ACCOUNT RECOVERY VIA AGING OF ACCOUNT DATA POINTS

• US 20100275250A1
• Filed: 04/24/2009
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Oath Inc. (Verizon Communications Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Devadoss, Sabaridas, Watts, Henry Arshell, Doshi, Shreyas Surendra, Hryn, Jonathan Edward, Avachat, Abhay, Agarwal, Naveen, Bejar, Arturo
• Application Number:
  US12/429,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20100275250A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2131 Lost password, e.g. recovery of lost or forgotten passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002

Abstract

Embodiments are directed towards providing an aging of account data points usable in recovering access to an account. The aging functionality of account data points is configured to enable users who may have had access to their account compromised or otherwise denied, still be able to recover access. Account data points are time stamped when associated with an account. When a request is received to delete the account data point, the account data point is instead placed into an aging status for a time period. During the aging status time period, the account data point may still be used to recover access to the account. Moreover, after access is recovered using a certain account data point, any account data points created after the certain account data point may be deleted to minimize unauthorized access to the account.

Claims

1. A network device, comprising:

a transceiver to send and receive data over a network; and

a processor that is operative to perform actions, comprising;

generating an account data point for use in recovering access to an account;

receiving instructions to delete the account data point;

based on the instructions, selectively changing a status of the account data point to an aging status;

receiving a request to recover access to the account, wherein the request includes the account data point; and

if the account data point has the status of aging, then enabling recovery of access to the account using the account data point, and further automatically changing the status of the account data point from aging to an active status.

2. The network device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operative to perform actions, further comprising:

if the account data point has been in the aging status for a defined time period, changing the account data point to an expired status, and further deleting the account data point such that it is invalid for use in recovering access to the account.

3. The network device of claim 1, wherein changing the status of the account data point to aging status further comprises, sending a message to at least one messaging address associated with the account indicating the change in status of the account data point.

4. The network device of claim 1, wherein generating the account data point further comprising placing the account data point into an inactive status for a first time period, and then after expiration of the first time period and absent a request to delete the account data point, changing the status of the account data point to the active status.

5. The network device of claim 1, wherein selectively changing the status of the account data point further comprises:

if the account data point is in an inactive status, inhibiting use of the account data point to recover access to the account.

6. The network device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operative to perform actions, further comprising:

determining if a second account data point is generated after the account data point is generated;

if the second account data point is generated after the account data point is generated, enabling the second account data point to be purged after the account data point is employed to recover access to the account; and

if the second account data point is generated before the account data point is generated, enabling a status of the second account data point to be changed from active to aging.

7. A processor readable storage medium that includes data and instructions, wherein the execution of the instructions on a computing device enables actions, comprising:

generating an account data point to be associated with an account, the account being associated with at least one access constraint;

placing the account data point into an inactive status for a first time period, wherein the account data point is ineligible for use in recovering access to the account;

after expiration of the first time period, placing the account data point in an active status, wherein the account data point is eligible for use in recovering access to the account.

receiving instructions to delete the account data point while the account data point is in the active status;

based on the instructions, selectively changing a status of the account data point from the active status to an aging status;

receiving a request to recover access to the account, wherein the request includes the account data point; and

if the account data point has the status of aging or active, then enabling recovery of access to the account using the account data point, and further automatically changing the status of the account data point to active.

8. The processor readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein account data point is configured to be one of a messaging address, a mobile device identifier, or a question/answer combination.

9. The processor readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions enable actions, further comprising:

receiving a second account data point;

determining if the account data point is a type of account data point that is constrained to allowing a single data point for that type;

determining if the second account data point is a same type as the account data point;

if the second account data point is the same type as the account data point and the account data point is constrained to allowing a single data point, then replacing the account data point with the second account data point and;

if the status of the account data point is inactive, purging the account data point;

if the status of the account data point is aging, resetting a timer associated with aging of the account data point; and

if the status of the account data point is active, changing the status of the account data point to aging.

10. The processor readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein receiving instructions to delete the account data point further comprises receiving a request to replace the account data point with one or more other account data points.

11. The processor readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein selectively changing the status further comprises sending a notification to a messaging address or mobile device identifier associated with the account indicating that a request is received to change an account data point.

12. The processor readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein a plurality of different account data points are associated with the account, wherein at least one account data point is of a different type as another one of the account data points in the plurality, and wherein the account data points are configured to be of at least one type from the following types:

a question/answer combination, a messaging address, a birth date, a postal code, a user identifier, or a mobile device identifier.

13. The processor readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the instructions enable actions, further comprising:

receiving another instruction to delete the account data point, while the account data point is in an inactive status;

in response to the other instruction, deleting the account data point.

14. A system for enabling a communications over a network, comprising:

a client device configured to perform actions, including;

requesting generation of a network account;

providing an account data point for use in recovering access to the network account;

detecting access to the account is denied; and

sending a request to recover access to the account, wherein the request includes the account data point;

a network device configured to perform actions, including;

in response to the request, generating the network account;

receiving the account data point, placing the account data point into an inactive status for a first time period, and then upon expiration of the first time period, transitioning the status of the account data point to an active status;

receiving instructions to delete the account data point;

based on the instructions, selectively changing a status of the account data point to an aging status;

receiving the request, including the account data point, to recover access to the account; and

if the account data point has a status of aging or active, then enabling recovery of access to the account using the account data point, and further automatically changing the status of the account data point to active.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the account data point is selected from one of the following types:

a question/answer combination, a postal code, a birth date, a name, a messaging address, or a mobile device identifier.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the access to the account is denied based on a change in at least one of a credential or a password associated with enabling access to the account.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein selectively changing the status to an aging status further comprises:

if the account data point has a status of inactive, then deleting the account data point.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein if the account data point has a status of inactive, then inhibiting recovery of access to the account using the inactive account data point.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein enabling recovery of access to the account further comprises:

enabling any account data points for the account to be deleted that are received after receiving the account data point.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the network device is configured to perform actions, further including:

receiving a request to replace the account data point with another account data point;

determining if the status of the account data point is aging, and if the status is aging, then resetting a timer associated with an aging period for the account data point;

determining if the status of the account data point is active, and if the status is active, changing the status to aging; and

determining if the status of the account data point is inactive, and if the status is inactive, deleting the account data point.