User Authorization Using An Automated Turing Test

• US 20090150986A1
• Filed: 12/05/2007
• Published: 06/11/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Foreman, Paul E.
• Granted Patent: US 9,203,833 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083

Abstract

Methods, apparatus, and products are disclosed for user authorization using an automated Turing Test that include: selecting, by an automated Turing Test module, a challenge token, the challenge token including a challenge key; repeatedly at an Automated Turing Test pace: selecting, by the Automated Turing Test module, a portion of the challenge token in dependence upon predetermined selection criteria, and revealing, by Automated Turing Test module, only the selected portion of the challenge token to a user; receiving, by the Automated Turing Test module from the user, a user response; determining, by the Automated Turing Test module, whether the user response matches the challenge key; and authorizing, by the Automated Turing Test module, the user to access a resource if the user response matches the challenge key.

Claims

1. A method of user authorization using a Completely Automated Public Turing Test to tell Computers and Humans Apart (‘

Automated Turing Test’

), the method comprising;

selecting, by an automated Turing Test module, a challenge token, the challenge token including a challenge key;

repeatedly at an Automated Turing Test pace;

selecting, by the Automated Turing Test module, a portion of the challenge token in dependence upon predetermined selection criteria, and

revealing, by Automated Turing Test module, only the selected portion of the challenge token to a user;

receiving, by the Automated Turing Test module from the user, a user response;

determining, by the Automated Turing Test module, whether the user response matches the challenge key; and

authorizing, by the Automated Turing Test module, the user to access a resource if the user response matches the challenge key.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprises determining, by the Automated Turing Test module, the Automated Turing Test pace in dependence upon a workload for a web server providing the resource.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting, by the Automated Turing Test module, a portion of the challenge token in dependence upon predetermined selection criteria further comprises:

determining a revealed portion size; and

selecting the portion of the challenge token in dependence upon the revealed portion size.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting, by the Automated Turing Test module, a portion of the challenge token in dependence upon predetermined selection criteria further comprises:

determining a revealed portion shape; and

selecting the portion of the challenge token in dependence upon the revealed portion shape.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein:

the challenge token includes a plurality of challenge keys;

the predetermined selection criteria specify the challenge key among the plurality of challenge keys; and

determining, by the Automated Turing Test module, whether the user response matches the challenge key further comprises determining whether the user response matches the challenge key in dependence upon the predetermined selection criteria.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein selecting, by an automated Turing Test module, a challenge token further comprises selecting, by an automated Turing Test module, a challenge token in dependence upon user attributes.

7. Apparatus for user authorization using a Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart (‘

Automated Turing Test’

), the apparatus comprising a computer processor, a computer memory operatively coupled to the computer processor, the computer memory having disposed within it computer program instructions capable of;

selecting, by an automated Turing Test module, a challenge token, the challenge token including a challenge key;

repeatedly at an Automated Turing Test pace;

selecting, by the Automated Turing Test module, a portion of the challenge token in dependence upon predetermined selection criteria, and

revealing, by Automated Turing Test module, only the selected portion of the challenge token to a user;

receiving, by the Automated Turing Test module from the user, a user response;

determining, by the Automated Turing Test module, whether the user response matches the challenge key; and

authorizing, by the Automated Turing Test module, the user to access a resource if the user response matches the challenge key.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the computer memory has disposed within it computer program instructions capable of determining, by the Automated Turing Test module, the Automated Turing Test pace in dependence upon a workload for a web server providing the resource.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein selecting, by the Automated Turing Test module, a portion of the challenge token in dependence upon predetermined selection criteria further comprises:

determining a revealed portion size; and

selecting the portion of the challenge token in dependence upon the revealed portion size.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein selecting, by the Automated Turing Test module, a portion of the challenge token in dependence upon predetermined selection criteria further comprises:

determining a revealed portion shape; and

selecting the portion of the challenge token in dependence upon the revealed portion shape.

11. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein:

the challenge token includes a plurality of challenge keys;

the predetermined selection criteria specify the challenge key among the plurality of challenge keys; and

determining, by the Automated Turing Test module, whether the user response matches the challenge key further comprises determining whether the user response matches the challenge key in dependence upon the predetermined selection criteria.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein selecting, by an automated Turing Test module, a challenge token further comprises selecting, by an automated Turing Test module, a challenge token in dependence upon user attributes.

13. A computer program product for user authorization using a Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart (‘

Automated Turing Test’

), the computer program product disposed in a computer readable medium, the computer program product comprising computer program instructions capable of;

selecting, by an automated Turing Test module, a challenge token, the challenge token including a challenge key;

repeatedly at an Automated Turing Test pace;

selecting, by the Automated Turing Test module, a portion of the challenge token in dependence upon predetermined selection criteria, and

revealing, by Automated Turing Test module, only the selected portion of the challenge token to a user;

receiving, by the Automated Turing Test module from the user, a user response;

determining, by the Automated Turing Test module, whether the user response matches the challenge key; and

authorizing, by the Automated Turing Test module, the user to access a resource if the user response matches the challenge key.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 further comprising computer program instructions capable of determining, by the Automated Turing Test module, the Automated Turing Test pace in dependence upon a workload for a web server providing the resource.

15. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein selecting, by the Automated Turing Test module, a portion of the challenge token in dependence upon predetermined selection criteria further comprises:

determining a revealed portion size; and

selecting the portion of the challenge token in dependence upon the revealed portion size.

16. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein selecting, by the Automated Turing Test module, a portion of the challenge token in dependence upon predetermined selection criteria further comprises:

determining a revealed portion shape; and

selecting the portion of the challenge token in dependence upon the revealed portion shape.

17. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein:

the challenge token includes a plurality of challenge keys;

the predetermined selection criteria specify the challenge key among the plurality of challenge keys; and

determining, by the Automated Turing Test module, whether the user response matches the challenge key further comprises determining whether the user response matches the challenge key in dependence upon the predetermined selection criteria.

18. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein selecting, by an automated Turing Test module, a challenge token further comprises selecting, by an automated Turing Test module, a challenge token in dependence upon user attributes.

19. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the computer readable medium comprises a recordable medium.

20. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the computer readable medium comprises a transmission medium.