Pre-OS Policy Enforcement for OS Configuration Integrity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing computer systems face challenges in protecting against malicious programs that can alter operating system configuration values, compromising security and integrity during the boot process.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a pre-operating system environment that checks and enforces policies for operating system configuration values using firmware and a policy loader, ensuring only trusted changes are made and preventing unauthorized modifications by verifying digital signatures and trusted entities.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the operating system is allowed to modify configuration values freely, then system adaptability and ease of operation are improved, but system security and integrity are compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a pre-operating system environment that establishes security policies and integrity checks before the operating system loads. This preliminary action creates a trusted foundation that prevents malicious configuration changes while allowing legitimate system adaptation, resolving the contradiction between flexibility and integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a policy loader and pre-operating system environment as intermediary layers between hardware and the operating system. These intermediaries enforce security policies on configuration values, allowing the system to maintain integrity while permitting controlled adaptability through approved configuration changes.
2Reliability
If strict policy enforcement is implemented to prevent unauthorized changes, then system security is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the boot process into distinct phases: a pre-operating system environment phase that handles security policy enforcement, and a subsequent operating system phase. This segmentation isolates the complexity of security checks to a specific phase, preventing it from propagating through the entire system and reducing overall perceived complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The policy loader automatically verifies configuration values against security policies without requiring manual intervention. The system self-regulates configuration changes through automated integrity checks and trusted entity verification, reducing operational complexity while maintaining strict security enforcement.
3Reliability
If configuration values are verified against security policies during boot, then system integrity is improved, but boot time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs security policy verification and configuration validation in the pre-operating system environment before the main operating system boots. By completing these integrity checks preliminarily, the patent ensures that once the operating system starts, no additional time-consuming verification is needed, thus minimizing the impact on overall boot time while maintaining configuration integrity.
Data Source
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AI summary
In a pre-operating system environment on a device prior to loading and running an operating system on the device, a policy identifying configuration settings for the operating system is obtained. The operating system itself is prevented from changing this policy, but the policy can be changed under certain circumstances by components of the pre-operating system environment. The policy is compared to configuration values used by the operating system, and the operating system is allowed to boot with the configuration values if the configuration values satisfy the policy. However, if the configuration values do not satisfy the policy, then a responsive action is taken.