Portable smart card secured memory system for porting user profiles and documents

[0001] This invention relates to systems and methods for transporting user profiles and data files from one computer to another. More particularly, this invention relates to a portable profile carrier that enables a user to securely store and transport a user profile and personal data files, while allowing the user to access the profile and data files during log on processes at a standalone or networked computer so that the computer retains the same ‘look and feel’ of the user's desktop and setup.

[0002] Profiles are used by operating systems to configure operating characteristics of a computer (e.g., user interface schema, favorites lists, etc.) according to user-supplied preferences and provide storage for the user's personal data files (e.g., files on the desktop or in the user's “My Documents” folder). Windows NT operating systems from Microsoft Corporation supports two types of profiles: local profiles and roaming profiles. A local profile is stored and loaded from a fixed location on the local computer. The profile remains at the computer, and is not portable to another computer. Thus, if the user logs onto another computer, a new profile is created for that user from a default profile. As a result, the user ends up with different profiles on each machine that he/she logs onto and hence, each machine looks and feels differently.

[0003] A roaming profile travels with the user in a networked environment and is made available to the user regardless of which machine the user logs onto. FIG. 1 shows a client-server architecture 20 that implements conventional roaming profiles. The architecture 20 includes a server 22 connected to serve a client 24 over a network 26. The server 22 has an operating system 28 and a profile store 30 that holds various user profiles. The profiles are associated with the users via a passcode. The client 24 runs an operating system 32.

[0004] When the user logs onto the client 24, the user is initially prompted for a user name, domain name, and password. The domain name is used to identify the server 22 and the user name is used to locate a corresponding user profile from the profile store 30. If a profile exists (i.e. the user name is known to the server), the password is used in a challenge response exchange with the server to verify the identity of the user. If the user provided the correct password for the given user name, the user's profile is downloaded from the server 22 to the client 24 and used to configure the client according to the user's preferences.

[0005] If additional security is warranted, the architecture may further include smart card tokens. The user is assigned a personal smart card and inserts the smart card into a card reader at the client. In this case, the user name, domain name, and password are stored on the smart card. Instead of the user entering this information, the user enters a passcode that unlocks the card and makes the information available to the client, which then performs the logon process as described above.

[0006] One drawback with the roaming architecture is that users have only limited control over their own profiles. A user cannot, for instance, establish a roaming profile without the assistance of a network administrator. The administrator must assign a roaming profile pathname in the user's account on the domain server. The user then has the option to indicate on each machine whether to use a roaming profile or a local profile.

[0007] Another drawback with roaming profiles is that the architecture restricts roaming to clients connected to the network 26 with access to the domain server and the profile server 22. The architecture does not allow a user to access his/her profile on a home computer or other standalone computer that is not network attached.

[0008] Accordingly, there is a need for a portable device that securely transports a user's profile and related documents (My Documents) to various machines, regardless of whether the machines are connected or standalone. The inventors have developed such a device.

[0009] This invention concerns a portable profile carrier that stores and securely transports a user's profile and personal user data files from one computer to the next.

[0010] The profile carrier is a two-component system comprising a smart card (or other integrated circuit (IC) card with processing capabilities) and a memory device. The user profile and personal data files are stored in the memory device. The smart card protects access to the memory device. The composite profile carrier alternately enables access to the user profile on the memory device when the card is present and the user is authenticated, while disabling access when the card is absent or the user is not authenticated.

[0011] In one implementation, the profile carrier is assigned a pair of public and private keys, with the public key being stored on the memory device and the private key being kept on the smart card. The smart card also stores a passcode that is unique to the user. To access the contents in the memory device, the user is prompted to enter a passcode and the smart card authenticates the user by comparing the user-supplied passcode to the stored passcode. Assuming that the user is legitimate, the smart card then authenticates the memory device as belonging to the user by determining whether the public key is complementary with the private key. If it is, access to the user profile and personal data files on the memory device is permitted.

[0017] This invention concerns a portable profile carrier for transporting a user's profile and personal data files from one computer to the next in order to configure each computer according to user preferences. The profile carrier is equipped with sufficient memory to hold data files as well as the user profile. In one implementation, the profile and data files are secured, in part, using cryptographic techniques. Accordingly, the following discussion assumes that the reader is familiar with cryptography. For a basic introduction of cryptography, the reader is directed to a text written by Bruce Schneier and entitled “Applied Cryptography: Protocols, Algorithms, and Source Code in C,” published by John Wiley & Sons with copyright 1994 (second edition 1996).

[0018] FIG. 2 shows a computer system 50 having a computer 52 and a portable profile carrier 54. The computer 52 has an operating system 56, a memory drive 58, and a smart card reader 60. The computer may be configured as a general-purpose computer (e.g., desktop computer, laptop computer, personal digital assistant, etc.), an ATM (automated teller machine), a kiosk, an automated entry system, a set top box, and the like. The machine 52 may be a standalone unit or networked to other computers (not shown).

