Apparatus and method for protecting a computer system
First Claim
1. An apparatus for protecting a computer system, comprising:
- a password controller coupled to said computer system, said password controller capable of receiving a password attempt and capable of operating a computer program to compare said password attempt with a stored password, wherein said stored password comprises a password segment and said password segment comprises;
an entry event comprising a predetermined entry signal;
a predetermined time interval following said entry event; and
a terminating signal following said predetermined time interval, said terminating signal marking the end of said password segment;
wherein said computer program is capable of allowing access to said computer system when a password segment of said password attempt matches said password segment of said stored password.
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Abstract
There is disclosed an apparatus and method for protecting a computer system by providing an improved password to prevent unauthorized access to the computer system. The apparatus of the present invention generally comprises a password controller capable of comparing a received password attempt with a stored password. The stored password of the present invention comprises a time envelope that comprises at least one password segment comprising: 1) an entry event; 2) a predetermined time interval following the entry event; and 3) a terminating signal to mark the end of the password segment. Access to the computer system is authorized when password segments of a password attempt match the corresponding password segments of the stored password. The stored password of the present invention generally comprises groups of computer readable characters separated by time intervals of variable length. A time delay is added to each response to a password attempt in order to conceal the length of the time intervals within the stored password.
37 Citations
29 Claims
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1. An apparatus for protecting a computer system, comprising:
a password controller coupled to said computer system, said password controller capable of receiving a password attempt and capable of operating a computer program to compare said password attempt with a stored password, wherein said stored password comprises a password segment and said password segment comprises;
an entry event comprising a predetermined entry signal;
a predetermined time interval following said entry event; and
a terminating signal following said predetermined time interval, said terminating signal marking the end of said password segment;
wherein said computer program is capable of allowing access to said computer system when a password segment of said password attempt matches said password segment of said stored password. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. An apparatus for protecting a computer system, comprising:
a password controller coupled to said computer system, said password controller capable of receiving a password attempt and capable of operating a computer program to compare a time envelope of a received password attempt with a time envelope of a stored password, and capable of denying access to said computer system when said time envelope of said received password attempt does not match said time envelope of said stored password. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 28)
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12. A method of protecting an computer system, comprising the steps of:
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detecting an initial entry event of a password attempt;
determining whether a password segment of said password attempt matches a password segment of a stored password wherein said password segment comprises;
an entry event comprising a predetermined entry signal;
a predetermined time interval following said entry event; and
a terminating signal following said predetermined time interval, said terminating signal marking the end of said password segment; and
allowing access to said computer system when said password segment of said password attempt matches said password segment of said stored password.
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20. A method of protecting an computer system comprising the steps of:
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detecting an initial entry event of a password attempt;
comparing a password segment of said password attempt to a password segment of a stored password;
determining whether said password attempt matches said stored password;
waiting for a time delay period to expire after determining whether said password attempt matches said stored password; and
allowing access to said computer system when said password attempt matches said stored password.
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22. For use in a computer, computer executable process steps stored on a computer readable storage medium capable of protecting said computer, comprising the steps of:
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detecting an initial entry event of a password attempt;
determining whether a password segment of said password attempt matches a password segment of a stored password wherein said password segment comprises;
an entry event comprising a predetermined entry signal;
a predetermined time interval following said entry event; and
a terminating signal following said predetermined time interval, said terminating signal marking the end of said password segment; and
allowing access to said computer system when said segment of said password attempt matches said password segment of said stored password. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 29)
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Specification