Password resetting method

• US 8,819,810 B1
• Filed: 12/09/2011
• Issued: 08/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liu, Gary G.
• Original Assignee: Liu, Gary G.
• Inventors: Liu, Gary G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Gee, Jason
• Application Number:
  US13/316,080
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 726/18
• US Class Current: 726/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/46 by designing passwords or checking the strength of passwords
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2131 Lost password, e.g. recovery of lost or forgotten passwords
• 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 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083

Abstract

A system and method for automatically selecting a procedure for resetting an authentication data, such as a password, a PIN, a secret key, or a private key, according to the value of the user data protected by the authentication data and/or the likelihood for the user to forget or otherwise lose the authentication data. The user'"'"'s preference is also considered in selecting the procedure for resetting the authentication data.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

authentication data to control a user'"'"'s access to data;

a user interface to receive, before the user loses the authentication data, user preference information related to a plurality of user initiated procedures for resetting the authentication data to deal with future user side loss of the authentication data, wherein a user initiation is required each time when each of the procedures is executed, and wherein the user preference information is stored in a user profile and can be directly changed by the user through the user interface; and

a selector to select, based on the user preference information, a procedure from the plurality of procedures for resetting the authentication data, the selected procedure to be activated to reset the authentication data when the authentication data is lost by the user or a user request to reset the authentication data is received;

wherein the user is allowed to change the user preference information, through the user interface, before the user loses the authentication data, when user'"'"'s security requirement changes, causing the selector to select a different procedure from the plurality of user initiated procedures.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the authentication data includes a password.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the authentication data includes a secret key.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the authentication data includes a pair of public and private keys.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the user preference information includes user instruction specifying which one of the plurality of procedures is to be selected for resetting the authentication data.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the user preference information includes user instruction accepting or declining an automatic selection by the selector, the automatic selection being executed based on at least one of a value of user data or a probability of a user losing the authentication data.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the user preference information includes user instruction specifying whether the selector is enabled to automatically select, without user intervention, one of the plurality of procedures, the automatic selection to be based on at least one of a value of user data or a probability of a user losing the authentication data.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the selector performs a first selection to automatically select, without user intervention, a subset of the plurality of procedures, and a second selection subsequent to the first selection to select the procedure from the subset based on the user preference information, the first selection being performed based on at least one of a value of user data or a probability of a user losing the authentication data.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a user data value estimator to estimate a value associated with the data or a likelihood estimator to estimate a probability of a user losing the authentication data,

wherein the selector selects the procedure from the plurality of procedures based on the estimated value or the estimated probability.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of user initiated procedures include at least two procedures that use different communication channels to authenticate the user.

23. The system of claim 10, wherein one of the communication channels uses email communication.

24. The system of claim 10, wherein one of the communication channels uses telephone communication.

25. The system of claim 10, wherein one of the communication channels uses postal mail communication.

11. A method comprising:

using authentication data to control a user'"'"'s access to data;

receiving by a processor, through a user interface, before the user loses the authentication data, user preference information related to a plurality of user initiated procedures for resetting the authentication data to deal with future user side Joss of the authentication data, wherein a user initiation is required each time when each of the procedures is executed, and wherein the user preference information is stored in a user profile and can be directly changed by the user through the user interface;

selecting, based on the user preference information, a procedure from the plurality of user initiated procedures for resetting the authentication data;

allowing the user to change the user preference information, through the user interface, before the user loses the authentication data, when user'"'"'s security requirement changes, causing a different procedure to be selected from the plurality of user initiated procedures;

receiving an indication that the authentication data is lost by the user or a user request to reset the authentication data; and

activating the selected procedure to reset the authentication data upon receiving the indication or the user request.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein selecting the procedure from the plurality of procedures includes selecting a procedure for resetting a password.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein selecting the procedure from the plurality of procedures includes selecting a procedure for resetting a secret key.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein selecting the procedure from the plurality of procedures includes selecting a procedure for resetting a pair of public and private keys.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the user preference information includes receiving user instruction specifying which one of the plurality of procedures is to be selected for resetting the authentication data.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the user preference information includes receiving user instruction accepting or declining an automatic selection, the automatic selection being executed based on at least one of a value of user data or a probability of a user losing the authentication data.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein:

receiving the user preference information includes receiving user instruction specifying whether selecting the procedure is to be performed to automatically select one of the plurality of procedures without user intervention, the automatic selection to be based on at least one of a value of user data or a probability of the user losing the authentication data.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein

selecting the procedure includes performing a first selection that automatically selects, without user intervention, a subset of the plurality of procedures, and a second selection subsequent to the first selection that selects the procedure from the subset based on the user preference information, the first selection being performed based on at least one of a value of user data or a probability of a user losing the authentication data.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising at least one of estimating a value associated the data or estimating a probability of a user losing the authentication data,

wherein selecting the procedure from the plurality of procedures is performed based on the estimated value or the estimated probability.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of user initiated procedures include at least two procedures that use different communication channels to authenticate the user.

26. The method of claim 20, wherein one of the communication channels uses email communication.

27. The method of claim 20, wherein one of the communication channels uses telephone communication.

28. The method of claim 20, wherein one of the communication channels uses postal mail communication.

21. A method comprising:

determining, by a processor, that an automatic selection of password reset procedure to reset a password for authenticating a user'"'"'s access to data is enabled;

determining, by the processor, a value associated with the data, or a likelihood of the password is lost;

selecting a password reset procedure from a plurality of user initiated password reset procedures based on the determined value or determined likelihood, wherein a user initiation is required each time when each of the procedures is executed;

receiving, through a user interface, before the user loses the authentication data, user preference information related to the plurality of user initiated password reset procedures to deal with future user side Joss of the password, wherein the user preference information is stored in a user profile and can be directly changed by the user through the user interface;

determining whether the user preference information is consistent with the selected password reset procedure; and

when it is determined that the user preference information is consistent with the selected password reset procedure, activating the selected password reset procedure upon receiving an indication that the password is lost by the user or receiving a user request to reset the password;

allowing the user to change the user preference information through the user interface, before the user loses the authentication data, when user'"'"'s security requirement changes, causing a different procedure to be selected from the plurality of user initiated procedures.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein when it is determined that the user preference information is inconsistent with the selected password reset procedure, the method further comprising:

receiving a user selection selecting one of the plurality of password reset procedures through the user interface; and

activating the user selected procedure upon receiving the indication that the password is lost or receiving the user request to reset the password.