Authentication schema for computer security

• US 8,578,470 B2
• Filed: 03/16/2011
• Issued: 11/05/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation, International Business Machines SA (International Business Machines Corporation), ServiceNow Incorporated
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Grunin, Galina, Rekesh, Dmitry A., Vilshansky, Gregory
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Haresh N
• Application Number:
  US13/048,997
• Publication Number:
  US 20120240217A1
• Time in Patent Office: 965 Days
• Field of Search: 726 2- 25, 709217-228
• US Class Current: 726/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation

Abstract

Computer security processes include displaying information elements on a computer display screen. Some of the information elements are mapped to corresponding parameters. The computer security processes also include receiving a selected information element from the information elements displayed on the computer display screen, and determining a value of a parameter associated with the selected information element based on a condition. The value of the parameter is changeable according to changes in the condition. The computer security processes further include comparing the selected information element with the value of the parameter, and upon determining the value of the parameter matches the selected information element, providing a user with access to a system resource.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

displaying information elements on a computer display screen, at least a portion of the information elements mapped to corresponding parameters;

receiving a selected information element from the information elements displayed on the computer display screen;

determining a value of a parameter associated with the selected information element based on a condition, the value of the parameter changeable according to changes in the condition;

comparing the selected information element with the value of the parameter; and

upon determining the value of the parameter matches the selected information element, providing a user with access to a system resource;

wherein the parameter is weather, and the condition is a current weather condition that is local to the user at the time the user is implementing a login process, the method further comprising accessing a weather application, wherein the determining a value of a parameter comprises determining the current weather condition from the weather application, wherein the information elements comprise a plurality of weather icons representing different weather conditions;

wherein the current weather condition that is local to the user is determined by geographical location information derived from a wireless access point through which a user system of the user is communicating.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter is clock time and the condition is a current time when the user is implementing a login process, the method further comprising:

accessing a clock application, wherein the determining a value of a parameter comprises determining the current time from the clock application.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the information elements comprise a matrix of numbers that visually represent hours on a clock.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the information elements comprise cells formed by a four-by-four matrix wherein positions in outer cells of the four-by-four matrix reflect hours on a clock.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter is an unidentified information element and association with a sequence of the information elements, and the condition is a random assignment of the unidentified information element to the sequence of information elements at the time the user is implementing a login process.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the sequence of the information elements and the value of the parameter is displayed in a multimedia file.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the parameter is a location on a map specifying a navigational marker on the map, and the condition is a random assignment of an information element to the location on the map at the time the user is implementing a login process.

8. A system, comprising:

a computer processor; and

an application to execute on the computer processor, the application implementing a method, the method comprising;

displaying information elements on a computer display screen, at least a portion of the information elements mapped to corresponding parameters;

receiving a selected information element from the information elements displayed on the computer display screen;

determining a value of a parameter associated with the selected information element based on a condition, the value of the parameter changeable according to changes in the condition;

comparing the selected information element with the value of the parameter; and

upon determining the value of the parameter matches the selected information element, providing a user with access to a system resource;

wherein the parameter is weather, and the condition is a current weather condition that is local to the user at the time the user is implementing a login process, the method further comprising accessing a weather application, wherein the determining a value of a parameter comprises determining the current weather condition from the weather application, wherein the information elements comprise a plurality of weather icons representing different weather conditions;

wherein the current weather condition that is local to the user is determined by geographical location information derived from a wireless access point through which a user system of the user is communicating.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the parameter is clock time and the condition is a current time when the user is implementing a login process, the method further comprising:

accessing a clock application, wherein the determining a value of a parameter comprises determining the current time from the clock application.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the information elements comprise a matrix of numbers that visually represent hours on a clock.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the information elements comprise cells formed by a four-by-four matrix wherein positions in outer cells of the four-by-four matrix reflect hours on a clock.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the parameter is an unidentified information element and association with a sequence of the information elements, and the condition is a random assignment of the unidentified information element to the sequence of information elements at the time the user is implementing a login process.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the sequence of the information elements and the value of the parameter is displayed in a multimedia file.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the parameter is a location on a map specifying a navigational marker on the map, and the condition is a random assignment of an information element to the location on the map at the time the user is implementing a login process.

15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory storage medium embodied with computer-readable program code, which when executed by a computer cause the computer to implement a method, the method comprising:

displaying information elements on a computer display screen, at least a portion of the information elements mapped to corresponding parameters;

receiving a selected information element from the information elements displayed on the computer display screen;

determining a value of a parameter associated with the selected information element based on a condition, the value of the parameter changeable according to changes in the condition;

comparing the selected information element with the value of the parameter; and

upon determining the value of the parameter matches the selected information element, providing a user with access to a system resource;

wherein the parameter is weather, and the condition is a current weather condition that is local to the user at the time the user is implementing a login process, the method further comprising accessing a weather application, wherein the determining a value of a parameter comprises determining the current weather condition from the weather application, wherein the information elements comprise a plurality of weather icons representing different weather conditions;

wherein the current weather condition that is local to the user is determined by geographical location information derived from a wireless access point through which a user system of the user is communicating.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the parameter is clock time and the condition is a current time when the user is implementing a login process, the method further comprising:

accessing a clock application, wherein the determining a value of a parameter comprises determining the current time from the clock application.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the information elements comprise a matrix of numbers that visually represent hours on a clock.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the information elements comprise cells formed by a four-by-four matrix wherein positions in outer cells of the four-by-four matrix reflect hours on a clock.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the parameter is an unidentified information element and association with a sequence of the information elements, and the condition is a random assignment of the unidentified information element to the sequence of the information elements at the time the user is implementing a login process.