Systems and methods for implementing device-specific passwords

• US 8,839,385 B1
• Filed: 09/25/2012
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Shipley, Brian F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nalven, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): FIELDS, COURTNEY D
• Application Number:
  US13/626,190
• Time in Patent Office: 721 Days
• Field of Search: 726/6, 726/8, 726/19, 705/65, 713/155, 455/435.1
• US Class Current: 726/6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083

Abstract

Each of multiple computing devices of a user is registered by obtaining therefrom identifying indicia, obtaining from the user a device-specific password for the computing device, and storing the obtained identifying indicia and device-specific password for the computing device in an entry for the user in a credentials database. The user requests access to a restricted service by way of a particular one of the multiple computing devices with credentials including the device-specific password for the particular computing device, and identifying indicia are obtained therefrom. The obtained identifying indicia and the device-specific password of the particular computing device appear in the entry, and the user is thus granted access to the restricted service.

Claims

1. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon and executable by a processor to:

receive, from a user, a user identifier and a master password that is not specific to at least one computing device, the at least one computing device communicatively coupled to a network;

obtain, from the at least one computing device, identifying indicia associated with the at least one computing device;

determine a database entry for the user from the user identifier;

determine, via the database entry, that the at least one computing device is not registered and lacks a device-specific password for the user;

provide the user access to a restricted service on the network based on the master password;

automatically offer to register the at least one computing device for the user, wherein the at least one computing device is un-registered using a second computing device based on user input;

obtain, from the user, a device-specific password for the at least one computing device following access to the restricted service;

store the identifying indicia of the at least one computing device and the device-specific password for the computing device in the database to register the at least one computing device; and

direct the at least one computing device to a site representative of the restrictive service based on a determined type of the at least one computing device.

2. The medium of claim 1, wherein the registered at least one computing device may be subsequently employed to access the restricted service with the master password.

3. The medium of claim 1, wherein the registered at least one computing device may be subsequently employed to access the restricted service with the device-specific password.

4. The medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one computing device includes a limited keyboard.

5. The medium of claim 1, wherein the site representative of the restrictive service is a minimally featured site.

6. The medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one computing device is a mobile telephone.

7. The medium of claim 1, wherein the at least one computing device is a personal data assistant.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon and executable by a processor to:

receive, from a user, a user identifier and a master password that is not specific to a computing device, the computing device communicatively coupled to a network;

obtain, from the computing device, an identifying indicium associated with the computing device;

determine a database entry for the user from the user identifier;

automatically offer to register the computing device for the user, wherein registration of the device permits the user to un-register the computing device using a second computing device based on the user input;

determine, via the database entry, that the computing device is registered and has an associated device-specific password;

provide the user access to a restricted service on the network based on the associated device-specific password; and

direct the computing device to a site representative of the restrictive service based on a determined type of the computing device.

9. The medium of claim 8, wherein the identifying indicium associated with the computing device and the associated device-specific are coupled to each other.

10. The medium of claim 8, wherein the identifying indicium associated with the computing device is included in an encryption of identifying indicia.

11. The medium of claim 8, wherein the identifying indicium associated with the computing device is included in a concatenation of identifying indicia.

12. The medium of claim 8, wherein the computing device employs a browser to access the restricted service.

13. The medium of claim 8, wherein a request to access the restricted service is submitted via a log-in site.

14. The medium of claim 8, wherein the master password includes an upper-case character, a lower-case character, and a number.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon and executable by a processor to:

obtain a respective identifying indicium for each of a plurality of computing devices;

obtain a respective device-specific password for each of the plurality of computing devices;

store each respective identifying indicium and each respective device-specific password in a database;

receive a request to access a restricted service via one of the plurality of computing devices, wherein the one of the plurality of computing devices is communicatively coupled to a network and the user request includes the respective device-specific password specific to the one of the plurality of computing devices;

obtain, from the one of the plurality of computing devices, the respective identifying indicium;

automatically offer to register the plurality of computing devices for the user, wherein registration of the plurality of computing devices permits the user to un-register a particular device based on user input by actuating a de-registration procedure;

determine, from the database, that the one of the plurality of computing devices is registered;

provide access via the one of the plurality of computing devices to the restricted service based on the obtained respective identifying indicium and the obtained respective device-specific password; and

direct the one of the plurality of computing devices to a site representative of the restrictive service based on a determined type of the one of the plurality of computing devices.

16. The medium of claim 15, having computer-executable instructions stored thereon and executable by a processor to offer to register additional computing devices.

17. The medium of claim 15, having computer-executable instructions stored thereon and executable by a processor to un-register a second of the plurality of computing devices.

18. The medium of claim 17, wherein at least one of the plurality of computing devices is utilized to un-register the second of the plurality of computing devices.

19. The medium of claim 17, wherein the respective device-specific password for the second of the plurality of computing devices is removed from the database.

20. The medium of claim 17, wherein the respective identifying indicium for the second of the plurality of computing devices is removed from the database.