JP2005301548A - Data erasure unit, data erasure method and basic input/output system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make an information processing unit unable to activate. <P>SOLUTION: In case of data erasure of the lowest level, data stored in an HDD is completely erased through total initialization performed onto an HDD device from BIOS, after dummy data are written using a DISK Service Function provided by the BIOS. In case data erasure of a middle level is executed, in addition to the HDD data erasure, device configuration information stored in a CMOS/flash ROM is rewritten by set information immediately after the shipment stored in the flash ROM. In case of high-level erasure, since the purpose is to discard the unit to be guarded against reuse, in addition to the above data erasure functions, the BIOS destroys the self-BIOS in the flash ROM, thus performing complete protection so as to prevent the self-unit from activation. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a basic input / output system (BIOS), and more particularly, to a data erasing apparatus and a data erasing method for erasing data using a BIOS.

  The BIOS is a program that controls various devices connected to the computer. The operating system (OS) does not directly control the device, but controls it by calling a BIOS function. Basic devices such as a keyboard, a flexible disk drive (FDD), and a hard disk drive (HDD) are controlled by the system BIOS on the mother board.

  Recently, disposal and recycling (recycling of resources) of office equipment such as personal computers (PCs) and servers are increasing. Among them, there is a problem of leakage of companies and personal information due to the deletion of information saved / set in the information processing device and the complicated work of returning to the initial shipment state, due to reuse without deleting the device information It has become.

  More specifically, second-hand purchase and sale of refresh PCs (servers), disposal services, and the like have started up as businesses, and leakage of companies and personal information has become a problem. This is because information remaining on the server can be viewed relatively easily due to disposal or recycling.

  The reason for this is that the previous user has a low security awareness that it does not reach the idea of sucking up information from the disposal facility, and easy data erasure means that is simply deleted from the OS is often used. In addition, tools for completely erasing data often have to be purchased separately for a fee, and it is apt to be avoided to spend that much time and money. Another reason is that data erasing tools are not so common. Another reason is that, in a server or the like, setting information unique to the device is stored in the device itself and cannot be deleted by a commercially available general-purpose tool. Also, when recycling servers and reusing repair parts for maintenance, the work of returning individual setting data to the initial shipment state is relatively time-consuming because it requires the use of a number of special dedicated tools. was there.

  In addition, regarding the introduction of a system to a special case, there is a demand to keep the basic performance of the device and the device configuration itself confidential at the time of disposal.

  However, with regard to special system projects, it is difficult to protect the device basic performance and basic configuration information completely at the time of disposal. There is a problem that the price becomes high.

  In order to respond to such a request, a technique (data erasing function mounting system) is known that enables initialization of data stored and retained in a storage medium easily and reliably at the time of disposal or recycling ( For example, see Patent Document 1). Also known is a technology that reduces the burden of erasing stored information at the time of disposal or sale of a device such as a personal computer, and realizes centralized management of erasure results by an administrator. (For example, refer to Patent Document 2). In particular, in Patent Document 2, when erasing in an offline manner, whether the storage information to be erased is all data of all storage means, data of a specified storage means, or a specified operating system The erase process is performed by a BIOS equipped with an erase function according to the program. Patent Document 2 also describes that measures to be incorporated into the BIOS at the time of factory shipment are taken.

  The conventional example shown in Patent Document 1 is only a function enhancement for an HDD that can be erased even by a general-purpose application.

  In such a configuration, since the conventional system performs the erasure process only on the HDD, the device-specific information that is often set in the server device cannot be deleted, and there is anxiety in terms of security. . In other words, in Patent Document 1, since only the deletion of the HDD is targeted, it is considered that it is insufficient in terms of function from the viewpoint of security. Also, when operating in a different environment, such as when repairing and reusing, device information refreshing work is required, and it must be done at a vendor's dedicated maintenance base, and usually cannot be done by the user.

  On the other hand, Patent Document 2 does not disclose any erasure function of the BIOS itself, and therefore, at least means for making reuse impossible is not provided. The reason is that the operating system is reinstalled and can be recovered by recovering the deleted DISC information.

JP 2003-186750 A JP 2003-330806 A

  The first problem is that device setting information, which is user's private information, is stored in a device specific device. This is because a general erasing tool cannot handle all of them.

  The second problem is that it is troublesome to return to the initial shipping state. This is because there are cases where a separate operating system is required, initialization using a vendor-specific tool is required, and work can be performed only by a vendor maintenance base or maintenance personnel.

