Systems and methods for providing a covert password manager

• US 9,571,487 B2
• Filed: 02/03/2016
• Issued: 02/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Joseph Fitzgerald
• Original Assignee: Joseph Fitzgerald
• Inventors: Fitzgerald, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): REVAK, CHRISTOPHER A
• Application Number:
  US15/014,850
• Publication Number:
  US 20160156617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 377 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• 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

Abstract

The present invention relates to an application that is configured to provide secure access to confidential information. To protect the confidential information, the application may include functions that utilize a decoy application to disguise the functionality of the application. A unique sequence of inputs received through an interface associated with the decoy application may permit a user to access the confidential information. An authorized user that has been provided access to the confidential information may access configuration interfaces that permit the user to define the inputs that will serve as login credentials and to customize the appearance and functionality of the decoy application.

Claims

1. A system configured to provide access to confidential information, comprising:

a computing device having a processor and physical memory, the physical memory storing instructions that cause the processor to;

provide an application that is configured to protect confidential information, wherein the application comprises;

a confidential information manager module configured to perform management functions associated with accessing and managing the confidential information; and

a decoy module configured to disguise the management functions of the application by providing a decoy function and one or more associated interfaces that are unrelated to managing the confidential information;

in response to receiving a request to access the application, provide instructions for rendering an interface associated with the decoy function that includes an input form;

evaluate input received via the input form to determine whether the input is being provided to access the confidential information or to execute the decoy function, wherein evaluating the input at least includes analyzing one or more data types of the received input;

in response to determining that the input is being provided to access the confidential information, analyze at least a portion of the input to determine whether the input comprises valid login credentials; and

provide access to the confidential information in response to determining that valid login credentials have been submitted;

wherein the application provides access to a configuration interface that permits login credentials to be specified by selecting one or more keyboard events, click events or data form entry events, and by associating at least one expected data type with the input form.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the input is utilized to execute the decoy function in response to determining that the data type of the received input matches the at least one expected data type associated with input form.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the login credentials are comprised of one or more character-based inputs that are submitted via the input form and one or more non-character inputs, and the one or more non-character inputs are selected from the group consisting of:

a click input on an interface element that is not part of the input form, a position of a cursor on an interface associated with the decoy function, or a selection of a function key while an interface associated with the decoy function is displayed.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein access is provided to the configuration interface after valid login credentials have been provided to enable retrieval of the confidential information.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the configuration interface permits login credentials to be specified and the configuration interface at least includes:

a first input option that enables a keyboard event pertaining to a function key to be associated with the login credentials;

a second input option that enables a click event to be associated with the login credentials;

or

a third input option that enables a data form entry event to be associated with the login credentials;

wherein one or more selections associated with the first input option, second input option or third input option are stored in a database associated with the application and the one or more selections are retrieved from the database to determine whether valid login credentials have been entered.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the configuration interface permits a design, appearance or functionality of the interfaces associated with the decoy module to be customized.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the configuration interface provides at least one of:

a plurality of design templates for customizing the design and appearance of the interfaces;

or a plurality of functional templates for selecting different decoy functions.

8. A method for providing access to confidential information, comprising:

providing an application that is configured to protect confidential information, wherein the application comprises;

a confidential information manager module configured to perform management functions associated with accessing and managing confidential information; and

a decoy module configured to disguise the management functions of the application by providing a decoy function and one or more associated interfaces that are unrelated to managing the confidential information;

in response to receiving a request to access the application, providing instructions for rendering an interface associated with the decoy function that includes an input form;

storing data on a non-transitory computer storage medium that associates at least one expected data type with at least one input field of the input form;

evaluating, with a processor, input received via the input form to determine whether an attempt is being made to access the confidential information or to execute the decoy function, wherein evaluating the input at least includes analyzing the at least one input field to determine whether input received via the at least one input field is associated with the expected data type;

in response to determining an attempt is being made to access the confidential information, analyzing at least a portion of the input with the processor to determine whether the input comprises valid login credentials;

