Method and system for controlling access to a secondary system

• US 8,230,487 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2006
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Feil, Stephan
• Primary Examiner(s): SIMITOSKI, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US11/546,665
• Publication Number:
  US 20070143597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,112 Days
• Field of Search: 726 2- 3, 726/5, 726/12, 726/26, 713182-184, 713/159, 380/44, 380/277
• US Class Current: 726/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/30 Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0825 using asymmetric-key encryption or public key infrastructure [PKI], e.g. key signature or public key certificates
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response

Abstract

A method and system for controlling access of a user to a secondary system. The user is logged on a user system. A primary system connects the user system to the secondary system. A first authentication information is received from the user system. After determining that the first authentication information conforms to protected primary authentication data included in the primary system, access of the user to the primary system is provided followed by generation of a user-specific key from the first authentication information. Second authentication information is derived from protected secondary authentication data included in the primary system, by use of the user-specific key in conjunction with the protected secondary authentication data. The second authentication information is provided to the secondary system to enable access of the user to the secondary system.

Claims

1. A method for controlling access of a user to a secondary system, said user being logged on a user system, a primary system connecting the user system to the secondary system, said method comprising:

said primary system receiving first authentication information from the user system;

said primary system determining that a decryption or an encryption of the first authentication information is equal to protected primary authentication data stored in the primary system, followed by said primary system providing access of the user to the primary system;

after said providing access of the user to the primary system, said primary system generating a user-specific key consisting of either the first authentication information or an encryption of the first authentication information;

said primary system generating second authentication information from protected secondary authentication data stored in the primary system, said generating the second authentication information comprising using applying the user-specific key to the protected secondary authentication data to generate the second authentication information; and

said primary system providing the second authentication information to the secondary system to enable access of the user to the secondary system,

wherein the method further comprises;

said primary system sending a random string to the user system, wherein the random string is derived from user-specific data pertaining to the user; and

responsive to said sending the random string, said primary system receiving from the user system an encryption of the random string by a private key of the user, wherein the first authentication information is the encryption of the random string, and wherein said generating the user-specific key comprises setting the user-specific key equal to the encryption of the random string.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary system comprises an application, said application comprising a portal through which the secondary system may be accessed from the user system after access of the user to the secondary system has been enabled via said providing the second authentication information to secondary system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating the second authentication information comprises performing a decryption of the protected secondary authentication data by use of the user-specific key applied to the secondary authentication data.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating the second authentication information comprises performing a two way encryption of the protected secondary authentication data by use of the user-specific key applied to the secondary authentication data.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

responsive to the user logging off the primary system, deleting the user-specific key and the secondary authentication information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving second secondary authentication information from the user;

generating second protected secondary authentication data by two-way encryption of the second secondary authentication information by use of the user-specific key; and

replacing the protected secondary authentication data by the second protected secondary authentication data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

after the user has accessed the primary system in response to said determining that said decryption or encryption of the first authentication information is equal to the protected primary authentication data, receiving a request from the user to change the protected primary authentication data;

requesting second primary authentication information from the user;

transforming the second primary authentication information into second protected primary authentication data;

replacing the protected primary authentication data by the second protected primary authentication data;

generating second secondary authentication data by two-way encrypting the secondary authentication information by use of the second primary authentication information; and

replacing the secondary authentication data by the second secondary authentication data.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises storing the user-specific key in the primary system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the primary system comprises a credential store, and wherein the credential store comprises the protected primary authentication data and the protected secondary authentication data.

10. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage device storing computer executable instructions that when executed by a processor of a primary system perform a method for controlling access of a user to a secondary system, said user being logged on a user system, said primary system connecting the user system to the secondary system, said method comprising:

said primary system receiving first authentication information from the user system;

said primary system determining that a decryption or an encryption of the first authentication information is equal to protected primary authentication data stored in the primary system, followed by said primary system providing access of the user to the primary system;

after said providing access of the user to the primary system, said primary system generating a user-specific key consisting of either the first authentication information or an encryption of the first authentication information;

said primary system generating second authentication information from protected secondary authentication data stored in the primary system, said generating the second authentication information comprising applying the user-specific key to the protected secondary authentication data to generate the second authentication information; and

said primary system providing the second authentication information to the secondary system to enable access of the user to the secondary system,

wherein the method further comprises;

said primary system sending a random string to the user system, wherein the random string is derived from user-specific data pertaining to the user; and

