple brandings of a remote desktop client operating on a secure boot device, the secure boot device storing a plurality of brandings for a user, the method comprising:

initiating an operating system from the secure boot device at the remote desktop client, the secure boot device comprising a portable storage device readable by the remote desktop client;

receiving credentials including a user identification and a password;

receiving a selection of a first branding among the plurality of brandings, each of the plurality of brandings associated with a different entity from which a user may receive authorization to operate the remote desktop client;

based on verification of the received credentials, booting, from the secure boot device, a desktop of the operating system in the selected first branding;

receiving a selection of a second branding different from the first branding from within the desktop; and

performing a desktop reset, wherein the desktop reset does not re-start the operating system initiated from the secure boot device and results in execution of the desktop in the second branding without requiring the user to re-enter credentials to operate the remote desktop client in the second branding,

wherein the desktop executed in the first branding presents the user with access to a first set of remote desktop client resources and the desktop executed in the second branding presents the user with access to a second set of remote desktop client resources that are different from the first set of remote desktop client resources, and

wherein access to the first and second sets of remote desktop client resources requires use of different sets of security parameters.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein performing the desktop reset does not re-boot the operating system.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each branding is associated with a different context.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein each context depends on a role of the user.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein each context is associated with a particular branding and one or more application scripts, wherein each branding and application script is stored in the secure boot device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the desktop reset further comprises:

shutting down a desktop of the remote desktop client; and

restarting the desktop of the remote desktop client in the selected branding.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the desktop reset further comprises:

shutting down the desktop based on receiving a shutdown command;

displaying a credentials screen from the secure boot device;

receiving credentials including a user identification and a password; and

based on verification of the received credentials, booting, from the secure boot device, the desktop in the selected branding.

8. A secure system for switching between multiple brandings of a remote desktop client operating on a secure boot device, the secure boot device storing a plurality of brandings for a user, the system comprising:

a client computer having a secure boot device connected thereto;

a remote server communicatively connected to the client computer via a communications network;

a trusted set of processing modules stored in the secure boot device that, when executed on the client computer, cause the client computer to:

initiate an operating system from the secure boot device at the client computer, the secure boot device comprising a portable storage device connected to and readable by the client computer;

receive credentials including a user identification and a password;

receive a selection of a first branding among the plurality of brandings, each of the plurality of brandings associated with a different entity from which a user may receive authorization to operate the remote desktop client;

based on verification of the received credentials, boot, from the secure boot device, a desktop of the operating system in the selected first branding;

receive a selection of a second branding different from the first branding from within the desktop; and

perform a desktop reset, wherein the desktop reset does not re-start the operating system initiated from the secure boot device and results in execution of the desktop in the second branding without requiring the user to re-enter credentials to operate the remote desktop client in the second branding,

wherein the desktop executed in the first branding presents the user with access to a first set of remote desktop client resources and the desktop executed in the second branding presents the user with access to a second set of remote desktop client resources that are different from the first set of remote desktop client resources, and

wherein access to the first and second sets of remote desktop client resources requires use of different sets of security parameters.

9. The secure system of claim 8 , wherein performing the desktop reset does not re-boot the operating system.

10. The secure system of claim 8 , wherein each branding is associated with a different context.

11. The secure system of claim 10 , wherein each context depends on a role of the user.

12. The secure system of claim 11 , wherein each context is associated with a particular branding and one or more application scripts, wherein each branding and application script is stored in the secure boot device.

13. The secure system of claim 8 , wherein the desktop reset further comprises:

shut down a desktop of the remote desktop client; and

restart the desktop of the remote desktop client in the selected branding.

14. The secure system of claim 8 , wherein the desktop reset further comprises:

shut down the desktop based on receiving a shutdown command;

display a credentials screen from the secure boot device;

receive credentials including a user identification and a password; and

based on verification of the received credentials, boot, from the secure boot device, the desktop in the selected branding.

15. A non-transitory computer storage medium comprising computer-executable instructions stored in a memory of a secure boot device operating on a remote desktop client and including a trusted set of processing modules which, when executed, cause a computing system to:

initiate an operating system from the secure boot device at the remote desktop client, the secure boot device comprising a portable storage device readable by the remote desktop client;

receive credentials including a user identification and a password;

receive a selection of a first branding among a plurality of brandings, each of the plurality of brandings associated with a different entity from which a user may receive authorization to operate the remote desktop client;

based on verification of the received credentials, boot, from the secure boot device, a desktop of the operating system in the selected first branding;

receive a selection of a second branding different from the first branding from within the desktop; and

perform a desktop reset, wherein the desktop reset does not re-start the operating system initiated from the secure boot device and results in execution of the desktop in the second branding without requiring the user to re-enter credentials to operate the remote desktop client in the second branding,

wherein the desktop executed in the first branding presents the user with access to a first set of remote desktop client resources and the desktop executed in the second branding presents the user with access to a second set of remote desktop client resources that are different from the first set of remote desktop client resources, and

wherein access to the first and second sets of remote desktop client resources requires use of different sets of security parameters.

16. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15 , wherein performing the desktop reset does not re-boot the operating system.

17. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15 , wherein each branding is associated with a different context.

18. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 17 , wherein each context depends on a role of the user.

19. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 18 , wherein each context is associated with a particular branding and one or more application scripts, wherein each branding and application script is stored in the secure boot device.

20. The non-transitory computer storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the desktop reset further comprises:

shut down the desktop based on receiving a shutdown command;

display a credentials screen from the secure boot device;

receive credentials including a user identification and a password; and

based on verification of the received credentials, boot, from the secure boot device, the desktop in the selected branding.