[0019] The profile carrier 54 stores a user's profile in a secured medium that can be conveniently transported. The profile consists of user information that can be used to configure computer 52 according to selected preferences and schema of the user. The profile contains essentially all of the information that is useful or personal to the user. For instance, a profile might include a user's name, logon identity, access privileges, user interface preferences (i.e., background, layout, etc.), mouse control preferences (i.e., click speed, etc.), favorites lists, personal address book, the latest electronic mail (sorted according to user criteria) and so forth. One can also envision that application tokens or keys can be stored on the carrier, and that will allow the user to access or use the applications for which he/she has tokens or keys.

[0020] The profile carrier 54 has two components: a memory device 70 and an integrated circuit (IC) card 72. The IC card has a form factor of a card and is equipped with memory and processing capabilities. The IC card is preferably embodied as a smart card. The memory device 70 can be constructed in many different forms, including floppy diskette, PCMCIA flash memory card (or PC card), Zip memory drive, and other persistent read/write memories.

[0021] According to this architecture, the two-component profile carrier forms a smart card secured memory system that alternately enables access to the user profile and personal data files on the memory device 70 when the smart card 72 is present, while disabling access when the smart card is absent. The smart card 72 is associated with the user (e.g., via a passcode, like an ATM card) to ensure that only the legitimate user can access the smart card. In addition, the memory device 70 and smart card 72 are associated with one another (e.g., by sharing a public/private key pair) to securely link the legitimate user to the user profile and data files stored in the memory device.

[0022] FIG. 3 shows functional components in the computer system 50. Computer 52 includes operating system 56, memory drive 58, and smart card reader 60. The operating system 56 has a logon module 80 to facilitate the user logon process. For a Windows NT operating system from Microsoft Corporation, the logon module 80 is the dynamic link library “msgina.dll”, a component used by the user logon facility “winlogon.exe”. The operating system 56 also has a memory driver 82 and a smart card driver 84. The drivers 82 and 84 detect when a memory device 70 and smart card 72 are inserted into the respective memory drive 58 and smart card reader 60.

[0023] The profile carrier 54 comprises the memory device 70 and smart card 72. The memory device 70 has a read/write controller 90 and persistent memory 92. The memory 92 is partitioned into a public area 94 and a private area 96. A public key 98 is stored in the public area 94 and can be exported from the memory device via the read/write controller 90. The public key 98 is from a public/private key pair assigned to the profile carrier 54, with the corresponding private key being kept on the smart card 72. A user profile 100 and data files 102 are stored in the private area 96 of memory 92. The controller 90 facilitates reading and writing data to the memory device 92 and is capable of protecting the private storage 96 from illegitimate access.

[0024] The detailed internal architecture of smart cards varies greatly between smart cards from different manufacturers. For purposes of this discussion, a very simplified view of a typical smart card will be used. The smart card 72 has an interface 110, a microcontroller or processor 112, and secured storage 114. The microcontroller 112 is preprogrammed to perform certain cryptographic functions and can read from and write to the secured storage 114. The microcontroller 112 responds to commands sent via the interface 110 and can send data in response to those commands back to the interface.

[0025] In this simplified smart card 72, the secured storage 114 contains a passcode 116, a private key 118, and an encryption key 120. Before it will perform any cryptographic functions involving private key 118, the smart card 72 is unlocked by a command sent in via the interface 110 that specifies a passcode matching the stored passcode 116. Once unlocked, the smart card can be instructed by other commands to perform cryptographic functions that involve the use of the private key 114, without making the private key available outside of the smart card. The programming of the microcontroller 112 is designed to avoid exposing the passcode 116 and private key 118. Simply, there are no commands that can be issued to the microcontroller 112 via the interface 110 that will reveal the values of the passcode or the private key. In this manner, the smart card prevents a foreign application from ever inadvertently or intentionally mishandling the passcode and key in a way that might cause them to be intercepted and compromised. In constructing smart cards, manufacturers take additional measures to ensure that the secured storage is inaccessible even when the smart card is disassembled and electronically probed.

[0026] The system described above enables a user to transport a user profile and personal data files on a secured portable device from one computer to the next. The user can upload the user profile from the portable device to the computer and automatically configure the computer to his/her likes and preferences. In this manner, every computer “looks and feels” the same to the user, based on that user's settings and preferences.

[0027] The profile carrier is configured as a smart card secured flash memory system that alternately enables access to the user profile in flash memory when the smart card is present, while disabling access when the smart card is absent. No connection to a server for remote downloading of profiles is necessary, as the portable profile carrier contains all of the information needed by the computer for customized configuration.

