Network Presence Sensing for Unattended Computer Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unattended computer systems are vulnerable to unauthorized access and malware deployment, as attackers can exploit them to launch further attacks or form botnets, with existing security measures being ineffective in preventing such scenarios.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method that uses network presence sensing with a radio transceiver to detect the physical proximity of a human user, validating authentication credentials, and securing the computer from unauthorized use by executing security actions such as locking, disabling network hardware, or encrypting data when the user is no longer present.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If network presence sensing is implemented to detect user proximity, then security against unauthorized access is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The radio transceiver is designed to serve multiple functions: it acts as both a communication device for network connectivity and a presence sensing device for security detection. By utilizing the existing radio transceiver hardware for dual purposes, the system achieves enhanced security functionality without adding separate dedicated presence detection hardware, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses its own radio transceiver to detect the presence of users by monitoring radio frequency signals in its environment. The computer essentially monitors itself and its immediate environment for presence detection, eliminating the need for external dedicated sensors and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining security improvements.
2Reliability
If security actions are automatically executed when user absence is detected, then protection against malware deployment is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system executes security actions such as locking the computer or disabling network hardware automatically when user absence is detected, before any potential unauthorized access or malware deployment can occur. This preliminary protective action prevents security breaches proactively, and the system is designed to automatically resume normal operation when a user returns, minimizing manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors for user presence using the radio transceiver and provides automatic feedback control: when a user is detected as absent, security measures are activated; when a user returns, the system detects this change and automatically disables the security measures. This closed-loop feedback mechanism ensures both strong protection and convenient operation without requiring manual user configuration.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly reduces the likelihood of unauthorized access and malware deployment by ensuring that network access is only available when a human user is present, thereby increasing the cost and difficulty of attacks and reducing the prevalence of botnet infections.
Implementation Method 1
network presence sensing using the radio transceiver
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for securing an unattended computer. The systems and methods provide an additional layer of security for computer systems by using network presence sensing (NPS) to detect the presence or absence of a user physically present at a computer system and if an authorized user is detected as having departed, taking a security action in response. The response may be to lock the computer, encrypted sensitive data, and so forth. The concept may also be applied at a facilities level, in computing pools, and in other instances physical presence or absence of a user at a computer is indicative of a need for a change in system state. This change could be security related, or could pertain to other resources.