Secure storage device

Abstract

A communication and security device for a portable computer is disclosed including a housing, a connector provided on the housing for physical connection to the portable computer, a computer interface coupled to the connector for communicating data with the portable computer, a wireless modem coupled to the computer interface for communicating data between the portable computer and a remote device via a wireless network, a regulator operable to regulate power in the communication and storage device, and a processor coupled to control the regulator, the processor coupled to the wireless modem and arranged to process at least one security command received by the wireless modem to control the regulator in response to the received command.

1 . A communication and security device for a portable computer comprising:
 a housing;   a connector provided on the housing for physical connection to the portable computer;   a computer interface coupled to the connector for communicating data with the portable computer;   a wireless modem coupled to the computer interface for communicating data between the portable computer and a remote device via a wireless network;   a regulator operable to regulate power in the communication and storage device; and   a processor coupled to control the regulator, the processor coupled to the wireless modem and arranged to process at least one security command received by the wireless modem to control the regulator in response to the received command.   
     
     
         2 . A communication and security device according to  claim 1  wherein the processor is operable to perform at least one security function in response to the received command. 
     
     
         3 . A communication and security device according to  claim 1  comprising a battery and wherein the regulator is operable to regulate power in response to changes in a battery charge level of the battery, wherein the power regulator is operable to switch the control unit between an active state and a sleep state to reduce power consumption. 
     
     
         4 . A communication and security device according to  claim 3  wherein the regulator is operable to switch between an active state and a sleep state in response to at least one of: a received command, a timer, activation of the portable computer, and the communication and security being connected to, or disconnected from, the portable computer. 
     
     
         5 . A communication and security device according to  claim 3 , wherein the power regulator is operable to recharge the battery by drawing power from the portable computer. 
     
     
         6 . A communication and security device according to  claim 1  comprising a non volatile memory, wherein the regulator is operable to regulate power to the memory to put the communication and security device into a locked state until a security command is received. 
     
     
         7 . A communication and security device according to  claim 1  comprising a radio frequency homing beacon wherein the processor is arranged to activate the homing beacon in response to a received beacon activation command. 
     
     
         8 . A communication and security device according to  claim 1  comprising a position determining device, preferably a GPS receiver, is arranged to activate the position determining device in response to a received position device activation command, wherein the processor is arranged to report a position received from the position determining device using the wireless modem. 
     
     
         9 . A device according to  claim 1  wherein the processor is arranged to trigger a security feature on the portable computer, wherein the security feature comprises one of: disabling some or all of the function of the portable computer; encrypting or deleting some or all of the data stored in non volatile storage of the portable computer. 
     
     
         10 . A device according to  claim 1  wherein the interface is a USB interface or any derivative thereof. 
     
     
         11 . A device according to  claim 1  wherein a wireless modem is provided with a GSM capability for the sending and receiving of SMS messages, wherein received SMS messages can provide security commands operable to cause the processor to perform one or more security actions and comprising a non-volatile memory configured with instructions operable to cause the processor to perform the one or more security actions. 
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 11  configured to receive SMS messages containing one or more references to one or more memory locations of the non-volatile memory operable to cause the processor to carry out instructions stored at the non-volatile memory location, wherein the wireless modem provides functionality substantially corresponding to an ordinary wireless modem. 
     
     
         13 . The communication and security device of  claim 12  wherein substantially all of the wireless communication bandwidth available to a security device may be given over to wireless communication of a host device wherein substantially all of the bandwidth may comprise at least 90% of the bandwidth. 
     
     
         14 . The communication and security device of  claim 11  wherein the security device regulates power to a GSM capability of the device in response to a command received from a remote device. 
     
     
         15 . The communication and security device of  claim 1  wherein the device is operable to modify the operation of a host device. 
     
     
         16 . The communication and security device of  claim 15  wherein operation of the device is modified to cause a boot up sequence of a host device to be suspended if a communication channel of a communication and security device is not available. 
     
     
         17 . A communication and security device for a portable computer comprising:
 a housing;   a connector provided on the housing for physical connection to the portable computer;   a computer interface coupled to the connector for communicating data with the portable computer;   a wide area communication interface coupled to the computer interface for communicating data between the portable computer and a remote device via a wireless network; and   a memory coupled to the wide area communication interface and coupled to be accessible to a computer via the computer interface wherein the memory is controlled to be selectively enabled.   
     
     
         18 . A communication and security device for a portable computer according to  claim 17  wherein the memory is operable to be selectively enabled in response to a command received by the wide area communication interface. 
     
     
         19 . A communication and security device for a portable computer according to  claim 17  wherein the device is configured such that, one of:
 the device operates so as to be recognised as a removable memory device when an enable command is received by the wide area communication interface; 
 in the absence of an enable command received by the wide area communication interface, the device has memory which is not visible to the normal operating system of the host computer; 
 the wide area communication interface is configured receive commands only from a predetermined list of remote devices wherein the device comprise a memory coupled to derive a power supply from the computer interface; and 
 the wide area communication device is operable to switch the power supply on or off in response to a received command. 
 
     
     
         20 . A communication and security device according to  claim 17  comprising a GPS receiver for determining location information, wherein the memory is controlled to be selectively enabled and/or disabled in response to at least one of: a command received by the wide area communication interface; and determined location information.