  A third problem is that the security awareness of the user is low. This is because a tool capable of easily erasing / initializing data is not incorporated in the apparatus, and the private setting information is not particularly conscious and is discarded without being erased.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a data erasing device and a data erasing method that can make an information processing device in an inoperable state.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a deletion environment in BIOS by a single server device.

  The present invention adds a function to erase / initialize various device information in the BIOS setup utility, which is a user setting function of the server, and also activates the information processing device by erasing data from the BIOS itself. It can be in a disabled state. For this reason, without providing a special tool for erasing data or a security device that protects device activation, providing a BIOS erasure environment with a single server device greatly improves work efficiency and satisfies security. Environment is established.

  According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a data erasing apparatus that performs data erasure processing of an information processing device by a basic input / output system having a data erasing function, wherein the basic input / output system uses the data erasing function. The data erasure process can be executed by selecting one of multiple data erasure levels, and the highest erasure level among the multiple data erasure levels is a complete discard that destroys the basic input / output system itself. If this level is the erasure level and this complete discard erasure level is selected, the basic input / output system cannot destroy the basic input / output system itself using the data erasure function and start the information processing device. Thus, a data erasing apparatus can be obtained.

  In the data erasing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the lowest erasing level among the plurality of data erasing levels may be a level for erasing only the data of the hard disk drive. Further, the intermediate erasure level among the plurality of data erasure levels may be a level at which the hard disk drive data is erased and the device setting information is rewritten to the setting information immediately after shipment.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a data erasing method for erasing data of an information processing apparatus by a basic input / output system having a data erasing function, and presenting a device information erasing / initializing menu to a user. And specifying one of a plurality of data erasure levels, wherein the plurality of data erasure levels include a minimum erasure level for erasing only hard disk drive data, and erasing hard disk drive data as well as device settings. The specification step including at least a medium erasure level for rewriting information to setting information immediately after shipment and a maximum erasure level that also destroys the basic input / output system itself, and is designated by a user among a plurality of data erasure levels. And a data erasing method including an execution step of executing data erasure at the erasure level.

  In the data erasing method according to the second aspect of the present invention, when the highest erasure level is designated in the designation step, the execution step destroys the basic input / output system itself using the data erasure function, and performs information processing. Make the device unbootable. When the minimum erasure level is designated in the designation step, the execution step performs complete erasure of data stored in the hard disk drive using the data erasure function. Further, when the intermediate erasure level is designated in the designation step, the execution step rewrites the device setting information to the setting information immediately after shipment in addition to erasing the data of the hard disk drive using the data erasing function.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a basic input / output system having a data erasure function for erasing data of an information processing device, wherein a device information erasure / initialization menu is provided to the information processing device. A specification function for presenting and designating one of a plurality of data erasure levels, wherein the plurality of data erasure levels include a minimum erasure level for erasing only hard disk drive data, a hard disk drive data, and an apparatus The specified function including at least a medium erasure level that rewrites the setting information to the setting information immediately after shipment and the highest erasure level that also destroys the basic input / output system itself. A basic input / output system for realizing an execution function for executing data erasure at the specified erasure level is obtained.

  According to a specific device configuration for realizing the present invention, a computer device (information processing device) constituting a standard system has a processor and a BIOS that provides initial diagnosis, basic standard input / output, and setup setting functions of the computer device. A flash ROM in which is stored, a CMOS that stores setting information of a computer device, a LAN interface connected to an external network, a CRT that is a standard display device, a keyboard that is a standard input device, It has a main memory that is a standard operation memory and an HDD that is an external storage device.

  The BIOS activates the BIOS setup utility when a setup utility activation key is pressed in a diagnostic phase called POST immediately after power-on. With this BIOS setup utility, it is possible to change the device configuration information, and the server is also used for various management settings and information display. In the BIOS setup utility, the above-described data erasure menu is added, and the user can select the data erasure menu to execute a physical erasure program for data stored in the HDD or in the CMOS. By deleting or returning to the initial state private information that can be found only by many BIOSes, such as device setting information in the flash ROM where the BIOS itself is stored, and other hardware (HW) stored in any hardware (HW) , Ensure work efficiency and safety during disposal / reuse.

  As a result, the user can easily perform safe data erasure without requiring special knowledge, and maintenance personnel and factory workers can return to the initial shipping state.

  The first effect is that the cost at the time of disposal can be reduced. The reason is that a data deletion tool corresponding to the application is included in the main unit BIOS without preparing a data deletion tool separately.

