Automated password authentication

• US 9,959,401 B2
• Filed: 12/04/2015
• Issued: 05/01/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/29/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Dick, Adrian David, Taylor, James Stuart
• Primary Examiner(s): Moorthy, Aravind K
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pan, Peiliang
• Application Number:
  US14/959,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20160085957A1
• Time in Patent Office: 879 Days
• Field of Search: 726 6, 726 9, 726 18, 726 20, 713193
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• 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 9/3228 One-time or temporary data, i.e. information which is sent for every authentication or authorization, e.g. one-time-password, one-time-token or one-time-key
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response

Abstract

A system connected to an existing computer includes a unit for monitoring the screen and provides input, a storage unit that stores data that pairs screen buffer regions with authentication details, wherein the system learns new pairs via user training and presents stored authentication details when the screen buffer regions match a related stored region which is paired with a region of the screen, and a unit that determines which of stored passwords need to be presented to the system by a pattern matching of regions of screen pixels.

Claims

1. A system connected to an existing computer, said system comprising:

a unit for monitoring an authentication request displayed in a screen and a defined area selected by a user which highlights the authentication request and provides input, wherein the defined area is a rectangle which uniquely identifies a login area;

prompting the user to highlight the defined area that identifies the login area prior to entering information into the login area;

a storage unit that stores data that pairs screen buffer regions with authentication details, wherein the system learns new pairs based on the defined area on the screen and presents stored authentication details when the screen buffer regions match a related stored region which is paired with a region of the screen; and

a unit that determines which of stored passwords need to be presented to the system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said authentication details comprise a user name and a password.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said system compares one of the screen buffer regions, as displayed to the user, with a set of stored regions.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein, after said system compares the screen buffer with the set of the stored regions, said system presents appropriate authentication details to simulate a manual user input.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the system is configured to be instructed by the user to store a region such that the user provides login details.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the defined areas are rectangles drawn on the screen and which is stored for later pattern matching.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein regions of the screen bound by the rectangles are stored in a repository of previously captured regions.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the regions of the screen bound by the rectangles are recognized during pattern matching.

9. The system of claim 8, further comprising a unit for automatically entering a previously recorded username and password into the regions of the screen bound by the rectangles based on determining which of the stored passwords need to be presented to the system.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising a unit for automatically submitting a username and password from a repository upon recognition of the pattern matching of the regions of the screen, wherein the repository includes bit map regions for the username and password.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the pattern matching of regions of screen pixels comprises:

matching regions of screen pixels against a repository of previously captured regions of screen pixels, wherein the repository includes bit map regions from previous training by the user; and

submitting a username and password for authentication based on the regions of screen pixels matching the previously captured regions of screen pixels.

12. A method of automated password authentication in a system, said method comprising:

pattern matching regions of screen pixels against a repository of previously captured regions;

submitting a username and a password stored with the previously captured regions of the screen pixels for authentication, said authentication comprising;

inserting a memory stick by a user;

challenging the user for a master password to access an encrypted database held on the memory stick; and

determining which of stored passwords need to be presented to the system;

running an autorunnable application as a background task following a successful authorization of the user; and

checking the user has triggered the autorunnable application by a pre-defined key sequence to notify the autorunnable application that the user is about to enter a new password;

prompting the user to highlight a defined area that identifies a login area prior to entering information into the login area in response to the user triggering the autorunnable application, wherein the defined area is a rectangle which uniquely identifies the login area.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein, if the user has triggered the autorunnable application, then the method proceeds with:

prompting the user to highlight at least one rectangle around a text or an image which uniquely identifies a login panel;

capturing a username and a password when entered by the user; and

returning the autorunnable application to a background task.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, if the user has not triggered the autorunnable application, then the method proceeds with monitoring a screen buffer for a matching signature based on the rectangle drawn by the user.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein, if the matching signature is not found, then the autorunnable application returns to a background task.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein, if the matching signature is found, then the autorunnable application automatically enters a username and a password, and returns to a background task.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

terminating the autorunnable application by removing the memory stick.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the repository comprises bit map regions, and associated user names and passwords.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising generating the new password for the login area on behalf of the user in response to the user notifying the password has expired.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the prompting includes prompting the user that a password of the stored passwords to be presented to the system has expired.