Automating password change management

Apparatus, comprising:

• a hardware processor;
• computer memory holding computer program instructions to provide automated password management, the computer program instructions operative:
• in response to a determination that automated password changes are authorized, to initiate a data mining session;
• within the data mining session, to identify a set of third party applications or sites;
• in response to receipt of a password reset flow authorization, to initiate a password reset flow to one or more of the third party applications or sites;
• within the data mining session, and for each of the one or more third party applications or sites, to determine whether a password reset confirmation link has been received;
• and
• in response to a determination that a password reset confirmation link has been received for a given third party application or site, to obtain a new user password for the application or site using the password reset confirmation link to perform an automated password reset.

Software-as-a-service system for password change management, comprising:

• a network-accessible cloud service having a data repository;
• and
• a browser plug-in or add-in configured to be executed in an end user computing system distinct from the network-accessible cloud service;
• the network-accessible cloud service operative in response to a determination that automated password changes are authorized:
• to initiate a data mining session;
• within the data mining session, to identify a set of third party applications or sites;
• in response to receipt of a password receipt flow authorization, to initiate a password reset flow to one or more of the third party applications or sites;
• within the data mining session, and for each of the one or more third party applications or sites, to determine whether a password reset confirmation link has been received;
• and
• in response to a determination that a password reset confirmation link has been received for a given third party application or site, providing the password reset confirmation link to the browser plug-in or add-in.