US 2012/0072977 A1 · Method and Apparatus for Securely Synchronizing Password Systems

Abstract

A centralized password repository (CPR) provides network users with a password portal through which the user can manage password access to domains and applications on the network. A subset of the domains and applications on the network may be required, by design, to maintain a separate password infrastructure. For these systems, the CPR establishes a secure and authenticated communication channel and software on the system interfaces with the password infrastructure to synchronize the password in the system password infrastructure with the password in the CPR. For other systems not required to maintain a separate password infrastructure, the CPR performs password services by responding to requests from those systems seeking to validate user IDs and passwords. The CPR enables an administrator to modify network privileges and enables a user to alter passwords on the network through a single interface.

Claims21

Dependent claims

1-17. (canceled)

A method of securely updating at least one password on a network connected to a plurality of password domains, the method comprising:

maintaining a table associating user identifiers with password domains in which the user identifiers are used;
receiving from a user a user identifier and password;
authenticating the received user identifier and password;
receiving from the authenticated user a communication requesting a password change;
implementing the requested password change in the table;
identifying at least one password domain associated with the authenticated user identifier;
and
when the user has been authenticated at a level acceptable to the at least one password domain in which the received user identifier is used:
establishing an encrypted and authenticated network connection to the identified at least one password domain;
and
implementing the requested password change on a password database of the at least one identified password domain.

8 more elements

A non-transitory, tangible, processor-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions for securely updating at least one password on a network connected to a plurality of password domains, the instructions comprising instructions executable by a processor:

to maintain a table associating user identifiers with password domains in which the user identifiers are used;
to receive from a user a user identifier and password;
to authenticate the received user identifier and password;
to receive from the authenticated user a communication requesting a password change;
to implement the requested password change in the table;
to identify at least one password domain associated with the authenticated user identifier;
and
when the user has been authenticated at a level acceptable to the at least one password domain in which the received user identifier is used:
to establish an encrypted and authenticated network connection to the identified at least one password domain;
and
to implement the requested password change on a password database of the at least one identified password domain.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application

13/304,060Filed 23 Nov 2011

Priority

31 Mar 2003

Published

22 Mar 2012

Term ends

Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification11 codes

G06F 21/45
Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals: structures or tools for the administration of authentication
G06Q 20/4012
Transaction verification: verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
H04L 63/0846
Using passwords: using time-dependent-passwords, e.g. periodically changing passwords
H04L 63/105
For controlling access to devices or network resources: multiple levels of security

Method and Apparatus for Securely Synchronizing Password Systems

Life of this patent

Method and Apparatus for Securely Synchronizing Password Systems

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims21