Display of a tamper-resistant identity indicator

Simple SummaryContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

This invention presents a method and system for displaying a tamper-resistant identity indicator on a screen by leveraging hardware-based overlay functionalities available in display controllers. The core idea is to draw each application's visuals in a client-specific memory region and separately display an identity indicator in a secure, isolated memory area. Both outputs are combined and displayed on the screen simultaneously, ensuring the identity indicator cannot be easily spoofed or manipulated by malicious applications.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Secure login screens on PCs, laptops, or ATMs, where it's vital to confirm the legitimacy of the application before entering sensitive information.
• Online banking applications or payment terminals, allowing users to verify the authenticity of applications before making financial transactions.
• Multi-user systems or virtual desktop environments where users switch between applications and need to quickly confirm which application is active or has control of the screen.
• Enterprise environments, such as call centers or shared computer systems, where ensuring display authenticity is required for compliance and security audits.
• Smart TVs, smartphones, or IoT devices, to provide confidence to users that displayed content comes from trusted sources.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Provides robust protection against phishing and spoofing attacks by ensuring the on-screen identity indicator cannot be tampered with by untrusted or malicious software.
• Reduces CPU and memory overhead by eliminating the need for duplicative memory copies or special memory alignment requirements used in previous security approaches.
• Increases user safety and trust, as users can always visually confirm which application is currently controlling the display.
• Flexible and hardware-efficient solution applicable to any device equipped with display controllers supporting overlays (e.g., PCs, smartphones, TVs, embedded devices).
• Easy to integrate into existing systems through software and hardware modifications, including as a computer program product.
• Helps organizations comply with security standards requiring reliable application identity confirmation on user interfaces.

Technical Classifications (CPCs)

Inventors & Applicants

Patent Abstract

The method involves drawing a graphics (32) that is to be represented on a monitor (30), by client applications (11, 12) in a client specific region (22) i.e. overlay buffer, of a memory e.g. frame buffer, of a graphics circuit. A tamper-resistant identity indicator (31) that belongs to the client applications, is drawn in a memory area (21) outside the client specific region. The client specific region is displayed on the monitor by using a display controller (20). The indicator from the memory area is simultaneously displayed on the monitor using an overlay functionality of the controller. Independent claims are also included for the following: (1) a computer system (2) a computer program product comprising instructions for performing a method for displaying a tamper-resistant identity indicator on a monitor.