Strong password entry

• US 20070006301A1
• Filed: 07/01/2005
• Published: 01/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Red Hat, Inc. (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Clark, Bryan, Nickell, Seth
• Granted Patent: US 8,560,860 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/22
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/46 by designing passwords or checking the strength of passwords

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided to assist users with the entry of strong passwords. The password may be considered strong if it satisfies one or more requirements. A set of these requirements may be selected and then presented to the user. The requirements may be randomly selected one by one or as a group. The requirements may also be presented to the user one by one in a random order or in the form of a list with a random order. As characters for the password are entered, the user may then be notified when one or more the requirements have been satisfied.

Claims

1. A method of determining a password, wherein the password is subject to a set of requirements, said method comprising:

randomly selecting a first requirement from the set of requirements;

providing the first requirement for the password;

receiving characters for the password;

determining whether the characters satisfy the first requirement; and

providing information that indicates whether the characters satisfy the first requirement.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the characters satisfy the first requirement comprises determining whether the characters satisfy the first requirement as each of the characters are received.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the characters satisfy the first requirement comprises:

buffering a set of received characters; and

determining whether the set of received characters satisfy the first requirement.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

randomly selecting a second requirement from the set of requirements; and

providing the second requirement, when the characters satisfy the first requirement.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing information that indicates whether the characters satisfy the first requirement comprises providing information that indicates the characters fail to satisfy the first requirement.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing information that indicates whether the characters satisfy the first requirement comprises providing information that indicates the first requirement when the characters fail to satisfy the first requirement.

7. An apparatus configured to perform the method of claim 1, said apparatus comprising:

means for randomly selecting a first requirement from the set of requirements;

means for providing the first requirement for the password;

means for receiving characters for the password;

means for determining whether the characters satisfy the first requirement; and

means for providing information that indicates whether the characters satisfy the first requirement.

8. A computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1, said medium comprising:

means for randomly selecting a first requirement from the set of requirements;

program code for providing the first requirement for the password;

program code for receiving characters for the password;

program code for determining whether the characters satisfy the first requirement; and

program code for providing information that indicates whether the characters satisfy the first requirement.

9. A method of determining a password, wherein the password is subject to a plurality of requirements, said method comprising:

determining a set of the plurality of requirements;

providing the set of requirements in a random sequence;

receiving characters for each of the set of requirements;

determining whether the characters respectively satisfy the set of requirements as the characters are received; and

providing information that indicates whether the characters satisfy the set of requirements.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein determining whether the characters respectively satisfy the set of requirements comprises determining whether characters respectively satisfy the set of requirements as each individual character is received.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein determining whether the characters respectively satisfy the set of requirements comprises:

buffering a set of characters; and

determining whether the set of characters respectively satisfy the set of requirements.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein providing information that indicates whether the characters satisfy the set of requirements comprises providing information that indicates the characters satisfy one of the set of requirements as soon as the one requirement has been satisfied.

13. An apparatus configured to perform the method of claim 9, said apparatus comprising:

means for determining a set of the plurality of requirements;

means for providing the set of requirements in a random sequence;

means for receiving characters for each of the set of requirements;

means for determining whether the characters respectively satisfy the set of requirements as the characters are received; and

means for providing information that indicates whether the characters satisfy the set of requirements.

14. A computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions for performing the method of claim 9, said medium comprising:

means for determining a set of the plurality of requirements;

program code for providing the set of requirements in a random sequence;

program code for receiving characters for each of the set of requirements;

program code for determining whether the characters respectively satisfy the set of requirements as the characters are received; and

program code for providing information that indicates whether the characters satisfy the set of requirements.

15. A method of entering a password, wherein the password is subject to a plurality of requirements, said method comprising:

providing a set of the requirements in a random sequence;

determining, during entry of characters, whether the characters satisfy the set of requirements; and

providing information that indicates when each of the set of requirements has been satisfied.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein providing the set of requirements in a random sequence comprises displaying each of the set of requirements individually based on the random sequence.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein providing the set of requirements in a random sequence comprises displaying the set of requirements in an ordered list based on the random sequence.

18. An apparatus configured to perform the method of claim 15, said apparatus comprising:

means for providing a set of the requirements in a random sequence;

means for determining, during entry of characters, whether the characters satisfy the set of requirements; and

means for providing information that indicates when each of the set of requirements has been satisfied.

19. A computer readable medium containing computer executable instructions for performing the method of claim 15, said medium comprising:

program code for providing a set of the requirements in a random sequence;

program code for determining, during entry of characters, whether the characters satisfy the set of requirements; and

program code for providing information that indicates when each of the set of requirements has been satisfied.