responsive to said sending the random string, said primary system receiving from the user system an encryption of the random string by a private key of the user, wherein the first authentication information is the encryption of the random string, wherein said determining that said decryption or encryption of the first authentication information is equal to the protected primary authentication data comprises decrypting the first authentication information by use of a public key that is associated with the private key followed by determining that the decrypted first authentication information is equal to the protected primary authentication data, and wherein said generating the user-specific key comprises setting the user-specific key equal to the encryption of the random string.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the primary system comprises an application, said application comprising a portal through which the secondary system may be accessed from the user system after access of the user to the secondary system has been enabled via said providing the second authentication information to secondary system.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein said generating the second authentication information comprises performing a decryption of the protected secondary authentication data by use of the user-specific key applied to the secondary authentication data.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein said generating the second authentication information comprises performing a two way encryption of the protected secondary authentication data by use of the user-specific key applied to the secondary authentication data.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

responsive to the user logging off the primary system, deleting the user-specific key and the secondary authentication information.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving second secondary authentication information from the user;

generating second protected secondary authentication data by two-way encryption of the second secondary authentication information by use of the user-specific key; and

replacing the protected secondary authentication data by the second protected secondary authentication data.

16. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

after the user has accessed the primary system in response to said determining that said decryption or encryption of the first authentication information is equal to the protected primary authentication data, receiving a request from the user to change the protected primary authentication data;

requesting second primary authentication information from the user;

transforming the second primary authentication information into second protected primary authentication data;

replacing the protected primary authentication data by the second protected primary authentication data;

generating second secondary authentication data by two-way encrypting the secondary authentication information by use of the second primary authentication information; and

replacing the secondary authentication data by the second secondary authentication data.

17. A primary system comprising a processor and a computer program product, said computer program product comprising computer executable instructions that when executed by the processor perform a method for controlling access of a user to a secondary system when the user is logged on a user system subject to the primary system connecting the user system to the secondary system, said method comprising:

said primary system receiving first authentication information from the user system;

said primary system determining that a decryption or an encryption of the first authentication information is equal to protected primary authentication data stored in the primary system, followed by said primary system providing access of the user to the primary system;

after said providing access of the user to the primary system, said primary system generating a user-specific key consisting of either the first authentication information or an encryption of the first authentication information;

said primary system generating second authentication information from protected secondary authentication data stored in the primary system, said generating the second authentication information comprising applying the user-specific key to the protected secondary authentication data to generate the second authentication information; and

said primary system providing the second authentication information to the secondary system to enable access of the user to the secondary system,

wherein the method further comprises;

said primary system sending a random string to the user system, wherein the random string is derived from user-specific data pertaining to the user; and

responsive to said sending the random string, said primary system receiving from the user system an encryption of the random string by a private key of the user, wherein the first authentication information is the encryption of the random string, and wherein said generating the user-specific key comprises setting the user-specific key equal to the encryption of the random string.

18. The primary system of claim 17, wherein the primary system comprises an application, said application comprising a portal through which the secondary system may be accessed from the user system after access of the user to the secondary system has been enabled via said providing the second authentication information to secondary system.

19. The primary system of claim 17, wherein said generating the second authentication information comprises performing a decryption of the protected secondary authentication data by use of the user-specific key applied to the secondary authentication data.

20. The primary system of claim 17, wherein said generating the second authentication information comprises performing a two way encryption of the protected secondary authentication data by use of the user-specific key applied to the secondary authentication data.

21. The primary system of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

responsive to the user logging off the primary system, deleting the user-specific key and the secondary authentication information.

22. The primary system of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving second secondary authentication information from the user;

generating second protected secondary authentication data by two-way encryption of the second secondary authentication information by use of the user-specific key; and

replacing the protected secondary authentication data by the second protected secondary authentication data.

23. The primary system of claim 17, wherein the method further comprises:

after the user has accessed the primary system in response to said determining that said decryption or encryption of the first authentication information is equal to the protected primary authentication data, receiving a request from the user to change the protected primary authentication data;

requesting second primary authentication information from the user;

transforming the second primary authentication information into second protected primary authentication data;

replacing the protected primary authentication data by the second protected primary authentication data;

generating second secondary authentication data by two-way encrypting the secondary authentication information by use of the second primary authentication information; and

replacing the secondary authentication data by the second secondary authentication data.