Access control of interaction context of application

A computer readable storage medium storing computer-executable instructions for controlling at least one computer system to perform a method of controlling access to an interaction context of a multi-user application, the method comprising:

• receiving and tracking over time login requests pertaining to one of a plurality of user accounts of a virtual application instance of the multi-user application, including a login request, each login request including a login password and each user account including a user password;
• rejecting the login request for the user account when the login password fails to match the user password of the user account;
• denying access to the user account when a first count reaches a selected limit, the first count counting a consecutive number of times login requests for the user account are rejected;
• prompting the user to change the user password of the user account and granting limited access to the user account to do so when the login password matches the user password, the user password is a permanent password, and a second count reaches a first selected threshold, the second count counting a cumulative number of rejected login requests for the user account;
• granting access to the user account when the login password matches the user password, the first count is less than the selected limit, the user password is a permanent password, and the second count is less than the selected threshold;
• and
• incrementing the first and second counts, at least until the first count has reached the selected limit, when the login password of the login request fails to match the user password;
• and
• resetting the first and second counts when the user password is changed.

A server computer comprising:

• at least one virtual application instance;
• an instance database for each virtual application instance including one or more user records, each user record containing login data for accessing an associated user account of the virtual application instance and including a user ID, a short counter value, a long counter value, and a user password;
• and
• a login module configured to receive a login request for a virtual application instance from a user including a login ID and a login password, and if the login ID matches a user ID of a user record of the corresponding instance database, configured to:
• reject the login request and deny access to the user account if the short counter value has reached a short counter limit;
• and
• prompt the user to change the user password and grant the user partial access to the user account that allows the user to change the password if the login password matches the user password of the user record and if the long counter value has reached a first long counter threshold;
• wherein the short counter value of a user record represents a consecutive number of login requests having a login user ID matching the user ID of the user record but having a login password that fails to match the user password of the user record as long as the long counter has not reached a second long counter threshold;
• and
• wherein the long counter value of a user record represents a cumulative number of login requests having a login user ID matching the user ID of the user record but having a login password that fails to match the user password of the user record.