Importance

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Abstract

Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a method of updating BIOS using an externally provided module may include the following. In this context, the term externally provided means that the module resides in a device other than that used to hold the firmware code, such as a magnetic storage device, typically with a lower cost per bit of information. In this embodiment, the BIOS, while in control of or being executed by a processor, applies a one-way hash process to a portion of the externally provided module. The computed hash of the module portion is compared with the pre-computed hash value included with the BIOS code. The external module is then invoked as a subprogram if and only if the hash values compare as equal. The module, while executing, may then validate the remainder of the update using more sophisticated cryptographic techniques and/or perform the update directly.

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First Claim