WEB BASED SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS USERS TO LOG INTO WEBSITES WITHOUT ENTERING USERNAME AND PASSWORD INFORMATION

• US 20100017616A1
• Filed: 06/21/2008
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Springo, Inc.
• Inventors: Donaldson, Krista, Nichols, Jonathan
• Granted Patent: US 8,528,064 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/183
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/62 Protecting access to data via a platform, e.g. using keys or access control rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2107 File encryption
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2115 Third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2117 User registration
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2143 Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• 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 63/0861 using biometrical features, e.g. fingerprint, retina-scan cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using biological data H04L9/3231
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/306 User profiles
• 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

Systems and methods for securely managing Internet user passwords are presented herein. A formation component can enable a user to create a master account on a web server, the master account comprising a master username and password. An access component can enable the user to access a plurality of password protected websites from a web browser or non-browser software application resident on the user'"'"'s computing device when the user logs into the master account by entering the valid master username and password. A selection component can log the user into a website of the plurality of password protected websites when the user selects a hyperlink associated with the website, selects a linked image associated with the website, or selects the website from a pulldown list contained in a toolbar of a web browser. A display component can open a web browser or tab associated with the website.

Claims

1. A computer implemented system comprising a memory having stored therein computer executable components and a processor that executes the following computer executable components:

a formation component that enables a user to create a master account on a web server, the master account comprising a master username and password; and

an access component that enables the user to access a plurality of password protected websites associated with the master account when the user logs into the master account from a web browser or a non-browser software application resident on the user'"'"'s computing device by entering the master username and password.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a selection component that logs the user into a website of the plurality of password protected websites when the user;

selects a hyperlink associated with the website;

selects a linked image associated with the website;

or

selects the website from a pulldown list contained in a toolbar of a web browser; and

a display component that opens a web browser window or tab associated with the website when the user selects the hyperlink, selects the linked image, or selects the website from the pulldown list contained in a toolbar of the web browser, wherein the website is associated with a username and password combination that enables the user to access the website, and wherein the username and password combination of the website comprises at least one password.

3. The system of claim 2, the formation component further comprising:

a management component that prompts the user to enter the URL and username and password combination of each website of the plurality of password protected websites;

a storage component that stores the URL and username and password combination of each website of the plurality of password protected websites in a database of the master account;

a review component that enables the user to view a list of the stored URL and stored username and password combination of each website of the plurality of password protected websites; and

an update component that enables the user to modify the list of stored URLs and stored username and password combinations.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein at least one of the hyperlink, linked image, or website from the pulldown list contained in the web browser'"'"'s toolbar is selected from the database of the master account.

5. The system of claim 4, further comprising:

a security component comprising one or more additional authentication techniques.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more additional authentication techniques comprises at least one of fingerprint identification, credentials identification, or secure sockets layer (SSL) protocol.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more additional authentication techniques comprises:

presenting the user with a URL associated with the master account when the user attempts to log into the master account;

requesting the user verify that text in the address bar of the web browser is equivalent to the URL associated with the master account; and

warning the user not to enter the user'"'"'s master username and password if the text in the address bar is different from the URL associated with the master account.

8. The system of claim 7, the one or more additional authentication techniques further comprising:

presenting the user with a warning each time the user accesses his master account, the user warned not to enter the user'"'"'s master username and password in future login attempts if the user is not prompted to compare text in the URL window to the URL associated with the master account.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more additional authentication techniques comprises:

enabling the user to enter the user'"'"'s master username and password into a login form presented in a window of the web browser or non-browser software application resident on the user'"'"'s computing device;

enabling the user to command the web server to authenticate the user'"'"'s master username and password;

preventing the web browser from saving the master password in the browser password manager;

discarding incorrectly entered master username and password login information and prompting the user to reenter the user'"'"'s master username and password;

scrambling the master password and saving the scrambled master password in the web browser'"'"'s main memory as a transient cookie, or saving the scrambled master password to persistent memory that is not associated with a cookie, upon successful authentication of the user'"'"'s master username and password, the stored scrambled master password at least utilized as an encryption key;

prompting the user to add one or more password protected websites to the master account, the user prompted to add a website URL and username and password combination associated with the website into a login form;

encrypting the username and password combination of the one or more password protected websites using the master password when the one or more password protected websites are added to the master account, the browser software, or non-browser software application resident on the user'"'"'s computing device encrypting the username and password combination;

transmitting the encrypted username and password combination of the one or more password protected websites to the web server; and

