US 2011/0087888 A1 · AUTHENTICATION USING A WEAK HASH OF USER CREDENTIALS

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for logging into a computer. The computer receives a username and password. The computer determines whether a user with the username is authorized to access the computer. If so, the computer retrieves a weak cryptographic hash of the user's password and compares it to a weak cryptographic hash of the received password. The computer grants access if the weak cryptographic hashes are identical, and sends the username and password to a server. The server determines whether a user with the username has a server account. If so, the server retrieves a strong cryptographic hash of the user's password and compares it to a strong cryptographic hash of the received password. The server grants the user access to an account or service if the strong cryptographic hashes are identical.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A computer implemented method for granting a user access to a computer, comprising:

receiving authentication information from the user;
computing a weak cryptographic hash of the received authentication information;
retrieving a weak cryptographic hash of authentication information that is stored in the computer;
comparing the weak cryptographic hash of the received authentication information with the weak cryptographic hash of the authentication information that is stored in the computer;
and
granting the user access to the computer if the weak cryptographic hash of the received authentication information and the weak cryptographic hash of the authentication information that is stored in the computer are identical;
wherein the preceding steps are performed on the computer.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Authentication using a weak hash of user credentials

Life of this patent

Authentication using a weak hash of user credentials

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims24