Securely authorizing service level access to a backup system using a specialized access key

A method of authoring access to a system, comprising:

• receiving, by the system and from a user via a first interface associated with a client level access to the system, an access request for a service level access to the system, the service level access authorizing additional privileges to the system beyond privileges authorized for the client level access;
• providing, by the system in response to the access request and to the user via the first interface, a key request for an access key required for enabling an increase in user access from the client level access to the service level access, the access key generated by a client support system and independently verifiable by the system before granting the service level access to the user;
• receiving, from the user and via the first interface, the access key including a system identifier, a timestamp, and a digital signature created by the client support system encrypting a representation of both the system identifier and the timestamp with a private key of a public- private key pair, the representation including a modified version of text from the system identifier and modified text from the timestamp;
• authenticating, the access key was generated by the client support system by verifying the digital signature including decrypting the digital signature with a public key of the public-private key pair;
• verifying the system identifier included in the access key matches an unmodifiable identifier associated with the system;
• verifying the timestamp included in the access key is within an authorization time limit;
• and
• granting the user the user-requested increase in access from the client level access to the service level access to the system, in response to verifying the system identifier matches the unmodifiable identifier and the timestamp is within the authorization time limit.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having a computer-readable program code embodied therein to be executed by one or more processors, the program code including instructions to:

• receive, by the system and from a user via a first interface associated with a client level access to the system, an access request for a service level access to the system, the service level access authorizing additional privileges to the system beyond privileges authorized for the client level access;
• provide, by the system in response to the access request and to the user via the first interface, a key request for an access key required for enabling an increase in user access from the client level access to the service level access, the access key generated by a client support system and independently verifiable by the system before granting the service level access to the user;
• receive, from the user and via the first interface, the access key including a system identifier, a timestamp, and a digital signature created by the client support system encrypting a representation of both the system identifier and the timestamp with a private key of a public- private key pair, the representation including a modified version of text from the system identifier and modified text from the timestamp;
• authenticate the access key was generated by the client support system by verifying the digital signature including decrypting the digital signature with a public key of the public-private key pair;
• verify the system identifier included in the access key matches an unmodifiable identifier associated with the system;
• verify the timestamp included in the access key is within an authorization time limit;
• and
• grant the user the user-requested increase in access from the client level access to the service level access to the system, in response to verifying the system identifier matches the unmodifiable identifier and the timestamp is within the authorization time limit.