International Business Machines Corporation

Chad M Albertson

Eric J Campbell

Nicholas Ollerich

Christopher W Steffen

Mark S Fredrickson

Scott Douglas Frei

David Grant Wheeler

Curtis Carl Wollbrink

John Michael Borkenhagen

Jeb R Linton

Kevin O'Connell

Provided is a damper system for an electronic equipment rack. The damper system may include an electronic equipment rack, a battery back-up unit, and a plurality of rails disposed within the electronic equipment rack. The battery back-up unit is slidably secured to the plurality of rails and tuned to dampen seismic oscillations of the electronic equipment rack during an earthquake. The battery back-up unit is also able to provide power to the electronic equipment disposed in the rack during a power outage.

Damper for an electronic equipment rack

Provided is a method for collecting sensor data using time-domain reflectometry (TDR). A primary device transmits a TDR signal to a first sensor. A reflected signal is received in response to the transmitted TDR signal. The reflected signal is analyzed to determine an impedance of the first sensor. Based on the impedance of the first sensor, a sensor value for the first sensor is determined.

Time-domain reflectometry protocol for sensors

A system and method for pairing two devices for secure communications. A user selects a first device to pair with a second device. The first and second devices have the ability to securely communicate with each other through the use of encrypted communications. An encryption key is written to the first device and then burned into the encryption module on the first device. A third device is selected to pair with the first device. A second encryption key is written to the first device and then burned into the encryption module.

Secure pairing of devices

A system and method of securely controlling a device from another device. The user of the device attempts to modify the device in some way. In response to the attempted modification a request is generated and sent to a controlling device. The request includes information related to the desired modification. The controlling device analyzes the request and a determination on how to respond to the request is made. This response is encrypted at the controlling device and transmitted to the device. The device then decrypts the response and implements the indicated response to the request. The encryption and decryption keys are burned into the corresponding devices such that information needed to decrypt the response is not transmitted to the device.

Secure modification of controlled devices

Described are techniques for presentation attack detection including a computer-implemented method of emitting a predetermined frequency pattern using at least one speaker communicatively coupled to a computer implementing a video-conference. The computer-implemented method further comprises collecting, by a camera communicatively coupled to the computer and overlapping with the emitting the predetermined frequency pattern, video data of a user engaged in the video-conference. The computer-implemented method further comprises determining that the video data is inconsistent with an expected response to the predetermined frequency pattern. The computer-implemented method further comprises generating an indication that the user engaged in the video-conference is performing a presentation attack.

Sound-based presentation attack detection

A system and method to tie a removable component to a host device. A first pairing key is stored into a security module on a host device such as a server rack. A removable component is inserted into the server rack for the first time. In response to this first insertion the first pairing key is burned into the removable component using a plurality of physically modifiable internal components. The server rack/security module receives a request form the removable component to operate on the server rack, the request includes a burned in pairing key. The security module compares the received pairing key with the first pairing key and permits operation of the removable component in response to a match between the received pairing key and the first pairing key.

Pairing devices for enhanced security

A system and method for pairing two devices for secure communications. A user selects a first device to pair with a second device. The first and second devices have the ability to securely communicate with each other through the use of encrypted communications. An encryption key is written to the first device and then burned into the encryption module on the first device. A corresponding decryption key is written to the second device and then is burned into the decryption module of the second device.

A system and method for providing a secure image load. The system includes a microcontroller. The microcontroller has a plurality of physically modifiable internal components (PMIC). Each of the plurality of PMICs can only be modified one time. The system further includes an image loader configured to load a boot image from the memory of the microcontroller, and a checksum calculator configured to calculate a checksum value for the boot image. The system further includes a checksum burner configured to modify the plurality of PMICs to create a binary representation of the checksum value for the image. A checksum value is calculated for the image. This checksum value is written to the microcontroller. The value is burned into the microcontroller using the PMICs. Further, responses to the checksum mismatch are burned into the microcontroller using the PMICs that are present in the microcontroller.

Secure embedded microcontroller image load

Techniques for authentication of digital recordings are provided. An element of encrypted data is output in a recording environment. The element of encrypted data, embedded in a digital recording comprising at least one of audio data and image data captured in the recording environment, is extracted. A decrypted value is generated based on a private key and the first element of encrypted data, and the first decrypted value and a stored value associated with a first element of the digital recording are compared. The digital recording is authenticated based on the first decrypted value substantially matching the stored value.

Authenticating digital recordings

A system and method for providing content to a user outside of a home region. A portable device displays content to a user through a network connection. A home content provider provides content to the portable device from the home region. Some of the content provided is region restricted content. A location verifier determines that the portable device and the user are both physically located within the home region. The location verifier issues to the user a location token when the user and the portable device are in the home region. A token verifier verifies the location token when the user requests the region restricted content outside of the home region. The token verifier further instructs the home content provider to provide region restricted content to the user when the user has the location token.

Content access based on location token

Aspects described herein include a computer-implemented method (and related system and computer program product) comprising receiving, from a bonding service, an authorization request for a predefined authorized use of a good or service by a user. The authorization request indicates that the user meets one or more predefined criteria for the predefined authorized use. The method further comprises determining one or more penalty conditions of a bonding agreement for the predefined authorized use by the user, and receiving, from the bonding service, a confirmation that the user agrees to meet the one or more penalty conditions of the bonding agreement. The method further comprises receiving, from an owner of the good or service, an authorization of the authorization request, and transmitting, responsive to authorization of the authorization request, a token to the bonding service that enables the user to access the predefined authorized use of the good or service.

Authorizing uses of goods or services using bonding agreement

Techniques for analysis of verification parameters and reduction of training data are provided. A plurality of test results is received, where each of the plurality of test results specifies a respective one or more parameters and a respective one or more events. A list of parameters used to stimulate computing logic is determined. Additionally, a plurality of relevant parameters is generated, corresponding to parameters in the list of parameters that have at least two distinct values specified in the plurality of test results. A plurality of training cases is generated based on the plurality of test results and the plurality of relevant parameters. Further, a neural network is generated for design verification of the computing logic based on the plurality of relevant parameters. The neural network is trained based on the plurality of training cases.

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Rochester, MN, United States of America

Chad M Albertson