Program Locks Up Computers on Purpose

Dec. 14, 2004 — -- Computer hard drives, surprisingly, are a lot like hallway closets. Both can become hopelessly cluttered with everyday detritus that, over time, essentially makes both storage spaces a lot less useful.

But while cleaning out real-world closets is just a matter of getting in and throwing out the junk, maintaining an organized digital storage space for your home computer isn't an easy task.

Computer software can install different parts of itself in various places on the hard drive. So even deleted programs -- expired versions of software or old video games, for example -- can leave behind tiny bits that collectively degrade a computer's performance.

What's more, the problems are significantly worse for home computers connected to the Internet. Online programs and other tools for exploring the Net become installed and intertwined with a computer's Web browser software. And then there are the online security threats -- malicious "spyware," e-mail viruses, Trojan horses and worms -- that are designed to be cleverly hidden from view and nearly impossible to remove.

For tech-savvy computer owners, there are a host of software tools and utilities that can be used to help clean up a bloated hard drive. And antivirus programs, firewalls and spyware blockers can help protect computers from the sneakier and more dangerous programs that intrude into a user's PC.

Setting Up a Data Shield

But Centurion Technologies, a computer security company in Fenton, Mo., believes it has a program that takes a much different -- and possibly draconian -- approach to keeping hard drives efficient, clean and safe from hidden surprises.

Centurion's DriveShield Plus is software that blocks any attempts to digitally add or remove anything from the computer's hard drive. Once installed on a PC, the program takes note of all the software files, including critical pieces of the Windows operating system, and "locks" them in place.

When a user starts up the PC, the program creates a temporary copy of the Windows operating system files and "tricks" the computer into using these copies rather than the actual files, which have been hidden from the view of the user and other computer programs.

Home PC owners can then use the computer as they normally would to surf the Net, download and install programs, create or delete files and or even move around on-screen icons. Each change, however, only modifies the temporary software files. Once the user turns off or restarts the computer, the temporary Windows software files -- and all the information about those changes, including any added programs or newly created files -- are deleted.

And the next time the user starts the PC, the DriveShield Plus program creates a new copy of the Windows files from the locked "master" files, essentially making the PC appear as if nothing was changed at all.

From Free-for-All ...

Tim Derstine, manager of business development at Centurion Technologies, says DriveShield's protection represents a turning point in how PC users should consider security against online threats.

"The online environment today is one of 'seek-and-destroy,'" said Derstine. "You have to know what is 'bad' out there now -- like which particular virus or spyware -- and then you have to find a remedy for it."

Derstine says online threats like spyware and Web cookies that track users' Net activities don't have a chance against DriveShield, since the files for such malicious programs disappear once the computer is shut down. And since the computer restarts with a fresh set of computer files, there are no traces of activity or personal information that can be captured by such programs if they manage to find their way back onto the PC.

What's more, the program acts as a virtual security blanket for homes where the same computer is used by more than one person. For example, it won't matter if a child erases an important program or file, since DriveShield will ignore such changes the next time the computer is restarted.

... To Mother, May I?

Such automatic protection against malicious online threats and accidental destruction, however, does come with a price. By taking the ultimate view that any changes made to a PC's files are automatically considered hostile and dangerous, users have to take extra steps to ensure that not all programs and additional changes are deleted by DriveShield.

In order to save important program changes -- say, the latest "patch" issued by Microsoft to fix a flaw in the Windows operating system -- users must remember to lower the DriveShield defenses by unlocking the software with a personal password. Once the desired addition is made, the user must then remember to relock the drive. The software then takes note of the new changes to the Windows files and uses those versions for its temporary files.

If users forget the password they used to set up the DriveShield program, they must go through a detailed work-around with Centurion Technologies' support staff.

To avoid the hassle of having personal data files -- word processing documents, digital music files, family pictures and the like -- deleted, users can also set up a "persistent storage" area on the hard drive. DriveShield will leave that part of the hard drive "unprotected" so that data isn't erased when the computer is restarted.

Another Layer of Defense

Such steps might make using a PC a little less convenient for some users. But the company believes it's a valuable tool for users who are more concerned about safety than convenience.

"Ultimately, power is given back to the user since essentially DriveShield makes the hard drive impenetrable," said Derstine.

Still, he is also quick to point out that DriveShield alone isn't adequate protection from all online threats. The company's Web site, for example, recommends that PC owners should still use a good antivirus program to protect against e-mail bugs. That's because if a user receives a virus via e-mail, the bug will still run and spread to others if activated -- just like it would on an unprotected PC. The virus can only be stopped if the user turns off and restarts the PC.

DriveShield Plus is currently available for PCs using Microsoft's Windows software. The company says a version to protect Apple Mac users should be available soon.