Absolute Software Corporation

Ravi Gupta

Anahit Tarkhanyan

Gaurav Banga

Jacques Lemieux

Techniques for securing a client. Two or more varieties of location information for a client may be received. The present location of the client is determined using the two or more varieties of location information. A determination is made as to whether any of the varieties of location information were received during an immediately preceding bounded interval of time having a predefined length. A weight associated with each variety of location information that was received during the immediately preceding bounded interval of time is determined. The present location of the client is calculated using a weighted arithmetic mean for the varieties of location information that were received during the immediately preceding bounded interval of time.

Approaches for a location aware client

Techniques for securing a client. An operating system agent is one or more software modules that execute in an operating system of a client, such as a portable computer. Portions of the operating system agent may monitor resources of the client. The operating system agent sends a message, which describes an operational state of the operating system agent, to a BIOS agent. The BIOS agent is one or more software modules operating in a BIOS of the client. The BIOS agent performs an action based on a policy that is described by policy data stored within the BIOS of the client. The BIOS agent performs the action in response to either (a) the operational state described by the message, or (b) the BIOS agent not receiving the message after an expected period of time.

Secure computing environment using a client heartbeat to address theft and unauthorized access

Techniques for performing an action, based on the present location of a client, to protect resources of the client from theft or unauthorized access. A server may intermittently receive, from a client, location information such as GPS information, triangulation information based on one or more Wi-Fi access points, and IP trace information. The server may determine the client's location by (a) determining, for an interval of time, whether GPS information, triangulation information, and IP trace information are available for the client, and (b) based on the available GPS information, triangulation information, and IP trace information, determining the present location of the client, e.g., by determining a weighted arithmetic mean or by using a sequence of types of location information ordered based on accuracy. In response to following a security policy, the server may perform an action, specified by the security policy, based on the present location of the client.

Techniques for protecting resources of a client from theft or unauthorized access. A BIOS agent stores policy data within a BIOS of the client. The BIOS agent is one or more software modules operating in the BIOS of the client. The policy data describes one or more security policies which the client is to follow. In response to the client following at least one of the one or more security policies, a persistent storage medium of the client is locked by instructing a controller of the persistent storage medium to deny, to any entity, access to data stored on the persistent storage medium unless the entity supplies, to the controller, a recognized authentication credential. In this way, a malicious user without access to the recognized authentication credential cannot access the data stored on the persistent storage medium, even if the persistent storage medium is removed from the client.

Approaches for ensuring data security

Techniques for securing a client. A BIOS agent stores policy data within a BIOS of the client. The BIOS agent is one or more software modules that execute in the BIOS of the client. The policy data describes one or more policies which the client should follow. When an operating system agent detects that a condition, specified by a particular policy of the one or more policies, has been met, the operating system agent performs one or more actions specified by the particular policy, such as disabling the client, retrieving a file from the client, erasing a file from the client, or encrypting a file on the client. The operating system agent is one or more software modules that execute in the operating system of the client.

Secure computing environment to address theft and unauthorized access

An electronic device, for example, a laptop computer includes a processor, a transceiver module, for example, a Bluetooth module and a memory. The memory includes a platform proximity agent, which may be implemented as a series of instructions, which when executed by the processor, causes the processor to receive a Bluetooth signal from a corresponding provisioned Bluetooth device, for example, a cellular telephone. Next, determine whether the received signal exceeds both a strength threshold level and a predetermined time threshold level, where the signal strength and time threshold levels are established when the laptop and a corresponding cell phone are paired during a provisioning process. When the received signal strength and duration both exceed the corresponding policy based thresholds, the laptop enters (or remains in) a full power state with full access to the monitor and the platform. On the other hand, when the received signal strength and duration both fall below (or are less than) the corresponding policy based threshold, the laptop enters (or remains in) a reduced power, or locked state.

Secure platform management with power savings capacity

Techniques for securing a client. When a client, such as a portable computer, undergoes a change in operational state, an operating system agent sends a state message to a server. The state message describes the change in the operational state of the client. The operating system agent is one or more software modules that execute in an operating system of the client. The client receives a policy message from the server. The policy message contains policy data, which a BIOS agent stores in the BIOS of the client. The policy data identifies one or more security policies which the client should follow.

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San Jose, CA, United States of America

Ravi Gupta