Method for concealing user identities on computer systems through the use of temporary aliases

• US 7,930,754 B2
• Filed: 01/18/2006
• Issued: 04/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Goldberg, Itzhack, Haugh, Julianne Frances
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu; K.
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEBNATH, SUMAN
• Application Number:
  US11/334,663
• Publication Number:
  US 20070169202A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,917 Days
• Field of Search: 726 26- 30, 713/163, 713/184, 713/187, 705/39, 709/206, 709/229
• US Class Current: 726/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0421 Anonymous communication, i.e. the party's identifiers are hidden from the other party or parties, e.g. using an anonymizer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload

Abstract

A user alias for concealing a user'"'"'s user identification is provided. When signing-on, the user inputs a user alias to a log-in shell. The log-in shell verifies the validity of the user alias. The log-in shell then obtains a user identification associated with the valid user alias.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for concealing a user identification, the computer implemented method comprising:

receiving user input, wherein the user input comprises a user alias;

verifying that the user alias is a valid user alias;

obtaining a user identification associated with the valid user alias from a database comprising a one-way protected mapping of the valid user alias to the user identification, wherein only a trusted privileged process with a decryption key reverse maps the user identification back to the valid user alias, wherein if the valid user alias is compromised the valid user alias is removed without requiring change of the user identification required for permission;

determining whether the valid user alias is one of a plurality of permitted user aliases permitted for one time use in association with the user identification in a database, for connecting in a non-secure environment;

responsive to determining the valid user alias is one of a plurality of permitted user aliases specified for one time use in association with the user identification, discarding the valid user alias from the plurality of permitted user aliases stored in the database;

determining whether there is at least one remaining valid user alias stored as the plurality of permitted user aliases in the database;

responsive to detecting there is at least one remaining valid user alias, marking the next remaining valid user alias from among the plurality of permitted user aliases as the valid user alias; and

responsive to detecting there is not remaining valid user alias, generating an sending an electronic mail message to the user specifying there are no remaining permitted user aliases in the database.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

maintaining the association between the valid user alias and the user identification in a database; and

responsive to receiving user input comprising the user identification and not the user alias associated with the database, marking the login with the user input as an attempted unauthorized access.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

encrypting the valid user alias.

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

utilizing a user password as a key for the encryption.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the user alias is a false credit card number and wherein the user identification is an actual credit card number.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the user input in an incoming e-mail, wherein the user alias is an alias e-mail address;

obtaining the user identification comprising an actual e-mail address associated with the valid user alias;

determining whether a time period for the alias e-mail address has expired; and

responsive to the time period for the alias e-mail address not expiring, automatically routing the incoming e-mail to the actual e-mail address.

7. A computer executable program product comprising a tangible non-transitory computer readable storage device for concealing a user identification, wherein the computer usable program code when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

receive user input, wherein the user input comprises a user alias;

verify that the user alias is a valid user alias;

obtain a user identification associated with the valid user alias from a database comprising a one-way protected mapping of the valid user alias to the user identification, wherein only a trusted privileged process with a decryption key reverse maps the user identification back to the valid user alias, wherein if the valid user alias is compromised the valid user alias is removed without requiring change of the user identification required for permission;

determine whether the valid user alias is one of a plurality of permitted user aliases permitted for one time use in association with the user identification in a database, for connecting in a non-secure environment;

responsive to determining the valid user alias is one of a plurality of permitted user aliases specified for one time use in association with the user identification, discard the valid user alias from the plurality of permitted user aliases stored in the database;

determine whether there is at least one remaining valid user alias stored as the plurality of permitted user aliases in the database;

responsive to detecting there is at least one remaining valid user alias, mark the next remaining valid user alias from among the plurality of permitted user aliases as the valid user alias; and

responsive to detecting there is not remaining valid user alias, generate an sending an electronic mail message to the user specifying there are no remaining permitted user aliases in the database.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

maintain the association between the valid user alias and the user identification in a database; and

receive user input comprising the user identification and not the user alias associated with the database, for marking the login with the user input as an attempted unauthorized access.

9. The computer program product of claim 7,

wherein the computer-readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

encrypt the valid user alias.

10. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

utilize a user password as a key for the encryption.

11. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

utilize a user password as a key for the encryption.

12. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the user alias is a false credit card number and wherein the user identification is an actual credit card number.

13. The computer program product of claim 7, wherein the computer-readable program when executed on the computer further causes the computer to:

receive the user input in an incoming e-mail, wherein the user alias is an alias e-mail address;

obtain the user identification comprising is an actual e-mail address associated with the valid user alias;

determine whether a time period for the alias e-mail address has expired; and

responsive to the time period for the alias e-mail address not expiring, automatically route the incoming e-mail to the actual e-mail address.

14. A data processing system for concealing a user identification, said data processing system comprising:

a storage device, wherein the storage device stores computer usable program code; and

a processor, wherein the processor executes the computer usable program code to receive user input, wherein the user input comprises a user alias;

to verify

that the user alias is a valid user alias; and

to obtain a user identification associated with the valid user alias from a database comprising a one-way protected mapping of the valid user alias to the user identification, wherein only a trusted privileged process with a decryption key reverse maps the user identification back to the valid user alias, wherein if the valid user alias is compromised the valid user alias is removed without requiring change of the user identification required for permission;

wherein the processor further executes;

computer usable program code for determining whether the valid user alias is one of a plurality of permitted user aliases permitted for one time use in association with the user identification in a database, for connecting in a non-secure environment;

computer usable program code, responsive to determining the valid user alias is one of a plurality of permitted user aliases specified for one time use in association with the user identification, for discarding the valid user alias from the plurality of permitted user aliases stored in the database;

computer usable program code for determining whether there is at least one remaining valid user alias stored as the plurality of permitted user aliases in the database;

computer usable program code, responsive to detecting there is at least one remaining valid user alias for marking the next remaining valid user alias from among the plurality of permitted user aliases as the valid user alias; and

computer usable program code, responsive to detecting there is not remaining valid user alias, for generating an sending an electronic mail message to the user specifying there are no remaining permitted user aliases in the database.

15. The data processing system of claim 14, wherein the processor further executes computer usable program code for maintaining the association between the valid user alias and the user identification in a database and responsive to receiving user input comprising the user identification and not the user alias associated with the database, for marking the login with the user input as an attempted unauthorized access.

16. The data processing system of claim 14, wherein the valid user alias is one of a plurality of valid user aliases permitted for use in a non-secure environment.

17. The data processing system of claim 14, wherein the user alias is a false credit card number and wherein the user identification is an actual credit card number.