User:Mstone/Commentaries/Security 1

It's crucial to distinguish between the security requirements and the infrastructure, UI, and deployment requirements of OLPC's 'hard' software theft-deterrence scheme. Here's my take on the former:

initial activation

Laptops must be "initially" lockable such that they require a token in order to boot.

clock

Laptops must be capable of recording the passage of time at a scale at least as fine as the passage of a day.

passive-kill

The laptop must be able to respond to the expiration or absence of a satisfactory lease. Developer keys + user interaction are sufficient to disable this check.

passive-kill responses

Among other possible responses to lease expiration, the laptop must be able to refuse to boot until a satisfactory lease is supplied or the passive-kill mechanism is disabled.

active-kill responses

The laptop must be able to respond to a verifiable valid poison message by locking itself so that hardware modification or a verifiable valid antidote message is necessary to boot the laptop.

NB: The definition of 'antidote message' is presently hazy. As of today, developer keys are sufficient; however, there are alternative designs.