Password management system

• US 9,985,941 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2015
• Issued: 05/29/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyndryl Incorporated (Kyndryl Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Childress, Rhonda L., Goldberg, Itzhack, Pickover, Clifford A., Sondhi, Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): Lagor, Alexander
• Application Number:
  US14/847,047
• Publication Number:
  US 20170068814A1
• Time in Patent Office: 994 Days
• Field of Search: 726 4- 6, 713182-184, 709225
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/46 by designing passwords or checking the strength of passwords
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2115 Third party
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/06 for supporting key management in a packet data network cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management H04L9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• 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 63/1466 Active attacks involving interception, injection, modification, spoofing of data unit addresses, e.g. hijacking, packet injection or TCP sequence number attacks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation

Abstract

An embodiment of the invention may include a method, computer program product and computer system for password management. The embodiment may include a computing device that creates a password inventory. The password inventory may be a list of one or more passwords, where each of the one or more passwords corresponds to a password key. The embodiment may update the password inventory without input from a user. The embodiment may receive a first login request from a first device. The embodiment may transmit information detailing a first password key to the first device, where the first password key corresponds to a first password from the list of one or more passwords. The embodiment may receive information detailing a first entered password from the first device. The embodiment may determine whether the first entered password is identical to the first password from the list of one or more passwords.

Claims

1. A method authenticating a user, the method comprising:

creating a password inventory, wherein the password inventory comprises a list of one or more passwords, wherein each of the one or more passwords corresponds to a password key;

updating the password inventory without input from a user, wherein updating the password inventory comprises one or more of;

sending a new list of password keys, wherein each password key corresponds to each password; and

sending a new list of passwords, wherein each password corresponds to each password key;

receiving a first login request from a first device;

transmitting information detailing a first password key to the first device, wherein the first password key corresponds to a first password from the list of one or more passwords, and wherein the first password key is selected regardless of the order of the list of one or more passwords;

receiving information detailing a first entered password from the first device; and

determining whether the first entered password is identical to the first password from the list of one or more passwords.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the list of more than one password comprises one or more dummy passwords, and the method further comprising:

based on determining that the first entered password is not identical to the first password from the list of one or more passwords, determining that the first entered password is identical to a dummy password from the list of one or more passwords; and

initiating protocols corresponding to an unauthorized login attempt.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein initiating protocols corresponding to an unauthorized login attempt further comprises:

updating the password inventory; and

transmitting information detailing a portion of the password inventory to a third device, wherein the user has access to the third device.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising based on updating the password inventory transmitting information detailing a portion of the password inventory to a third device, wherein the user has access to the third device.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a second login request from a second device;

transmitting information detailing a second password key to the second device, wherein the second password key corresponds to a second password from the list of one or more passwords, and wherein the second password is not identical to first password from the list of one or more passwords;

receiving a second entered password from the second device; and

determining whether the second entered password is identical to the second password from the list of one or more passwords.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

based on determining that the second entered password is not identical to the second password from the list of one or more passwords, determining that the second entered password is identical to the first password; and

initiating protocols corresponding to an unauthorized login attempt.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining that the first entered password is identical to a first password corresponding to the first password key; and

authenticating the user.

8. A computer program product for authenticating a user, the computer program product comprising:

one or more computer-readable storage devices and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more tangible storage devices, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to create a password inventory, wherein the password inventory comprises a list of one or more passwords, wherein each of the one or more passwords corresponds to a password key;

program instructions to update the password inventory without input from a user, wherein updating the password inventory comprises one or more of;

sending a new list of password keys, wherein each password key corresponds to each password; and

sending a new list of passwords, wherein each password corresponds to each password key;

program instructions to receive a first login request from a first device;

program instructions to transmit information detailing a first password key to the first device, wherein the first password key corresponds to a first password from the list of one or more passwords, and wherein the first password key is selected regardless of the order of the list of one or more passwords;

program instructions to receive information detailing a first entered password from the first device; and

program instructions to determine whether the first entered password is identical to the first password from the list of one or more passwords.

9. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the list of more than one password comprises one or more dummy passwords, and the computer program product further comprising:

based on determining that the first entered password is not identical to the first password from the list of one or more passwords, program instructions to determine that the first entered password is identical to a dummy password from the list of one or more passwords; and

program instructions to initiate protocols corresponding to an unauthorized login attempt.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the program instructions to initiate protocols corresponding to an unauthorized login attempt further comprises:

program instructions to update the password inventory; and

program instructions to transmit information detailing a portion of the password inventory to a third device, wherein the user has access to the third device.

11. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising based on updating the password inventory, program instructions to transmit information detailing a portion of the password inventory to a third device, wherein the user has access to the third device.

12. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

program instructions to receive a second login request from a second device;

program instructions to transmit information detailing a second password key to the second device, wherein the second password key corresponds to a second password from the list of one or more passwords, and wherein the second password is not identical to first password from the list of one or more passwords;

program instructions to receive a second entered password from the second device; and

program instructions to determine whether the second entered password is identical to the second password from the list of one or more passwords.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, further comprising:

based on determining that the second entered password is not identical to the second password from the list of one or more passwords, program instructions to determine that the second entered password is identical to the first password; and

program instructions to initiate protocols corresponding to an unauthorized login attempt.

14. The computer program product of claim 8, further comprising:

program instructions to determine that the first entered password is identical to a first password corresponding to the first password key; and

program instructions to authenticate the user.

15. A computer system for authenticating a user, the computer system comprising:

one or more processors, one or more non-transitory computer-readable memories, one or more computer-readable tangible storage devices, and program instructions stored on at least one of the one or more storage devices for execution by at least one of the one or more processors via at least one of the one or more memories, the program instructions comprising;

program instructions to create a password inventory, wherein the password inventory comprises a list of one or more passwords, wherein each of the one or more passwords corresponds to a password key;

program instructions to update the password inventory without input from a user, wherein updating the password inventory comprises one or more of;

sending a new list of password keys, wherein each password key corresponds to each password; and

sending a new list of passwords, wherein each password corresponds to each password key;

program instructions to receive a first login request from a first device;

program instructions to transmit information detailing a first password key to the first device, wherein the first password key corresponds to a first password from the list of one or more passwords, and wherein the first password key is selected regardless of the order of the list of one or more passwords;

program instructions to receive information detailing a first entered password from the first device; and

program instructions to determine whether the first entered password is identical to the first password from the list of one or more passwords.

16. The computer system of claim 15, wherein the list of more than one password comprises one or more dummy passwords, and the computer program product further comprising:

based on determining that the first entered password is not identical to the first password from the list of one or more passwords, program instructions to determine that the first entered password is identical to a dummy password from the list of one or more passwords; and

program instructions to initiate protocols corresponding to an unauthorized login attempt.

17. The computer system of claim 16, wherein the program instructions to initiate protocols corresponding to an unauthorized login attempt further comprises:

program instructions to update the password inventory; and

program instructions to transmit information detailing a portion of the password inventory to a third device, wherein the user has access to the third device.

18. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising based on updating the password inventory program instructions to transmit information detailing a portion of the password inventory to a third device, wherein the user has access to the third device.

19. The computer system of claim 15, further comprising:

program instructions to receive a second login request from a second device;

program instructions to transmit information detailing a second password key to the second device, wherein the second password key corresponds to a second password from the list of one or more passwords, and wherein the second password is not identical to first password from the list of one or more passwords;

program instructions to receive a second entered password from the second device; and

program instructions to determine whether the second entered password is identical to the second password from the list of one or more passwords.

20. The computer system of claim 19, further comprising:

based on determining that the second entered password is not identical to the second password from the list of one or more passwords, program instructions to determine that the second entered password is identical to the first password; and

program instructions to initiate protocols corresponding to an unauthorized login attempt.