Systems and methods for authenticating users

• US 8,370,926 B1
• Filed: 04/27/2010
• Issued: 02/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Satish, Sourabh
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAKHIA, VIRAL S
• Application Number:
  US12/768,157
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 726 17- 19, 726 4- 6, 713161-172
• US Class Current: 726/19
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for authenticating users may include identifying an image associated with a user for mutual assurance during an authentication process. The computer-implemented method may also include modifying the image based on a prompt message to create a modified image that displays the prompt message. The computer-implemented method may further include determining that user input comprises an expected response to the prompt message. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for authenticating users, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:

during a user configuration phase;

receiving a selection of an image to be used for mutual assurance with a user, and

associating the image with the user by providing information that identifies the image in a profile of the user;

identifying the image associated with the user;

modifying the image based on a prompt message to create a modified image that displays the prompt message by overlaying the prompt message over the image to create the modified image;

identifying, within the profile of the user, user-related information that is specific to the user;

during a user login phase;

displaying the modified image,

identifying a password associated with the user, wherein the password is distinct from the user-related information,

receiving user input from the user provided in response to the prompt message,

determining that the user input comprises an expected response to the prompt message, wherein the expected response includes a combination of the password and the user-related information and at least one of the prompt message and the expected response is based on the user-related information, and

authenticating the user based on the determination.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving a selection of an image to be used for mutual assurance with a user comprises receiving, from the user, the selection of the image.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the expected response comprises at least one of:

the user-related information appended to the password;

the password appended to the user-related information.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein:

the user configuration phase comprises at least one of setting up the profile of the user or modifying the profile of the user.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the expected response comprises the user-related information combined with the password.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the prompt message comprises the user-related information.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a candidate username;

determining that the candidate username is a registered username, wherein the registered username is associated with the mutual assurance image and the mutual assurance image is displayed in response to the determining that the candidate username is a registered username.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising displaying instructions to the user for how to combine the user-related information and the password to create the expected response.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein:

determining that the user input comprises the expected response comprises determining that the user input combines the user-related information and the password in the manner described in the instructions to the user.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising, during the user configuration phase:

receiving a user name from the user;

storing the user name and the mutual assurance image in a data structure indicating pairing of the user name and the mutual assurance image.

11. A system for authenticating users, the system comprising:

a profile setup module programmed to, during a user configuration phase;

receive a selection of an image to be used for mutual assurance with a user, and

associate the image with the user by providing information that identifies the image in a profile of the user;

an image identification module programmed to identify the image associated with the user for mutual assurance during an authentication process;

an image modification module programmed to modify the image based on a prompt message to create a modified image that displays the prompt message by overlaying the prompt message over the image to create the modified image;

a user-related information identification module programmed to identify, within the profile of the user, user-related information that is specific to the user;

a display module programmed to display the modified image;

a password identification module programmed to, during a user login phase, identify a password associated with the user;

an input module programmed to receive user input from the user provided in response to the prompt message;

a determination module programmed to, during the user login phase, determine that the user input comprises an expected response to the prompt message, wherein the expected response includes a combination of the password and the user-related information and at least one of the prompt message and the expected response is based on the user-related information;

an authentication module programmed to authenticate the user based on the determination;

at least one processor configured to execute the profile setup module, the image identification module, the image modification module, the user-related information identification module, the display module, the password identification module, the input module, the determination module, and the authentication module.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the profile setup module is programmed to receive the selection of the mutual assurance image by receiving a selection of a profile picture from the user and using the profile picture as the mutual assurance image.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the user-related information comprises information provided by the user during the user configuration phase.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the image modification module is programmed to modify the image based on the prompt message to create the modified image by cropping the image to a shape of characters of the prompt message.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the determination module is programmed to determine that the user input comprises the expected response to the prompt message by determining that the user input, while not exactly matching the expected response, is sufficiently similar to the expected response.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the user input is sufficiently similar to the expected response when the user input only differs from the expected response by one character.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the image modification module is programmed to distort the prompt message such that the modified image displays the distorted prompt message.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein:

the profile setup module is programmed to, during the user configuration phase, receive selections of a plurality of images to be used for mutual assurance with the user, the plurality of images comprising the mutual assurance image;

the determination module is programmed to identify a different expected response for each image in the plurality of images.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable-storage medium comprising one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

during a user configuration phase;

receive a selection of an image to be used for mutual assurance with a user, and

associate the image with the user by providing information that identifies the image in a profile of the user;

identify the image associated with the user;

modify the image based on a prompt message to create a modified image that displays the prompt message by overlaying the prompt message over the image to create the modified image;

identify, within the profile of the user, user-related information that is specific to the user;

during a user login phase;

display the modified image,

identify a password associated with the user, wherein the password is distinct from the user-related information,

receive user input from the user provided in response to the prompt message,

determine that the user input comprises an expected response to the prompt message, wherein the expected response includes a combination of the password and the user-related information and at least one of the prompt message and the expected response is based on the user-related information, and

authenticate the user based on the determination.