Summary of software security features

The following table lists the software security features and describes what protection each offers. In general, to enable or set the features listed here, you must run the BIOS Setup utility and go to the Security Menu. The table also refers to other Setup utility menus. For more information on setting the security features, see “About the BIOS Setup utility” on page 65.

Feature

Description

Secure boot mode

To enter secure mode, set and enable a password to automatically put the

 

system into secure mode.

 

If you set a hot-key combination, you can secure the system by pressing

 

the key combination. This means you do not have to wait for the inactivity

 

time-out period.

 

When the system is in secure mode, the system boots and runs the

 

operating system. It does not accept mouse or keyboard input until you enter

 

the user password.

 

At bootup, if the system detects a CD in the CD-ROM drive or a diskette

 

in drive A, it requests a password. When you enter the password, the system

 

boots from CD or diskette and disables secure mode.

 

If you have not installed a CD-ROM drive or if there is no CD in the drive

 

or diskette in drive A, the system boots from drive C and automatically

 

enters secure mode. All enabled secure mode features go into effect at

 

bootup.

 

To leave secure mode, enter the correct password(s).

 

 

Disable writing to

In secure mode, the system will not boot from or write to a diskette unless

diskette

a password is entered. To set these features, see “About the BIOS Setup

 

utility” on page 65.

 

 

Disable the power and

If you enable this protection feature, the system disables the power and

reset buttons

reset buttons when in secure mode.

 

 

Set a time-out period

You can specify and enable an inactivity time-out period from 1 to

so that keyboard and

120 minutes. If no keyboard or mouse action occurs for the specified period,

mouse input are not

keyboard and mouse input is not accepted. To set this feature, see “About

accepted.

the BIOS Setup utility” on page 65.

 

 

Control access to the

To control access to the system configuration, set an administrator

BIOS Setup (set

password and enable it through Setup.

administrator

If both the administrator and user passwords are enabled, either can be

password)

used to boot the system or enable the keyboard and/or mouse, but only

 

 

the administrator password allows changes to Setup.

 

Once set, passwords can be disabled by setting the password to a null string

 

or by changing the Clear Password jumper. See “Password Clear jumper”

 

on page 68.

 

 

84Managing the Server