Methods and apparatus for securely storing, using and/or updating credentials using a network device at a customer premises

A method, the method comprising:

• receiving at a customer premises network device physically located at a first customer premises, a credential service setup request from a first user device while said first user device is physically located at the first customer premises of a first user of the first user device;
• validating the first user with an ISP provider;
• sending, from the customer premises network device, a request for master security information to said first user device requesting information for securing information in first user credential storage included in said network device located at the first customer premises;
• receiving at the customer premises network device, encrypted information corresponding to the first user sent from the first user device, said encrypted information corresponding to the first user including at least one password for a network service;
• storing the encrypted information including one or more passwords, in encrypted form, on a portion of a storage device allocated to the first user, said storage device being located in the customer premises network device;
• sending, from the first customer premises network device, a message to the first user device indicating successful credential storage for the first user, wherein said message to the first user device is sent with credential synchronization information providing the first user device with a copy of at least some encrypted credential information stored on the portion of a storage device included in the customer premises network device allocated to the first user;
• receiving from a second user device corresponding to said first user, while said second user device is located in the first customer premises, said master security information corresponding to said first user;
• receiving from the second user device a credential information update including, in encrypted form, at least one new or changed password used by the first user to obtain a service available to the first user;
• and
• storing the updated credential information on the portion of a storage device included in said customer premises network device allocated to the first user.

A system comprising:

• a customer premises network device physically located at a first customer premises, said customer premises network device including:
• a first receiver;
• a first transmitter;
• a processor;
• and
• a storage device;
• and
• wherein said first receiver is configured to receive at the customer premises network device physically located at the first customer premises, a credential service setup request from a first user device while said first user device is physically located at the first customer premises of a first user of the first user device;
• wherein said processor is configured to validate the first user with an ISP provider;
• wherein said processor is configured to control the first transmitter to send, from the customer premises network device, a request for master security information to said first user device requesting information for securing information in first user credential storage included in said network device located at the first customer premises;
• wherein said first receiver is further configured to receive at the customer premises network device, encrypted information corresponding to the first user sent from the first user device, said encrypted information corresponding to the first user including at least one password for a network service;
• and
• wherein said processor is further configured to store the encrypted information including one or more passwords, in encrypted form, on a portion of said storage device allocated to the first user;
• and
• wherein said processor is further configured to:
• control said first transmitter to send, from the first customer premises network device, a message to the first user device indicating successful credential storage for the first user;
• and
• wherein the system further comprises:
• said first user device, said first user device including:
• a second processor;
• a user device receiver;
• and at least one of:
• i) an output device;
• ii) an input device;
• or
• iii) a combined input/output device;
• and
• wherein said second processor is configured to:
• operating the first user device to receive a request from the first user for credential information corresponding to a first service;
• operate the first user device to prompt, via the output device or the combined input/output device, the first user to enter master security information required to access secure credential storage corresponding to the first user stored on said first user device;
• operate the first user device to receive, via said input device or the combined input/output device, at the first user device master security information;
• and
• verify the received master security information;
• and
• following verification of the received master security information,
• decrypt the credential information corresponding to the first service;
• and
• i) provide, via the output device or the combined input/output device, the credential information corresponding to the first service to the user of the first device or
• ii) operate the first user device to communicate the credential information to a server providing the first service.

A system comprising:

• a customer premises network device physically located at a first customer premises, said customer premises network device including:
• a first receiver;
• a first transmitter;
• a processor;
• and
• a storage device;
• and
• wherein said first receiver is configured to receive at a customer premises network device physically located at a first customer premises, a credential service setup request from a first user device while said first user device is physically located at the first customer premises of a first user of the first user device;
• wherein said processor is configured to validate the first user with an ISP provider;
• wherein said processor is configured to control the first transmitter to send, from the customer premises network device, a request for master security information to said first user device requesting information for securing information in first user credential storage included in said network device located at the first customer premises;
• wherein said first receiver is further configured to receive at the customer premises network device, encrypted information corresponding to the first user sent from the first user device, said encrypted information corresponding to the first user including at least one password for a network service;
• and
• wherein said processor is further configured to store the encrypted information including one or more passwords, in encrypted form, on a portion of said storage device allocated to the first user;
• wherein said processor is further configured to:
• control said first transmitter to send, from the first customer premises network device, a message to the first user device indicating successful credential storage for the first user, wherein said message to the first user device is sent with credential synchronization information providing the first user device with a copy of at least some encrypted credential information stored on the portion of a storage device included in the customer premises network device allocated to the first user;
• wherein said first receiver is further configured to:
• receive from a second user device corresponding to said first user, while said second user device is located in the first customer premises, said master security information corresponding to said first user;
• receive from the second user device a credential information update including, in encrypted form, at least one new or changed password used by the first user to obtain a service available to the first user;
• and
• wherein said processor is further configured to:
• store the updated credential information on the portion of said storage device included in said customer premises network device allocated to the first user.

A non-transitory computer readable medium including processor executable instructions which when executed by a processor of a customer premises network device control the customer premises network device to:

• receive at the customer premises network device physically located at a first customer premises, a credential service setup request from a first user device while said first user device is physically located at the first customer premises of a first user of the first user device;
• validate the first user with an ISP provider;
• send, from the customer premises network device, a request for master security information to said first user device requesting information for securing information in first user credential storage included in said network device located at the first customer premises;
• receive at the customer premises network device, encrypted information corresponding to the first user sent from the first user device, said encrypted information corresponding to the first user including at least one password for a network service;
• store the encrypted information including one or more passwords, in encrypted form, on a portion of a storage device allocated to the first user, said storage device being located in the customer premises network device;
• send, from the first customer premises network device, a message to the first user device indicating successful credential storage for the first user, wherein said message to the first user device is sent with credential synchronization information providing the first user device with a copy of at least some encrypted credential information stored on the portion of a storage device included in the customer premises network device allocated to the first user;
• receive from a second user device corresponding to said first user, while said second user device is located in the first customer premises, said master security information corresponding to said first user;
• receive from the second user device a credential information update including, in encrypted form, at least one new or changed password used by the first user to obtain a service available to the first user;
• and
• store the updated credential information on the portion of a storage device included in said customer premises network device allocated to the first user.