Patent ID: 6760843
Filing Date: 2004-07-06
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
A method for maintaining a soft-token store in replicas in a distributed environment rather than at a central location, the method tailored for updating a password which limits access to a key stored in the distributed environment, the method comprising the steps of:authenticating a user, wherein the authenticating step comprises obtaining a user's current password; obtaining from the user a new password for the user; creating a transaction which includes at least a current-password-encrypted-key formed by encrypting the key using the current password and a new-password-encrypted-key formed by encrypting the key using the new password; sending the transaction to a server at an update location in the distributed environment which does not yet recognize the new password, the server storing a local replica which is one of a plurality of replicas of the soft-token store in the distributed environment; determining whether to refuse the new password based on information in the transaction, wherein the determining step comprises comparing the current-password-encrypted-key in the transaction with a current-password-encrypted-key previously stored at the update location to determine whether they are equivalent; and entering the new-password-encrypted-key into the local replica of the soft-token store at the update location so that the new password will be recognized there if the comparing step determines that the compared current-password-encrypted-keys are equivalent.