Methods and apparatus for accessing, or providing access to, user-configurable or different response policies for different duress codes

• US 20080068183A1
• Filed: 09/15/2006
• Published: 03/20/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Diamant, John R.
• Application Number:
  US11/521,896
• Publication Number:
  US 20080068183A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 340/574
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication

Abstract

In accord with a first computer-implemented method, 1) a plurality of duress codes are assigned to a number of users; 2) different response policies are configured for different ones of the duress codes; and 3) access to the response policies is provided via an interface of a policy engine. The response policies are retrieved, via the interface, as users enter ones of the duress codes into ones of a number of computer systems. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

assigning a plurality of duress codes to a number of users;

configuring different response policies for different ones of the duress codes; and

providing access to the response policies via a policy engine, the policy engine having an interface via which the response policies are retrieved as users enter ones of the duress codes into ones of a number of computer systems.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

a plurality of the duress codes are assigned to a given one of the users; and

different response policies are configured for at least two different ones of the duress codes assigned to the given user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the plurality of duress codes are assigned to a plurality of users; and

different response policies are configured for i) one of the duress codes assigned to a first of the users, and ii) one of the duress codes assigned to a second of the users.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising, accessing the interface of the policy engine via an access authentication system that authorizes user-access to ones of the number of computer systems.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising, configuring one of the response policies to take at least a first action in response to i) entry of a given one of the duress codes, and ii) existence of one or more conditions.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

when a user enters one of the duress codes into one of the computer systems, monitoring the user'"'"'s actions; and

configuring one of the response policies to take different actions in response to different user actions.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

configuring a first of the response policies to take at least a first action in response to i) entry of a given one of the duress codes, and ii) existence of at least a first condition; and

configuring a second of the response policies to take at least a second action, different from the first action, in response to i) entry of the given one of the duress codes, and ii) existence of at least a second condition.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the response policies triggers procedures for i) representing to a user that at least some actions have been carried out, but ii) preventing the at least some actions from being carried out.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the response policies triggers procedures for logging and undoing at least some actions that are taken by a user after entry of one of the duress codes.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the first condition is entry of the given duress code at a particular time.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the first condition is entry of the given duress code at a particular site.

12. The method of claim 7, wherein the first condition is a type of action requested following entry of the given duress code.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein the first condition is receipt of a particular input via an auxiliary input device.

14. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the response policies triggers procedures for slowing down access to a device.

15. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the response policies triggers procedures for mimicking a normal-mode of a device.

16. The method of claim 7, wherein at least one of the response policies triggers procedures for activating an alarm.

17. Apparatus, comprising:

computer-readable media; and

computer-readable program code, stored on the computer-readable media, including,

code to display a user interface;

code to receive a plurality of response policies via the user interface, each response policy providing a user-configurable association between at least one duress code and at least one duress response; and

code to log ones of the response policies into a duress policy engine, from which the response policies are retrieved when users enter ones of the duress codes into ones of a number of computer systems.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the user interface provides one or more input areas to receive response polices that take different actions in response to different user actions.

19. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the user interface provides one or more input areas to receive response policies that take at least a first action in response to i) entry of a given one of the duress codes, and ii) existence of at least one condition.

20. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a given duress code via one of a number of computer systems;

indexing. a store of user-configurable response policies for different ones of a plurality of duress codes, and retrieving a particular response policy that is associated with the given duress code; and

executing actions that are initiated by a user that entered the given duress code into the one of the number of computer systems, as limited by the particular response policy.

21. Apparatus, comprising:

computer-readable media; and

computer-readable program code, stored on the computer-readable media, including,

code to receive duress codes via a number of computer systems;

code to, upon receipt of a given one of the duress codes, i) index a store of user-configurable response policies for different ones of a plurality of duress codes, and ii) retrieve a particular response policy that is associated with the given duress code; and

code to execute actions that are initiated by a user that entered the given duress code into the one of the number of computer systems, as limited by the particular response policy.