providing access to the confidential information in response to determining that valid login credentials have been submitted;

wherein the application provides access to a configuration interface that permits login credentials to be specified by selecting one or more keyboard events, click events or data form entry events, and by associating the at least one expected data type with the input form.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the input is utilized to execute the decoy function in response to determining that a data type of the received input matches the at least one expected data type associated with input form.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the login credentials are comprised of one or more character-based inputs that are submitted via the input form and one or more non-character inputs, and the one or more non-character inputs are selected from the group consisting of:

a click input on an interface element that is not part of the input form, a position of a cursor on an interface associated with the decoy function, or a selection of a function key while an interface associated with the decoy function is displayed.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein access is provided to the configuration interface after valid login credentials have been provided to enable retrieval of the confidential information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the configuration interface permits login credentials to be specified and the configuration interface at least includes:

a first input option that enables a keyboard event pertaining to a function key to be associated with the login credentials;

a second input option that enables a click event to be associated with the login credentials;

or

a third input option that enables a data form entry event to be associated with the login credentials and which permits a data type to be associated with the data form entry event;

wherein one or more selections associated with the first input option, second input option or third input option are stored in a database associated with the application and the one or more selections are retrieved from the database to determine whether valid login credentials have been entered.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the configuration interface permits a design, appearance or functionality of the interfaces associated with the decoy module to be customized.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the configuration interface provides at least one of:

a plurality of design templates for customizing the design and appearance of the interfaces;

or a plurality of functional templates for selecting different decoy functions.

15. A non-transitory computer storage medium comprising a computer readable program for protecting confidential information, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

provide an application that is configured to protect confidential information, wherein the application comprises;

a confidential information manager module configured to perform management functions associated with accessing and managing the confidential information; and

a decoy module configured to disguise the management functions of the application by providing a decoy function and one or more associated interfaces that are unrelated to managing the confidential information;

in response to receiving a request to access the application, provide instructions for rendering an interface associated with the decoy function that includes an input form;

evaluate input received via the input form to determine whether the input is being provided to access the confidential information or to execute the decoy function, wherein evaluating the input at least includes analyzing one or more data types of the received input;

in response to determining that the input is being provided to access the confidential information, analyze at least a portion of the input to determine whether the input comprises valid login credentials; and

provide access to the confidential information in response to determining that valid login credentials have been submitted;

wherein the application provides access to a configuration interface that permits login credentials to be specified by selecting one or more keyboard events, click events or data form entry events, and by associating at least one expected data type with the input form.

16. The computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the input is utilized to execute the decoy function in response to determining that the data type of the received input matches the at least one expected data type associated with input form.

17. The computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein the login credentials are comprised of one or more character-based inputs that are submitted via the input form and one or more non-character inputs, and the one or more non-character inputs are selected from the group consisting of:

a click input on an interface element that is not part of the input form, a position of a cursor on an interface associated with the decoy function, or a selection of a function key while an interface associated with the decoy function is displayed.

18. The computer storage medium of claim 15, wherein access is provided to the configuration interface after valid login credentials have been provided to enable retrieval of the confidential information.

19. The computer storage medium of claim 18, wherein the configuration interface permits login credentials to be specified and the configuration interface at least includes:

a first input option that enables a keyboard event pertaining to a function key to be associated with the login credentials;

a second input option that enables a click event to be associated with the login credentials;

or

a third input option that enables a data form entry event to be associated with the login credentials;

wherein one or more selections associated with the first input option, second input option or third input option are stored in a database associated with the application and the one or more selections are retrieved from the database to determine whether valid login credentials have been entered.

20. The computer storage medium of claim 19, wherein the configuration interface permits a design, appearance or functionality of the interfaces associated with the decoy module to be customized based on at least one of:

a plurality of design templates for customizing the design and appearance of the interfaces;

or a plurality of functional templates for selecting different decoy functions.