Privileged account manager, access management

• US 9,069,947 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2012
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Kottahachchi, Buddhika, Sathyanarayan, Ramaprakash Hosalli, Sharma, Himanshu
• Primary Examiner(s): SIMITOSKI, MICHAEL J
• Application Number:
  US13/485,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20130086658A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,125 Days
• Field of Search: 719 1- 6, 719 16- 18, 726/6, 726/8, 713/155, 713/184
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/316 by observing the pattern of computer usage, e.g. typical user behaviour
• 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 21/55 Detecting local intrusion or implementing counter-measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/554 involving event detection and direct action
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• 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 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/20 for managing network security; network security policies in general filtering policies H04L63/0227

Abstract

Techniques for managing accounts are provided. An access management system may check out credentials for accessing target systems. For example a user may receive a password for a period of time or until checked back in. Access to the target system may be logged during this time. Upon the password being checked in, a security account may modify the password so that the user may not log back in without checking out a new password. Additionally, in some examples, password policies for the security account may be managed. As such, when a password policy changes, the security account password may be dynamically updated. Additionally, in some examples, hierarchical viewing perspectives may be determined and/or selected for visualizing one or more managed accounts. Further, accounts may be organized into groups based on roles, and grants for the accounts may be dynamically updated as changes occur or new accounts are managed.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a memory storing a plurality of instructions; and

one or more processors of a service provider computer, wherein the one or more processors are configured to access the memory and to execute the plurality of instructions to;

receive, from a target system including a target computer, identification of a user-accessible account of the target system to be managed, the user-accessible account being accessible by a user of a user device, the user-accessible account being hosted on the target computer, and the user-accessible account being configured to manage a password associated with the user-accessible account;

associate the user-accessible account with a security account of the service provider computer, the security account configured to access the user-accessible account without the password and to modify the password while accessing the user-accessible account;

receive, from the user device, a request for the password, the password for providing the user with access to the user-accessible account of the target system;

check out the password to the user;

enable the user to log into the user-accessible account using the checked-out password;

identify that the user, while logged into the user-accessible account, has changed the checked-out password to a second password different from the checked-out password; and

automatically log into the user-accessible account, using the security account without the checked-out password, and modify the user-accessible account in response to the user checking the checked-out password back into the system such that the second password is no longer associated with the user-accessible account.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the security account is not accessible by a user of the target system.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the security account is only accessible by the system.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the target system is configured with a plurality of user-accessible accounts.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the plurality of instructions to associate a predetermined number of the plurality of user-accessible accounts with the security account.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the predetermined number of the plurality of user-accessible accounts to be associated with the security account is configurable by the target system.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the plurality of instructions to provide the password to the user only when the user has been successfully authenticated with the system.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the plurality of instructions to log, in the memory, an indication that the user has checked out the password.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to execute the plurality of instructions to:

receive, from the target system, a user grant associated with access rights of the user-accessible account; and

administer the user grant by managing a password for providing the user with access to the user-accessible account of the target system.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the user grant indicates at least one of a day, a time, a duration, or a location during or from which the system will provide the password to the user.

11. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, by a service provider computer, from a target system including a target computer, information associated with an account to be managed by the service provider computer, the account being accessible by a user of a user device, the account being hosted on the target computer, and the account being configured to manage a password associated with the account;

associating, by the service provider computer, the account to be managed with a security account of the service provider computer, the security account not being accessible by the user and being configured to access the account without the password and to modify the password while accessing the account;

receiving, from the user device, a request for the password, the password for providing the user with access to the account to be managed;

in response to a user request, received by the computer system, to access the account to be managed, checking out the password to the user;

enabling the user to log into the account using the checked-out password;

identifying that the user, while logged into the account, has changed the checked-out password to a second password different from the checked-out password; and

automatically logging into the account, using the security account without the checked-out password, and modifying the second password to a third password in response to the user checking in the checked-out password, the third password at least different from the second password.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising authenticating the user based at least in part on a user credential prior to checking out the password to the user.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising logging check-in or check-out information associated with the user that checked out the password.

14. A computer-readable memory storing a plurality of instructions executable by one or more processors of a service provider computer, the plurality of instructions comprising:

instructions that cause the one or more processors to receive, from a target system including at least one target computer, identification of an account of a plurality of accounts of the target system to be managed, the account being accessible by a user of a user device, the account being hosted on the at least one target computer, and the account being configured to manage a password for logging into the account;

instructions that cause the one or more processors to associate the account to be managed with a security account of the service provider computer, the security account not being accessible by the user and being configured to access the account without the password and to modify the password while accessing the account;

instructions that cause the one or more processors to receive, from the user device, an authentication request and a request for the password associated with the account to be managed;

instructions that cause the one or more processors to check out the password to the user based at least in part on successful authentication of the user;

instructions that cause the one or more processors to enable the user to log into the account using the checked-out password;

instructions that cause the one or more processors to identify that the user, while logged into the account, has changed the checked-out password to a second password different from the checked-out password; and

instructions that cause the one or more processors to automatically log into the account, using the security account, and modify the second password after the checked-out password is checked into the security account by the user.

15. The computer-readable memory of claim 14, wherein checking out the password to the user comprises instructions that cause the one or more processors to provide the password to the user and log that the user has the password checked out.

16. The computer-readable memory of claim 15, the plurality of instructions further comprising instructions that cause the one or more processors to log activity occurring on the target system while the password is checked out to the user.

17. The computer-readable memory of claim 14, the plurality of instructions further comprising instructions that cause the one or more processors to receive, from the target system, configuration information to indicate which accounts of the plurality of accounts of the target system are to be associated with the security account.