System and method for updating user identifiers (IDs)

• US 8,522,305 B2
• Filed: 10/25/2005
• Issued: 08/27/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Original Assignee: Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute
• Inventors: Cho, Yeong-Sub, Cho, Sang-Rae, Choi, Dae-Seon, Noh, Jong-Hyouk, Kim, Seung-Hyun, Jin, Seung-Hun, Kim, Tae-Sung
• Primary Examiner(s): Pwu, Jeffrey
• Assistant Examiner(s): JHAVERI, JAYESH M
• Application Number:
  US11/720,775
• Publication Number:
  US 20090235326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,863 Days
• Field of Search: 713/202, 726/1, 726/4, 726/5, 726/16, 726/27
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/41 where a single sign-on provides access to a plurality of computers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/068 using time-dependent keys, e.g. periodically changing keys cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for controlling usage of secret information H04L9/088
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0846 using time-dependent-passwords, e.g. periodically changing passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

Provided are a system and method for updating a user identifier (ID). The user ID updating method includes: (a) collecting unauthorized access attempt information for a user ID; (b) creating a user ID update policy for an encoded user ID obtained by encoding the user ID, according to the unauthorized access attempt information collected in operation (a); (c) storing the user ID update policy created in operation (b); (d) loading the user ID update policy stored in operation (c) and determining whether or not to update the user ID; and (e) creating a new user ID if it is determined in operation (d) that the user ID should be updated, and changing the user ID to the new user ID. Therefore, it is possible to ensure security for user IDs, by dynamically creating and updating user IDs according to security environments.

Claims

1. A computer program product for a user identifier (ID) update system which is in communication with a service provider server external to the user ID update system, the computer program product comprising computer-readable code stored on a non-transitory computer-readable medium, wherein the computer-readable code when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform:

collecting, by a security environment collecting unit, unauthorized access attempt information for a user ID, wherein the user ID is shared between the user ID update system and the service provider server;

creating, by an ID policy creating unit in communication with the security environment collecting unit, a user ID update policy for the user ID according to the unauthorized access attempt information received from the security environment collecting unit;

storing, by an ID policy storage unit coupled with the ID policy creating unit, the user ID update policy;

loading, by an ID update unit coupled with the ID policy storage unit, the user ID update policy from the ID policy storage unit, creating a new user ID according to the user ID update policy, and changing the user ID to the new user ID; and

transmitting, by an ID policy transmitting unit coupled with the ID policy creating unit, the user ID update policy to the service provider server which is federated with and external to the user ID update system,

wherein the user ID update policy created by the ID policy creating unit specifies one of a plurality of predetermined time periods according to the unauthorized access attempt information,

wherein the computer-readable code, when executed by the computer, further causes the computer to perform;

determining, by the ID update unit, whether the one of the plurality of predetermined time periods has elapsed, and creating the new user ID once the predetermined time period has elapsed, and

wherein the computer-readable code, when executed by the computer, further causes the computer to perform;

transmitting, by an ID transmitting unit, the new user ID created by the ID update unit to a service provider server which is federated with the user ID update system.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable code, when executed by the computer, further causes the computer to perform:

receiving, by an ID policy receiving unit, a user ID update policy created by a service provider server which is federated with the user ID update system, and storing the received user ID update policy in the ID policy storage unit.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer-readable code, when executed by the computer, further causes the computer to perform:

loading, by an ID creating part of the ID update unit, a user ID update policy from the ID policy storage unit and creating a new user ID according to the user ID update policy; and

storing, by an ID storage part of the ID update unit, the new user ID created by the ID creating part and changing the user ID to the new user ID.

4. The computer program product of claim 3, wherein the computer-readable code, when executed by the computer, further causes the computer to perform:

receiving, by an ID receiving unit, a new user ID created by the federated service provider server and storing the new user ID in the ID storage part.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the user ID update policy created by the ID policy creating unit is:

an update_Now policy for immediately updating the user ID when the unauthorized access attempt information indicates that the user ID has been accessed without authorization;

an update_Short policy for updating the user ID after a first period has elapsed when the unauthorized access attempt information indicates that a number of unauthorized access attempts on the user ID exceeds a predetermined number;

an update_Long policy for updating the user ID after a second period longer than the first period has elapsed when the unauthorized access attempt information indicates that the number of unauthorized access attempts on the user ID is less than the predetermined number; and

an update_Normal policy for updating the user ID after a third period longer than the second period has elapsed when the unauthorized access attempt information indicates that there has been no unauthorized access attempt on the user ID.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the user ID is an encoded user ID obtained by encoding another user ID.

