Password mismatch warning method and apparatus

• US 8,959,599 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2012
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Mohler, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lim, Krisna
• Application Number:
  US13/676,294
• Publication Number:
  US 20140137216A1
• Time in Patent Office: 825 Days
• US Class Current: 726/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0844 with user authentication or key authentication, e.g. ElGamal, MTI, MQV-Menezes-Qu-Vanstone protocol or Diffie-Hellman protocols using implicitly-certified keys
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/32 including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication, e.g. authorization, entity authentication, data integrity or data verification, non-repudiation, key authentication or verification of credentials

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing an authentication credential mismatch warning are disclosed. More particularly, at least one character from an authentication credential required to access a resource is recorded. When a user attempts to enter the required authentication credential, a mismatch warning can be generated if a monitored character is input incorrectly. The user can then revise the authentication credential input, prior to submitting the authentication credential to the resource.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

accessing a first stored character stored locally on a device, the first stored character comprising a character of a first authentication credential, wherein the first authentication credential comprises a plurality of characters and the first stored character comprises a number of characters that is less than the plurality of characters of the first authentication credential;

monitoring, by the device, a first entered character comprising a portion of a user'"'"'s entry of an attempted first authentication credential;

determining, by the device, whether the first entered character matches the first stored character; and

upon determining that the first entered character does not match the first stored character, outputting an alert prior to authenticating the attempted first authentication credential.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first stored character and the first entered character each further comprise a same plurality of characters and the same plurality of characters is less than all characters of the first authentication credential.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the first entered character matches the first stored character further comprises determining whether the first entered character is in a character position of the attempted first authentication and the first stored character is in the same character position of the first authentication credential.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the character position is the first position.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one character of the first authentication credential is mnemonically associated with a first resource to serve as a trigger for the user'"'"'s memory as to the remainder of the first authentication credential.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing a second character of a second authentication credential, wherein the first authentication credential is a first level authentication credential associated with the first resource, and wherein the second authentication credential is a second level authentication credential associated with the first resource.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing a first character of a second authentication credential, wherein the first character of the first authentication credential is associated with a first resource, and wherein the first character of the second authentication credential is associated with a second resource.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to the input, performing a scan for malware, wherein the scan is performed prior to generating an alert signal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating an alert signal for presentation to the user prior to authenticating the first authentication credential, further comprises presenting the alert prior to the user requesting authentication utilizing the completed first authentication attempt.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of generating an alert signal for presentation to the user prior to authenticating the first authentication credential, further comprises presenting the alert prior to the user inputting a subsequent character of the first authentication attempt.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising

upon receiving a user'"'"'s indication that entry of the attempted first authentication credential is complete, causing the attempted first authentication credential to be authenticated by a remote computer, and wherein the step of causing the attempted first authentication credential to be authenticated by a remote computer occurs without regard to whether the first entered character does not match the first stored character.

12. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon computer executable instructions, the computer executable instructions causing a processor of a device to execute a method for providing an authentication credential mismatch warning, the computer executable instructions comprising:

instructions to access a first stored character stored locally on the device, the first stored character comprises a character of a first authentication credential and the first stored character comprises a number of characters that is less than the plurality of characters of the first authentication credential;

instructions to monitor, by the device, a user input of an attempted first authentication credential, the input comprising a first entered character;

instructions to determine, by the device, whether the first entered character matches the first stored character; and

instructions to, upon determining that the first entered character does not match the first stored character, causing a warning to be presented prior to authenticating the first authentication credential.

13. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, wherein the first entered character is the first character of the first authentication credential.

14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 13, the computer executable instructions further comprising:

instructions to access a second stored character, stored locally on the device, wherein the second stored character comprises a character of a second authentication credential;

instructions to monitor, by the device, the user input of an attempted second authentication credential, the input comprising a second entered character;

instructions to determine, by the device, whether the second entered character matches the second stored character; and

instructions to, upon determining that the second entered character does not match the second stored character, causing a warning to be presented prior to authenticating the second authentication credential.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 14, wherein the first authentication credential is a user name, and wherein the second authentication credential is a password.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 12, the computer executable instructions wherein the first stored character is mnemonically associated with a first resource to serve as a trigger for the user'"'"'s memory as to the remainder of the first authentication credential.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, the computer executable instructions further comprising:

instructions to display the first entered character.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, the computer executable instructions further comprising:

wherein the first stored character and the first entered character each further comprise a same plurality of characters and the same plurality of characters is less than all characters of the first authentication credential.

19. A system for providing a warning of an authentication credential character mismatch, comprising:

memory;

an authentication credential character mismatch application stored in the memory;

authentication credential data stored in the memory, wherein the authentication credential data stored in memory includes at least one but less than all characters included in an authentication credential;

a user input;

a user output;

a processor, wherein the processor is operable to execute the authentication credential character mismatch application, wherein user input comprising at least one character of the authentication credential is compared to the authentication credential data stored in memory, and wherein in response to a mismatch between the at least one character of the authentication credential and the authentication credential data stored in memory being detected, present a mismatch warning on the user output prior to authenticating the second authentication credential.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

an authentication command, triggered by an input on the user input, causing the authentication credential to be transmitted to a remote computer for authentication without regard to whether the authentication credential character mismatch application detected a mismatch.