SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR DELEGATING ACCESS TO ONLINE ACCOUNTS

• US 20090172793A1
• Filed: 12/31/2007
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gen Digital Inc.
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Newstadt, Keith, Cooley, Shaun
• Granted Patent: US 8,266,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

Computer-implemented methods for delegating access to online accounts and for facilitating delegates'"'"' access to these online accounts are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method for delegating access to an online account comprises receiving a request to delegate access to a first online account to a first delegate, identifying the first online account, identifying a contact record for the first delegate, and delegating access to the first online account to the first delegate by associating the contact record for the first delegate with the first online account. Corresponding systems and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for delegating access to online accounts, comprising:

receiving a request to delegate access to a first online account of a user, the request specifying a first delegate;

identifying the first online account;

identifying a contact record for the first delegate;

delegating access to the first online account to the first delegate by associating the contact record for the first delegate with the first online account.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to receiving the request, receiving user-account-authentication information for the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the contact record for the first delegate with the first online account comprises creating an entry in a delegated-accounts table associated with the user.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the entry identifies a relationship between the first online account and the delegate.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein associating the contact record for the first delegate with the first online account comprises creating an entry in an accessible-accounts table associated with the first delegate.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the request specifies a delegation-expiration date.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising revoking access to the first online account from the first delegate by disassociating the contact record for the first delegate from the first online account.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to access the first online account from a computing device;

retrieving online-account credentials for the first online account from a credentials database;

accessing the first online account using the online-account credentials;

receiving data from the first online account;

transmitting at least a portion of the data received from the first online account to the computing device.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

receiving data from the first online account comprises retrieving a web page from the first online account;

transmitting data received from the first online account to the computing device comprises embedding the web page retrieved from the first online account and transmitting the embedded web page to the computing device.

10. The method of claim 8, further comprising, prior to retrieving online-account credentials for the first online account, receiving user-account-authentication information from the computing device.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request to access the first online account from an authentication module running on a computing device, the request comprising user-account-authentication information for the first delegate;

retrieving online-account credentials for the first online account from a credentials database;

transmitting the online-account credentials for the first online account to the authentication module running on the computing device.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second request to delegate access to the first online account, the request specifying a second delegate;

identifying the first online account;

identifying a contact record for the second delegate;

delegating access to the first online account to the second delegate by associating the contact record for the second delegate with the first online account.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a website that allows a user to:

add, modify, and delete online-account credentials;

add, modify, and delete contact records for delegates;

grant access to online accounts to delegates;

revoke access to online accounts from delegates;

modify delegates'"'"' access to online accounts.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a delegation-notification to the first delegate.

15. A computer-implemented method for accessing delegated online accounts, comprising:

receiving user-account-authentication information from a first user;

authenticating the first user with a credentials database by transmitting the user-account-authentication information for the first user to the credentials database;

identifying an online account of a second user;

requesting online-account credentials for the online account of the second user from the credentials database;

receiving online-account credentials for the online account of the second user from the credentials database;

accessing the online account of the second user using the online-account credentials for the online account of the second user.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein accessing the online account of the second user comprises automatically logging into the online account of the second user without exposing the online-account credentials for the online account of the second user to the first user.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising identifying an account-delegate association between the first user and the online account of the second user.

18. A system for delegating access to online accounts, comprising:

a delegation module for;

receiving a request to delegate access to a first online account of a user, the request specifying a first delegate;

identifying the first online account;

identifying a contact record for the first delegate;

delegating access to the first online account to the first delegate by associating the contact record for the first delegate with the first online account.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a credentials database for storing online-account credentials and user-account-authentication information;

a delegate-community database for storing contact records for users;

an account-delegate-associations database for storing account-delegate associations.

20. The system of claim 18, further comprising:

a credentials-management module for managing the online-account credentials and the user-account-authentication information;

a community-management module for managing the contact records;

a delegation module for managing the account-delegate associations;

an authentication module for accessing online accounts using the online-account credentials.