7. A user identifier (ID) updating method for use in a user ID update system federated with a service provider server external to the user ID update system and having a security environment collecting unit, an ID policy creating unit, an ID policy storage unit, an ID update unit, and an ID policy transmitting unit, the method executed by computer-readable code stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the method comprising:

(a) collecting, in the security environment collecting unit, unauthorized access attempt information for a user ID, wherein the user ID is shared between the user ID update system and the service provider server;

(b) creating, in the ID policy creating unit, a user ID update policy for the user ID according to the unauthorized access attempt information collected in operation (a), wherein the created user ID update policy specifies one of a plurality of predetermined time periods according to the unauthorized access attempt information;

(c) storing, in the ID policy storage unit, the user ID update policy created in operation (b);

(d) loading, in the ID update unit, the user ID update policy stored in operation (c), determining whether the one of the plurality of predetermined time periods has elapsed, and determining whether or not to update the user ID;

(e) creating, in an ID creating part of the ID update unit, a new user ID if it is determined in operation (d) that the user ID should be updated and that the predetermined time period has elapsed, and changing the user ID to the new user ID;

(f) transmitting, in the ID policy transmitting unit, the user ID update policy created in operation (b) to a service provider server which is federated with and external to the user ID update system; and

(g) transmitting the new user ID created in operation (e) to a service provider server which is federated with the user ID update system through the user ID.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the user ID update policy created by the ID policy creating unit is:

an update_Now policy for immediately updating the user ID when the unauthorized access attempt information indicates that the user ID is hacked;

an update_Short policy for updating the user ID after a first period has elapsed when the unauthorized access attempt information indicates that a number of unauthorized access attempts on the user ID occur exceeds a predetermined number;

an update_Long policy for updating the user ID after a second period longer than the first period has elapsed when the unauthorized access attempt information indicates that the number of unauthorized access attempts on the user ID is less than the predetermined number; and

an update_Normal policy for updating the user ID after a third period longer than the second period has elapsed when the unauthorized access attempt information indicates that there has been no unauthorized access attempt on the user ID.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein, in operation (d), determining whether or not to update the user ID depends on whether or not a predetermined period corresponding to the user ID update policy has elapsed.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the user ID is an encoded user ID obtained by encoding another user ID.

11. A user identifier (ID) updating method for use in a user ID update system federated with a service provider server external to the user ID update system and having an ID policy receiving unit, an ID policy storage unit, and an ID update unit, the method executed by computer-readable code stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium, the method comprising:

(a) receiving, in the ID policy receiving unit, a user ID update policy created by the service provider server which is federated with and external to the user ID update system through a user ID, wherein the user ID is shared between the user ID update system and the service provider server, wherein the received user ID update policy specifies one of a plurality of predetermined time periods, and wherein the received user ID update policy is created for the user ID according to previously-collected unauthorized access attempt information for the user ID;

(b) storing, in the ID policy storage unit, the user ID update policy received in operation (a);

(c) loading, in the ID update unit, the user ID update policy stored in operation (b), determining whether the one of the plurality of predetermined time periods has elapsed, and determining whether or not to update the user ID;

(d) creating, in an ID creating part of the ID update unit, a new user ID if it is determined in operation (c) that the user ID should be updated and that the predetermined time period has elapsed, and changing the user ID to the new user ID; and

(e) transmitting the new user ID created in operation (d) to the service provider server.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein, in operation (a), the received user ID update policy is:

an update_Now policy for immediately updating the user ID when the unauthorized access attempt information indicates that the user ID has been accessed without authorization;

an update_Short policy for updating the user ID after a first period has elapsed when the unauthorized access attempt information indicates that a number of unauthorized access attempts on the user ID exceeds a predetermined number;

an update_Long policy for updating the user ID after a second period longer than the first period has elapsed when the unauthorized access attempt information indicates that the number of unauthorized access attempts on the user ID is less than the predetermined number; and

a update Normal policy for updating the user ID after a third period longer than the second period has elapsed when the unauthorized access attempt information indicates that there has been no unauthorized access attempt on the user ID.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, in operation (c), determining on whether or not to update the user ID depends on whether or not a predetermined period corresponding to the user ID update policy has elapsed.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the user ID is an encoded user ID obtained by encoding another user ID.