Middleware sign-on

• US 7,720,829 B2
• Filed: 07/14/2005
• Issued: 05/18/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Garrett, Tricia E., Jenkins, Jana Helton, Allen, Lloyd W. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Boccio; Vincent
• Application Number:
  US11/181,446
• Publication Number:
  US 20070016792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,769 Days
• Field of Search: 715784-787, 715/810, 345156-157, 345/160, 345/168, 707/102
• US Class Current: 707/705
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0489 using dedicated keyboard keys or combinations thereof

Abstract

An application for middleware sign-on is provided. A secure engine in the middleware generates a soft keyboard and scroll area. The scroll area includes coordinates associated with the soft keyboard. A selector is generated overlaid on the soft keyboard. The selector moves with respect to the soft keyboard in response to cursor movement within the scroll area. As the cursor movement causes the selector, the secure engine generates and stores false data key selections. When a user selects a data key with the selector, the middleware generates and stores the valid data key entry. The middleware stores both the valid data key selections and the false data key selections in the same area. Once the user submits his completed selection, or data, the middleware processes the data.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for middleware sign-on, the computer implemented method comprising:

displaying a soft keyboard and a scroll area that is separate from the soft keyboard, wherein the scroll area includes coordinates associated with the soft keyboard;

displaying a selector, wherein the selector moves with respect to the soft keyboard in response to cursor movement within the scroll area;

generating and storing valid data key selections in response to a selection of a data key in the soft keyboard using the selector;

generating and storing false data key selections in response to the cursor movement in the scroll area, wherein the valid data key selections and the false data key selections are stored in a same storage area to form protected data; and

processing the protected data in response to a user request.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein processing the protected data in response to the user request comprises:

removing the false data key selections from the protected data to form sensitive data.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

comparing the sensitive data to a saved password to determine validity of the sensitive data.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 2, further comprising:

storing the sensitive data as a value of an appropriate collection field.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein each data key of the soft keyboard is encrypted and wherein each false data key selection is encrypted.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 5, wherein the encryption varies between the data keys of the soft keyboard and between the false data key selections.

7. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the coordinates of the scroll area are randomly generated to form random coordinates.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the random coordinates are encrypted.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein the encryption varies between the random coordinates.