  The second effect is that the working time of the user at the time of disposal can be shortened. The reason is that an operating system is not required and it can be directly started from the BIOS, and data can be erased by a simple operation with a simple menu.

  The third effect is that security can be enhanced from the viewpoint of information leakage. This is because a BIOS that can access a device having a device-specific specification that cannot be accessed by a general application usually erases information.

  The fourth effect is that it is possible to completely protect the discarding that does not even give information such as the system configuration and performance. The reason for this is that the BIOS for starting up the device can be destroyed to make it impossible to start up.

  Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  Referring to FIG. 1, a data erasing device (device data refresh system) according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a processor 101, a flash ROM 102, a CMOS 103, a LAN interface 104, a CRT 105, a keyboard 106, and a main memory 107. And an HDD 108 and a bus 100 connecting them.

  The flash ROM 102 stores a BIOS that provides initial diagnosis of the information processing apparatus, basic standard input / output, and a setup setting function. The CMOS 103 stores setting information of the information processing apparatus. The LAN interface 104 is connected to an external network. The CRT 105 is a standard display device. The keyboard 108 is a standard input device. The main memory 107 is a standard operation memory. The HDD 108 is an external storage device.

  The flash ROM 102 stores a BIOS setup utility in which a data erasing program and a menu for prompting execution thereof are incorporated. The display device 105 displays a BIOS setup utility. The user instructs to erase / initialize data through the input device 106. As a result, the BIOS deletes the data stored in the HDD 108 over the entire area by dummy data write, and clears the data again with ALL00h data so that the data is not completely restored. In addition, the BIOS deletes the device individual information definition stored in the CMOS 103 and similarly deletes the definition information stored in the flash ROM 102. Since the CMOS special BANK and the access method to the flash ROM are device-specific specifications, they cannot be handled by commercially available general tools, and are BIOS-specific functions.

  Next, the overall operation of the data erasing apparatus (apparatus data refresh system) according to the present embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  After the power is turned on (step S1), when basic processing (device initialization, basic input / output device initialization, etc.) for operation of the device is completed and keyboard 106 input can be accepted, the BIOS A Hotkey for starting the setup utility is pressed (step S2). Here, “setup” means that software such as an OS or an application is incorporated in an external storage device such as a hard disk and initial settings necessary for operation are performed. “Utility” refers to software for mainly improving the functions and operability of a computer. Utilities make up for inadequate aspects of OS and application functions.

  If there is no setup activation request at the time of completion of POST (step S3) (No in step S4), the OS activation is tried by normal boot (step S5). Here, Boot refers to loading the operating system into the information processing apparatus after the switch is turned on.

  On the other hand, if there is a setup activation request (Yes in step S4), the BIOS activates the BIOS setup utility (step S6), the user selects the device information deletion / initialization menu, and the data deletion level (data deletion) Level) is designated (step S7).

  As shown in FIG. 3A, the data deletion level (data deletion level) is a minimum deletion level at which only HDD data is deleted (erased), and device setting information including CMOS / flash ROM information is deleted (erased). It consists of a menu of about three levels, a middle erasure level (to change to the initial shipping state), and a maximum erasure level for complete deletion (erasing) including the BIOS itself. These three-level menus are selected according to the refresh / discard level, such as department reuse, external use (maintenance use), and complete discard (step S8). If canceled, exit from this menu and return to the previous menu.

  When a data deletion level (data deletion level) is selected, as shown in FIG. 3B, in order to prevent data deletion due to an erroneous operation, confirmation of the selected deletion level (erase level) and execution of deletion are performed. Presents the risk of doing so and asks for confirmation that the data will be erased (step S9). If cancelled, return to the previous menu. When deletion (erasure) of the designated data erasure level is selected, the BIOS executes data erasure of the designated data erasure level as will be described later (step S10).

  Assume that the designated data erase level is the lowest level data erase (minimum erase level). In this case, the data stored in the HDD 108 is completely erased by writing the dummy data to the HDD device from the BIOS using the DISK Service Function provided by the BIOS and then initializing the entire surface. . This is because there is a case where there is a data restoration method if only the entire initialization is performed.

  It is assumed that the designated data erasure level is a medium level erasure (medium erasure level) and the medium level erasure is executed. In this case, the BIOS rewrites the device configuration information stored in the CMOS 103 / flash ROM 102 to the setting information immediately after shipment stored in the flash ROM 102, in addition to erasing data in the HDD 108. As a result, various types of private information such as a callback telephone number, password information, and operation information LOG defined as individual user settings are cleared / completely initialized.

