Virus immune computer system and method

Abstract

A method and apparatus prevents hacker code from infecting an application program by requiring decryption of the application program prior to running the application program on a computer. The method includes steps of: providing a storage device that is a separate unit from components necessary to operate the computer; storing a symmetric private key on the storage device; using the symmetric private key to produce an encrypted application program upon first installation; thereafter decrypting that part of the encrypted application program needed implement a command to run the application program; precluding the computer from running any part of the application program that has not been first encrypted with the symmetric private key; and, decrypting, on the fly, only those follow-on parts of the encrypted application program needed to perform functions called for during operation of the application program.

1 - 3 : (canceled) 
     
     
         4 . A storage device for storing a secure key, the storage device comprising:
 a non-transitory computer storage medium installed within a unit that can be operationally connected to a computer, the unit being separate from components necessary for operation of the computer;   a secure key usable as input data to computer code running on the computer to which the storage device is connected, the secure key stored on the non-transitory computer storage medium;   computer code for operation of the computer, the computer code operable to:
 read the secure key; 
 use the secure key as input data; and 
 prevent access to the secure key a second time after the secure key is first accessed by the computer to run any program. 
   
     
     
         5 . The storage device of claim  14 , wherein the non-transitory computer storage medium is incorporated into a component selected from the group consisting of an electronic chip, a computer board, a central processing unit, a wireless communication device, and a universal serial bus device. 
     
     
         6 . The storage device of claim  14  further comprising:
 an electronic chip incorporating the storage device; 
 an electronic tristate switch in the electronic chip; 
 wherein the electronic tristate switch is configured to prevent access to the secure key a second time. 
 
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 . A method for controlling loading of multiple operating systems into a random access memory of a computer, the computer comprising a first non-transitory computer storage medium, a second non-transitory computer storage medium, a third non-transitory computer storage medium, a random access memory, a central processing unit, a basic input/output system, and a switch, the method comprising the steps of:
 storing a key on the first non-transitory computer storage medium, the key usable for encryption and decryption of a software program;   storing an encrypted operating system on the computer in the second non-transitory computer storage medium;   storing a non-encrypted operating system on the computer in the third non-transitory computer storage medium;   setting the switch to enable the basic input/output system to load either the encrypted operating system or the non-encrypted operating system into the random access memory; and   configuring the computer at power up to implement steps comprising:
 making the key available from the first non-transitory computer storage medium to the basic input/output system; 
 when the switch is set to enable the basic input/output system to load the encrypted operating system, the basic input/output system reading the encrypted operating system from the second non-transitory computer storage medium and using the key to decrypt the encrypted operating system as requested by the central processing unit; and, 
 when the switch is set to enable the basic input/output system to load the non-encrypted operating system from the third non-transitory computer storage medium, the basic input/output system disabling access to the key then reading the non-encrypted operating system from the third non-transitory computer storage medium, then storing the non-encrypted operating system in the random access memory of the computer.