storing the encrypted username and password combination of the one or more password protected websites in the web server database.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

presenting the user with a list of the plurality of password protected websites upon successful authentication of the user'"'"'s master username and password;

downloading an encrypted username and password combination, login form information, and browser based scripts from the web server to the web browser or non-browser software application resident on the user'"'"'s computing device when the user selects one of the hyperlinks associated with the website, the linked image associated with the website, or the website from a pulldown list contained in a toolbar of the web browser, the downloading encrypted with SSL protocol;

locally decrypting the encrypted username and password combination using the saved master password as the encryption key;

inserting the plaintext username and password combination into a login form;

executing the downloaded browser based scripts that are encapsulated in the login form;

generating an HTTP POST request that contains the login form information;

automatically logging the user into one of the plurality of password protected websites associated with the one of the hyperlinks; and

opening at least one of a web browser window or tab associated with the one of the plurality of password protected websites.

11. The system of claim 3, further comprising:

a learning component that determines the structure of login forms for each website of the plurality of password protected websites.

12. The system of claim 11, the learning component further comprising:

executing a script that queries a website and downloads an HTML file for the website'"'"'s main page when the user adds a new URL and username and password combination associated with the website to the master account database;

executing default browser based scripts of the website'"'"'s main page;

storing the website'"'"'s login form and browser based scripts in the web server database if the login form is found on the website'"'"'s main page;

iteratively searching for login forms and browser based scripts of the website that are not found on the website'"'"'s main page and once found, storing the forms and browser based scripts for the associated page in the web server database;

preventing the user from attempting to log into the website before the website'"'"'s login form and browser based script information is acquired and stored in the web server database; and

sending a message to the user and a system administrator if no login form information is found.

13. The system of claim 12, the learning component further comprising:

periodically executing a script that re-queries the websites stored in the web server database; and

updating the web server database with changed login form and browser based script information.

14. The system of claim 11, further comprising:

a browser component that enables the user to upload username and password combinations to the web server, the username and password combinations locally stored by a web browser, the username and password combinations associated with the plurality of password protected websites.

15. The system of claim 14, the browser component further comprising:

enabling the user to download and install an add-in utility, the add-in utility embedded into the web browser, the add-in utility has access to the web browser'"'"'s internal data;

prompting the user to enter a locally stored web browser password that enables access to the username and password combinations locally stored by the browser;

prompting the user to enter the master username and password for web server authentication;

encrypting, upon web server authentication of the user, the locally stored username and password combinations using the master password as the encryption key;

transmitting the encrypted username and password combinations and the associated website addresses from the user'"'"'s browser to the web server;

storing the encrypted username and password combinations and the associated website addresses in the database of the master account;

enabling the user to delete the locally stored username and password combinations;

disabling browser prompting of the user to save passwords locally;

acquiring the login forms and browser based scripts of the websites associated with the username and password combinations after storing the encrypted username and password combinations; and

enabling the user to select a website from a pulldown list contained in a toolbar of the web browser, the website associated with one of the username and password combinations.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the web browser is Firefox™

.

17. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon the components of the system of claim 1.

18. A method comprising:

creating a master account on a web server, the master account comprising a master username and password; and

enabling user access of a plurality of password protected websites associated with the master account from a web browser or non-browser software application resident on the user'"'"'s computing device, based on the user'"'"'s entry of a valid master username and password.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

prompting a user to enter a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) and a username and password combination of each website of the plurality of password protected websites;

storing the URL and username and password combination of each website of the plurality of password protected websites in a database of the master account;

enabling the user to view a list of the stored URL and stored username and password combination of each website of the plurality of password protected websites;

enabling the user to modify the list of stored URLs and stored username and password combinations;

logging the user into a website of the plurality of password protected websites when the user;

selects a hyperlink associated with the website;

selects a linked image associated with the website;

or

selects the website from a pulldown list contained in a toolbar of a web browser; and

displaying a web browser window or tab associated with the website when the user selects the hyperlink, selects the linked image, or selects the website from the pulldown list contained in the toolbar of the web browser, the website associated with a username and password combination that enables the user to access the website the username and password combination of the website, the user name and password combination comprising at least one password.

20. A computer implemented system comprising a memory having stored therein computer executable components and a processor that executes the following computer executable components:

means for creating a master account on a web server, the master account comprising a master username and password; and

means for enabling user access of a plurality of password protected websites from a web browser or non-browser software application resident on the user'"'"'s computing device as a function of user entry of a valid master username and password combination.