A secure method for implementing virus protection on a computer system including
an Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI), a hard disk, a nonvolatile memory and a
BIOS is disclosed. A command is added to the command shell of the EFI which results
in the automatic copying of the boot sector of the hard disk to the nonvolatile
memory when the computer system is initialized. The boot sector of the hard disk
is automatically read back from the nonvolatile memory on each boot, which bypasses
the boot sector access of the hard disk during system initialization; thereby,
protecting the computer system from and eliminating potential viruses. The command
shell of the EFI may also be modified to include a command to include a security
signature input field. The required signature is provided by the user prior to
updating the stored boot sector.
