Password updating system to vary the password updating intervals according to access frequency

• US 5,606,663 A
• Filed: 11/15/1994
• Issued: 02/25/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 12/24/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kadooka, Etsuko
• Primary Examiner(s): Beausouel, Jr., Robert W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Wright, Norman M.
• Application Number:
  US08/340,390
• Time in Patent Office: 833 Days
• Field of Search: 395/188.01, 395/187.01
• US Class Current: 726/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication

Abstract

A password updating system sets the available period and the updating period of the password for each individual user according to the frequency of his accesses to the computer system, and manages password updating by urging the user in advance to change his password on the basis of these periods. There is a chronometric unit; and a password hysteresis memory unit for memorizing and managing passwords and their available periods. An update processing unit checks the input password, requests reentry if the same password exists or updates it if no same password exists, invalidates the current password if the updating period of the password has expired, and also validates invalidated passwords. There is a comparator unit for comparing the available periods of passwords and notifying the update processing unit of a request to update the password. Also provided is a period setting unit for prescribing, upon setting of each password, the available period and the update set period of that password on the basis of the analysis of the frequency of accesses, and conveying that information to the password hysteresis memory unit. A display unit displays various messages; and an input unit inputs various information.

Claims

1. A password updating system for a computer system, comprising:

chronometric means for counting and providing date and hour information;

input means for inputting user information and passwords, and password validating instructions for cancelling password invalidation;

display means for displaying a password change requesting message and a password reentry requesting message;

password hysteresis memory means for memorizing and managing a plurality of passwords so far set including a currently used password, and an available period and an update period for each of said passwords on a user-by-user basis;

comparator means for comparing, when a password is entered into a computer system, a current date and hour from said chronometric means and the available period of the currently used password stored in said password hysteresis memory means, and during the updating period of the currently used password, providing an update request to update the password;

update processing means responsive to the update request from the comparator means for giving a request for display of the password change requesting message to said display means, receiving an updated password from said input means, searching the plurality of passwords stored in said password hysteresis memory means to check whether or not the updated password exists among the plurality of passwords, displaying the password reentry requesting message if it does or updating the password if it does not, invalidating the current password if the updating period of the password has expired, and validating invalidated passwords; and

period setting means for analyzing a frequency of accesses to the computer system by each user by receiving a date and hour of access to the system from said chronometric means and receiving the user information from said input means at the date and hour of access, prescribing upon setting of each password the available period and the update set period of the password, and conveying the available period and the update set period to said password hysteresis memory means.

2. A password updating system, as claimed in claim 1, wherein said period setting means, in prescribing the available period and the update set period of each password, memorizes the time of each user'"'"'s access to the system as analysis of the frequency of the user'"'"'s accesses to the system, calculates an average interval of accesses by each user, sets a period longer than the average access interval as the available period of the password, and prescribes the update set period.