[0028] To access the user profile, the user inserts the memory device 70 into the memory drive 58 and inserts the smart card 72 into the smart card reader 60. Authorization to access the user profile is achieved through a two-phase authentication process. One phase involves user authentication in which the smart card 72 authenticates the user via a passcode challenge. The second phase is a carrier authentication in which the smart card 72 authenticates the memory device 70 as carrying the profile of the user.

[0029] FIG. 4 shows steps in the two-phase authentication process that enables access to the user profile and data files. The steps are performed in a combination of hardware and software resident at the computer 52 and smart card 72. The method is also described with additional reference to the system illustrated in FIG. 3.

[0030] At step 150, the computer 52 monitors for insertion of the memory device 70 and smart card 72 into their respective drives. In one implementation, the logon module 80 of operating system 56 (i.e., “msgina.dll”) continually monitors the memory drive 58 and smart card reader 60. Once the device and card are identified, the logon module 80 proceeds with the logon procedure.

[0031] At step 152, the computer operating system 56 prompts the user via a dialog box or other type window to enter a passcode, such as a PIN (Personal Identification Number). After the user enters the passcode, the smart card driver 84 sends the user-supplied passcode to the smart card 72 via the smart card reader 60 (step 154).

[0032] The smart card microcontroller 112 compares the user-supplied passcode to the passcode 116 stored in secured storage 114 (step 156). If the two fail to match (i.e., the “no” branch from step 158), the microcontroller 112 rejects the entered passcode and returns a failure notice (step 160). Conversely, if the two match, the user has been authenticated and the microcontroller 112 will now accept commands that involve cryptographic operations involving the private key 118.

[0033] In this manner, the smart card is associated with a particular user through the passcode. Only the legitimate user is assumed to know the passcode and hence, only the legitimate user is able to unlock the smart card.

[0034] This passcode challenge completes the user authentication phase of the process. The carrier authentication phase is subsequently initiated to determine whether the memory device carries the data of the authenticated user. This phase employs public key cryptography to make the determination. As noted above, the composite profile carrier is assigned a pair of complementary public and private keys, with the public key 98 being stored on memory device 70 and the corresponding private key 118 being stored in the secured storage 114 of smart card 72.

[0035] At step 164, the memory driver 82 reads the public key 98 from the memory device 70 via the memory drive 58. The memory driver 82 passes the public key 98 to the smart card 72 via the smart card driver 84 and smart card reader 60 (step 166). The smart card microcontroller 112 runs a process using the public key 98 and the private key 118 to determine whether the keys are complementary (step 168). This step determines whether the memory device 70 and smart card 72 are associated with one another and form the user's profile carrier, thereby linking the legitimate user to the user profile and personal data files stored in the memory device of the profile carrier.

[0036] If the public key is not valid (i.e., the “no” branch from step 170), the microcontroller 112 rejects the entered public key and returns a failure notice indicating that the memory device does not correspond to the smart card or user (step 172). On the other hand, assuming the public key checks out (i.e., the “yes” branch from step 170), the smart card instructs the read/write controller 90 on the memory device 70 to enable access to the user profile and data files in the private area 96 of the memory 92 (step 174). At this point, the computer is permitted to read the user profile and data files from the memory device 70 and normal logon processes are continued using the profile data from the memory (step 176). The computer configures the computer according to the user profile. The memory is also made available as a peripheral storage device for the computer. The operating system presents an icon or name in a file system user interface to inform the user that the memory is addressable and available.

[0037] After the user completes a session at this computer, the user can save any files or other data to the flash memory. The user is then free to remove the profile carrier from the computer and carry it to another computer. The user can then repeat the same operation described above to import his/her profile to the next computer. As a result of this architecture, one source of security is that both user authentication and possession of both components of the profile carrier during logon are employed to gain access to the user profile and data files.

[0038] The scheme described is secure if the computer 52 can be trusted to correctly pass the public key 98 to the smart card 72, and correctly pass the accepts/reject response from the smart card 72 to the read/write controller 90.

[0039] To further protect the private contents in the memory device 70, the contents can be encrypted (e.g. DES encryption) using a key that can only be obtained from the smart card 72 after the smart card has been successfully unlocked by the user providing the correct passcode. In this case, the computer 52 sends a command to the smart card 72 via the interface 110 to obtain the encryption key 120, which it passes to the read/write controller 90. The read/write controller uses this key to decrypt the user profile 100 and user documents 102 as the computer makes requests to read this data. Similarly when this data is written back to the memory device 70 the read/write controller 90 uses the key to encrypt the data before writing it to the private memory area 96.

[0040] Although the invention has been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological steps, it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or steps described. Rather, the specific features and steps are disclosed as preferred forms of implementing the claimed invention.