Security Basics mailing list archives

Re: Laptop Encryption & Hibernation


From: "Kevin Snively" <kevinsnively () comcast net>
Date: Thu, 23 Sep 2004 16:11:59 -0500

It will not reset until there is no power. The power is a small battery on
the MB (motherboard). This "power" keeps the contents of the chip intact
rather than the defaults from the factory settings - even the date and time
is kept by the battery (when the system is powered down).

But most of all the original msg was about intel compatable computers and
the Operating System in question was Windows XP (not my choice of either
<smile>).

Completely understanding the technology and the details greatly enhances our
success with security. Hope this helps.

But

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jonathan Loh" <kj6loh () yahoo com>
To: "Kevin Snively" <kevinsnively () comcast net>; "Security Basics[List]"
<security-basics () securityfocus com>
Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2004 2:30 PM
Subject: Re: Laptop Encryption & Hibernation



--- Kevin Snively <kevinsnively () comcast net> wrote:


Btw (ByTheWay)  BIOSs are not passworded the way you are suggesting.
Simply
removing power from the bios (remove battery or battery connection on MB
(motherboard) will reset any passwords and "Clear" the BIOS back to
defaults - not an expensive or complicated fix. This depends on make and
model of MB. Also some (such as Dell, if memory serves me) have a reset
shunt (aka jumper) and on others you have to remove power by
disconnecting
the battery.

On newer systems that may be but I remember the Sun Sparc machines, which
did
not  do a password clear even if the removable prom was taken out.  Later
I
learned if you leave it out for a couple days (yes days!). It will
PROBABLY
reset itself.  I've had one out for three days and it still didn't reset.



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