Method and system for secure emergency access to network devices

A method for providing an emergency unit-specific password for a network device, comprising the steps of:

• obtaining a unique serial number for a specific network device, wherein an original password used to access the specific network device is not available and wherein the specific network device includes an encrypted unit-unique password in non-volatile storage on the specific network device;
• obtaining a global password used for a type of network device that includes the specific network device;
• and
• generating an encrypted emergency unit-specific password for the specific network device with the unique serial number and the global password, wherein the encrypted emergency unit-specific password is valid only on the specific network device with the unique serial number, and wherein the encrypted emergency unit-specific password is used to regain access to the specific network device.

A method for using an emergency unit-specific password for a specific network device, comprising the steps of:

• obtaining an emergency encrypted unit-specific password on a specific network device, wherein an original password used to access the specific network device is not available, and wherein the emergency encrypted unit-specific password includes a unique serial number for the specific network device and a global password used for a type of network device that includes the specific network device;
• obtaining an original encrypted unit-unique password on the specific network device from non-volatile storage on the specific network device, wherein the original encrypted unit-unique password includes a unique serial number for the specific network device and a global password used for a type of network device that includes the specific network device;
• determining whether the emergency encrypted unit-specific password matches the original encrypted unit-unique password on the specific network device, and if so,
• allowing access to configuration parameters on the specific network device.

An emergency password system for network devices, comprising in combination:

• an original encrypted unit-unique password for identifying a specific network device, wherein the original encrypted unit-unique password includes a unique serial number and a global password used for a type of network device that includes the specific network device;
• an emergency encrypted unit-specific password for accessing a specific network device, wherein an original password used to access the specific network device is not available, and wherein the emergency encrypted unit-specific password includes a unique serial number for the specific network device and a global password used for a type of network device that includes the specific network device;
• and
• an emergency encrypted unit-specific password generator for generating an emergency encrypted unit-specific password for a specific network device, wherein the emergency encrypted unit-specific password includes a unique serial number for the specific network device and a global password used for a type of network device that includes the specific network device, and wherein the emergency encrypted unit-specific password is used to regain access to the specific network device.

A method for using an emergency unit-specific password for router, comprising the steps of:

• obtaining an emergency encrypted unit-specific password on a router, wherein an original password used to access the router is not available, and wherein the emergency encrypted unit-specific password includes a unique serial number for the router and a global password used for routers;
• obtaining an original encrypted unit-unique password for the router from non-volatile storage on the router, wherein the original encrypted unit-unique password includes a unique serial number for the router and a global password used for routers;
• determining whether the emergency encrypted unit-specific password matches the original encrypted unit-unique password for the router, and if so,
• allowing access to routing tables on the router;
• and if not,
• denying access to routing tables on the router.