SYSTEM OF COMPOSITE PASSWORDS INCORPORATING HINTS

• US 20150281216A1
• Filed: 03/30/2015
• Published: 10/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ben Damian Donohue
• Original Assignee: Ben Damian Donohue
• Inventors: DONOHUE, Ben Damian
• Granted Patent: US 10,033,724 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 63/0838 using one-time-passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security

Abstract

A system which generates composite passwords which can act to trigger a designated event; said system comprising a database having stored thereon at least first and second hints associated with at least respective first and second passwords, all of which are associated with a designated user; the system storing hints and passwords for multiple designated users and wherein each hint and password pair is generated by an association procedure whereby the password is uniquely derivable from the hint by the designated user with which that hint and password pair is associated; a composite password generated by the system presenting in a designated order of at least first and second hints to a designated user in response to which the designated user inputs respective first and second passwords to a local device thereby to assemble a composite password from the first and second passwords; the composite password then being stored on the local device.

Claims

1. A system which generates composite passwords which can act to trigger a designated event;

said system comprising a database having stored thereon at least first and second hints associated with at least respective first and second passwords, all of which are associated with a designated user;

the system storing hints and passwords for multiple designated users and wherein each hint and password pair is generated by an association procedure whereby the password is uniquely derivable from the hint by the designated user with which that hint and password pair is associated;

a composite password generated by the system presenting in a designated order of at least first and second hints to a designated user in response to which the designated user inputs respective first and second passwords to a local device thereby to assemble a composite password from the first and second passwords;

the composite password then being stored on the local device.

2. A system of claim 1 which generates composite passwords which can act to trigger a designated event;

said system comprising a database having stored thereon at least first and second hints associated with at least respective first and second passwords, all of which are associated with a designated user;

the system storing hints and passwords for multiple designated users and wherein each hint and password pair is generated by a hint and password pair generator which executes an association procedure stored as executable code in a memory operable in communication with a processor whereby the password is uniquely derivable from the hint by the designated user with which that hint and password pair is associated;

a composite password generated by the system presenting in a designated order of at least first and second hints to a designated user over a communications medium to an input/output interface of a local device in response to which the designated user inputs via the said input/output interface respective first and second passwords to said local device thereby to assemble a composite password from the first and second passwords;

the composite password then being stored on the local device sufficient for transient one time use by the system.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein all hints for a composite password are presented at the same time.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein each hint is associated with a password field into which the password derivable by the user from the hint is to be entered.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein each hint is associated visually with the password field.

6. The system of claim 4 wherein each hint is associated by close proximity to the password field.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the designated event is authentication of the designated user sufficient to give the designated user access to a designated system.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein the designated system is a programme executable on a platform.

9. The system of claim 7 wherein the event is triggered following a comparison procedure comprising communication between the local device and the database whereby the composite password is verified as matching a reconstituted composite password generated by the system from the same hints ordered in the designated order being the same order as presented to the designated user.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the database is located on the local device.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein the database is located remotely from the local device.

12. The system of claim 9 wherein the database is located on a server.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein the server is accessible via the internet.

14. The system of any one of claim 7 wherein the local device communicates over the internet to the database.

15. The system of any one of claim 7 wherein the succession of hints in a designated order is presented on the local device.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the succession of hints is entered in parallel so that all hints are displayed together and at the same time on the local device.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the hints forming the succession are chosen randomly from a library of hints.

18. The system of claim 16 wherein the succession are chosen randomly for each authentication event.

19. The system of claim 7 wherein the composite password is passed through a hash function in order to generate a cryptographic hash of the composite password.

20. A system for encrypting and transmitting and receiving a message;

said system comprising

a database having a lookup table containing a plurality of passwords;

each password having associated therewith a hint;

sending a message to a receiver by the process of encrypting the message using a password of a designated user as a key;

associating the hint for that password with the encrypted message so as to prepare a composite message package for transmission;

transmitting the composite message over a medium to a receiver;

the receiver presenting the hint to the designated user;

the designated user deriving the password from the hint;

said designated user providing it to the receiver;

the receiver utilising the password as a private key to decrypt the message.