Method for concealing user identities on computer systems through the use of temporary aliases

• US 20070169202A1
• Filed: 01/18/2006
• Published: 07/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Goldberg, Itzhack, Haugh, Julianne
• Granted Patent: US 7,930,754 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0421 Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload

Abstract

A user alias for concealing a user'"'"'s user identification is provided. When signing-on, the user inputs a user alias to a log-in shell. The log-in shell verifies the validity of the user alias. The log-in shell then obtains a user identification associated with the valid user alias.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for concealing a user identification, the computer implemented method comprising:

receiving user input, wherein the user input comprises a user alias;

verifying that the user alias is a valid user alias; and

obtaining a user identification associated with the valid user alias, wherein an association between the valid user alias and the user identification is a one-way association, from the valid user alias to the user identification.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining the association between the valid user alias and the user identification in a database.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the valid user alias is one of a plurality of valid user aliases permitted for use in a non-secure environment.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

encrypting the valid user alias.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 4, further comprising:

utilizing a user password as a key for the encryption.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the user alias is a false credit card number and wherein the user identification is an actual credit card number.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the user alias is an alias e-mail address and wherein the user identification is an actual e-mail address.

8. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium including computer usable program code for concealing a user identification, said computer program product comprising:

computer usable program code for receiving user input, wherein the user input comprises a user alias;

computer usable program code for verifying that the user alias is a valid user alias; and

computer usable program code for obtaining a user identification associated with the valid user alias, wherein an association between the valid user alias and the user identification is a one-way association, from the valid user alias to the user identification.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

computer usable program code for maintaining the association between the valid user alias and the user identification in a database.

10. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the valid user alias is one of a plurality of valid user aliases permitted for use in a non-secure environment.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

computer usable program code for encrypting the valid user alias.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

computer usable program code for utilizing a user password as a key for the encryption.

13. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

computer usable program code for utilizing a user password as a key for the encryption.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the user alias is a false credit card number and wherein the user identification is an actual credit card number.

15. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the user alias is an alias e-mail address and wherein the user identification is an actual e-mail address.

16. A data processing system for concealing a user identification, said data processing system comprising:

a storage device, wherein the storage device stores computer usable program code; and

a processor, wherein the processor executes the computer usable program code to receive user input, wherein the user input comprises a user alias;

to verify that the user alias is a valid user alias; and

to obtain a user identification associated with the valid user alias, wherein an association between the valid user alias and the user identification is a one-way association, from the valid user alias to the user identification.

17. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein the processor further executes computer usable program code for maintaining the association between the valid user alias and the user identification in a database.

18. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein the valid user alias is one of a plurality of valid user aliases permitted for use in a non-secure environment.

19. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein the valid user alias is one of a plurality of valid user aliases permitted for use in a non-secure environment.

20. The data processing system of claim 16, wherein the user alias is a false credit card number and wherein the user identification is an actual credit card number.