  Finally, it is assumed that the designated data erasure level is a high level erasure (highest erasure level), and the high level erasure is executed. In this case, since the purpose is to discard the guard that the device itself cannot be reused, the BIOS destroys the BIOS itself in the flash ROM 102 in addition to the data erasing function so far. Full protection is applied so that it does not start.

  The present invention can be applied to the following applications. First, the present invention can be applied to an apparatus in the server field that needs to incorporate a program for realizing data erasure / initialization at the time of reuse and disposal. Second, the present invention can also be applied to uses such as re-setting at the time of maintenance reuse that requires initialization of server setting information, and setting up indefinite information at the time of initial shipment. Thirdly, it is applicable to a use in which the apparatus itself cannot be activated when it is not desired to reuse the apparatus itself from the viewpoint of secret protection.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the data erasing apparatus (apparatus data refresh system) by BIOS which concerns on one embodiment of this invention. 3 is a flowchart used for explaining the operation of the data erasing device (device data refresh system) shown in FIG. 1. It is a figure which shows the example of the screen (B) at the time of selecting the data deletion level screen (A) and the data deletion level.

Explanation of symbols

100 bus 101 processor 102 flash ROM
103 CMOS
104 LAN interface 105 Display device (CRT)
106 Input device (keyboard)
107 Main memory 108 External storage device (HDD)

Claims (11)

A data erasing device for erasing data of an information processing device by a basic input / output system having a data erasing function,
The basic input / output system can execute data erasing processing by selecting one of a plurality of data erasing levels using the data erasing function, and the highest level of the plurality of data erasing levels. The erasure level is a complete discard erasure level that destroys the basic input / output system itself,
When the complete discard erasure level is selected, the basic input / output system destroys the basic input / output system itself by using the data erasing function, so that the information processing apparatus cannot be started. A data erasing device.   2. The data erasing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a minimum erasing level among the plurality of data erasing levels is a level for erasing only data of a hard disk drive.   3. The data erasing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a middle erasing level among the plurality of data erasing levels is a level for erasing data of the hard disk drive and rewriting apparatus setting information to setting information immediately after shipment. A data erasing method for erasing data of an information processing device by a basic input / output system having a data erasing function,
A specification step for presenting a device information erasure / initialization menu to a user to designate one of a plurality of data erasure levels, the plurality of data erasure levels being a minimum erasure level for erasing only hard disk drive data And at least a medium erase level for erasing the data of the hard disk drive and rewriting the device setting information to the setting information immediately after shipment, and a maximum erasing level for destroying the basic input / output system itself, ,
A data erasing method comprising: executing data erasing at an erasing level designated by the user among the plurality of data erasing levels.   When the highest erasure level is designated in the designation step, the execution step destroys the basic input / output system itself using the data erasure function and makes the information processing apparatus unstartable. The data erasing method according to claim 4.   5. When the minimum erasure level is designated in the designation step, the execution step performs complete erasure of data stored in the hard disk drive using the data erasure function. The data erasing method described in 1.   When the intermediate erasure level is designated in the designation step, the execution step rewrites the device setting information to the setting information immediately after shipment in addition to the data erasure of the hard disk drive using the data erasure function. The data erasing method according to claim 4. A basic input / output system having a data erasing function for erasing data of an information processing device, wherein the information processing device includes:
A specification function for presenting a device information erasure / initialization menu to a user and designating one of a plurality of data erasure levels, wherein the plurality of data erasure levels are minimum erasure levels for erasing only hard disk drive data And at least a medium erasure level for erasing data of the hard disk drive and rewriting device setting information to setting information immediately after shipment, and a maximum erasing level for destroying the basic input / output system itself, ,
A basic input / output system for realizing an execution function of executing data erasure at an erasure level designated by the user among the plurality of data erasure levels.   When the highest erase level is designated in the designated function, the execution function destroys the basic input / output system itself by using the data erase function, so that the information processing apparatus cannot be started. The basic input / output system according to claim 8.   9. The execution function executes complete erasure of data stored in the hard disk drive using the data erasure function when the minimum erasure level is designated in the designation function. Basic input / output system described in 1. When the intermediate erasure level is designated in the designation function, the execution function rewrites the device setting information to the setting information immediately after shipment in addition to the data erasure of the hard disk drive using the data erasure function. The basic input / output system according to claim 8.

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