Method and system for maintaining secure data input and output

Abstract

Methods and systems for enhancing the security of data during input and output on a client computer system are provided to prevent attempts by unauthorized code to access, intercept, and/or modify data. Example embodiments provide a plurality of obfuscation techniques and security enhanced drivers that use these obfuscation techniques to prohibit unauthorized viewing/receiving of valid data. When the drivers are used together with the various obfuscation techniques, the security enhanced drivers provide mechanisms for “scheduling” the content of the storage areas used to store the data so that valid data is not available to unauthorized recipients. When unauthorized recipients attempt to access the “data,” they perceive or receive obfuscated data. The obfuscation techniques described include “copy-in,” “replace and restore,” and “in-place replacement” de-obfuscation/re-obfuscation techniques. In one embodiment, a security enhanced display driver, a security enhanced mouse driver, a security enhanced keyboard driver, and a security enhanced audio driver are provided. To complement the security enhancements, the methods and systems also provide for a watchdog mechanism to ensure that the driver is functioning as it should be and various user interface techniques for denoting security on a display device.

1 . A method in a computing environment for denoting security levels associated with data rendered to a display, comprising: 
 associating security levels of data with a region of the display; and    altering an appearance of the display to denote the security level associated with the display region.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the display region is a region selected from a group of regions comprising an operating system desktop, a window within the desktop, an alternative display region and an arbitrary region of the display.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the level of security is represented by a value associated with the display region.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the security level value is provided by an application rendering for association with a region of the display.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 3  wherein the security level value is stored for subsequent for association with a region of the display.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the associating security levels of data with a region of the display operates in a environment containing a plurality of display regions.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the associating security levels of data with a region of the display operates in a environment containing a plurality of secure display regions.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the associating security levels of data with a region of the display operates in a environment containing both secure and non-secure display regions.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein an display cursor is used to denote the security level associated with the display region.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the cursor moves between the secure and non-secure display regions based on user input.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising altering a color of the cursor based on the level of security within the display region in which the cursor is positioned.  
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising altering a shape of the cursor based on the level of security within the display region in which the cursor is positioned.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising altering a representative image of the cursor based on the level of security within the display region in which the cursor is positioned.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying an image on an operating system desktop to denote the security level.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the display region is an operating system desktop, the method further comprising altering a desktop color based on the security level.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 1  wherein altering the appearance of the display comprises using a border around at least a portion of the display region to denote the associated security level.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising displaying the border with a selected color based on associated security level.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising displaying the border with a selected width based on associated security level.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising displaying the border with a selected image pattern based on associated security level.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 1  wherein altering the appearance of the display comprises altering an existing element of a user interface on the display.  
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 20  wherein altering the existing element of a user interface comprises altering an appearance of a scroll bar to represent the associated security level.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 20  wherein altering the existing element of a user interface comprises altering an appearance of a navigation icon to represent the associated security level.  
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 20  wherein altering the existing element of a user interface comprises altering an appearance of an interface title bar to represent the associated security level.  
   
   
       24 . A computer readable media containing computer instructions that cause a computer to denote security levels associated with data rendered to a display by: 
 associating security levels of data with a region of the display; and    altering an appearance of the display to denote the security level associated with the display region.    
   
   
       25 . The computer readable media of  claim 24  wherein the display region is an operating system desktop, the computer readable media further comprising computer instructions causing the computer to alter a desktop color based on the security level.  
   
   
       26 . The computer readable media of  claim 24  wherein the display region is a region selected from a group of regions comprising an operating system desktop, a window within the desktop, an alternative display region and an arbitrary region of the display.  
   
   
       27 . The computer readable media of  claim 24  wherein the associating security levels of data with a region of the display operates in a environment containing a plurality of display regions.  
   
   
       28 . The computer readable media of  claim 27  wherein the associating security levels of data with a region of the display operates in a environment containing a plurality of secure display regions.  
   
   
       29 . The computer readable media of  claim 27  wherein the associating security levels of data with a region of the display operates in a environment containing both secure and non-secure display regions.  
   
   
       30 . The computer readable media of  claim 27 , further comprising computer instructions causing the computer to alter a color of the cursor based on the level of security within the display region in which the cursor is positioned.  
   
   
       31 . A system to denote security levels associated with data rendered to a display by a computer comprising: 
 a denotation mechanism to associate security levels of data with a region of the display; and    a controller to alter an appearance of the display to denote the security level associated with the display region.    
   
   
       32 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the display region is an operating system desktop and the controller is configured to alter a desktop color based on the security level.  
   
   
       33 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the display region is a region selected from a group of regions comprising an operating system desktop, a window within the desktop, an alternative display region and an arbitrary region of the display.  
   
   
       34 . The system of  claim 31  wherein the denotation mechanism is configured to associate security levels of data with a region of the display in a environment containing a plurality of display regions.  
   
   
       35 . The system of  claim 34  wherein the denotation mechanism is configured to associate security levels of data with a region of the display in a environment containing a plurality of secure display regions.  
   
   
       36 . The system of  claim 34  wherein the denotation mechanism is configured to associate security levels of data with a region of the display in a environment containing both secure and non-secure display regions.  
   
   
       37 . The system of  claim 34  wherein the controller is configured to alter a color of the cursor based on the level of security within the display region in which the cursor is positioned.  
   
   
       38 . A method in a computing environment for denoting the security levels associated with data rendered to a display, comprising; 
 associating a security level of data with a region of the display; and    enabling an audible notation representing the security level associated with the display region.    
   
   
       39 . The method of  claim 38  wherein enabling the audible notation comprises playing different audio tones based on the user interface region the user is currently operating.  
   
   
       40 . A computer readable media containing instructions causing a computer to denote the security levels associated with data rendered to a display by: 
 associating a security level of data with a region of the display; and    enabling an audible notation representing the security level associated with the display region.    
   
   
       41 . The computer readable media of  claim 40  wherein enabling the audible notation comprises playing different audio tones based on the user interface region the user is currently operating.  
   
   
       42 . A system in a computing environment for denoting the security levels associated with data rendered to a display, comprising; 
 activating a denotation mechanism to associate a security level of data with a region of the display; and    an audio controller configured to generate an audible notation representing the security level associated with the display region.    
   
   
       43 . The system of  claim 42  wherein the audio controller is configured generate the audible notation comprising playing different audio tones based on the user interface region the user is currently operating.  
   
   
       44 . A method in a computing environment for denoting security levels associated with data rendered to a display, comprising: 
 determining one of a plurality of security levels of data associated with a region of the display; and    altering an appearance of the display to denote the determined security level associated with the display region.    
   
   
       45 . A computer readable media containing computer instructions causing a computer to denote security levels associated with data rendered to a display by: 
 determining one of a plurality of security levels of data associated with a region of the display; and    altering an appearance of the display to denote the determined security level associated with the display region.    
   
   
       46 . A system in a computing environment for denoting security levels associated with data rendered to a display, comprising: 
 a denotation mechanism to denote one of a plurality of security levels of data associated with a region of the display; and    a display controller configured to alter an appearance of the display to denote the determined security level associated with the display region.