System and method for enhanced protection and control over the use of identity

A method of protecting use of an entity's identity, the method being executed on electronic computer hardware in combination with software, the method comprising:

• setting a status of the identity to a first state, the first state defining a scope of permitted use of the identity;
• changing, in advance of an intended use of the identity, the status to a second state defining a scope of permitted use of the identity that is different from the first state;
• receiving a request for use of the identity after the changing;
• and
• returning, after the receiving, the state back to the first state;
• wherein the first state is a default state, and the returning occurs in response to a predetermined number of uses of the identity, an elapse of a predetermined time after a predetermined event, or the earlier of the onset of the predetermined number of transactions and the predetermined time after the predetermined event;
• wherein the setting, changing, receiving and returning are executed on electronic computer hardware in combination with software.

A computing system, comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• memory including instructions that are configured to be executed on the at least one processor to cause the computing system to:
• set a status of the identity to a first state, the first state defining a scope of permitted use of the identity;
• change, in advance of an intended use of the identity, the status to a second state defining a scope of permitted use of the identity that is different from the first state;
• receive a request for use of the identity after the changing;
• and
• return, after the receiving, the state back to the first state;
• wherein the first state is a default state, and the returning occurs in response to a predetermined number of uses of the identity, an elapse of a predetermined time after a predetermined event, or the earlier of the onset of the predetermined number of transactions and the predetermined time after the predetermined event.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing one or more sequences of instructions executed by one or more processors to cause the one or more processors to execute operations for protecting use of an entity's identity, the operations comprising:

• setting a status of the identity to a first state, the first state defining a scope of permitted use of the identity;
• changing, in advance of an intended use of the identity, the status to a second state defining a scope of permitted use of the identity that is different from the first state;
• receiving a request for use of the identity after the changing;
• and
• returning, after the receiving, the state back to the first state;
• wherein the first state is a default state, and the returning occurs in response to a predetermined number of uses of the identity, an elapse of a predetermined time after a predetermined event, or the earlier of the onset of the predetermined number of transactions and the predetermined time after the predetermined event.