Patent ID: 9135415
Filing Date: 2015-09-15
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: receiving, in an apparatus of an individual system, an access request to a maintenance service account in the apparatus; creating, in response to the access request, a challenge; forwarding the challenge; receiving a signed token relating to the challenge; checking whether or not the token is signed by a centralized entity that is verifiable by the apparatus and authorized to provide signing services for the account; if the token is signed by the centralized entity, checking whether a first response in the token corresponds to a response the apparatus expects to receive for the challenge; and if yes, checking whether access enabling data indicates that a further input from a user is required or the token is an access token itself; if the token is an access token itself, granting the user access to the account, and granting the user permission with respect to dedicated maintenance service tasks of the individual system; if the further input is required: prompting the user for credentials; receiving credentials via a user interface, wherein one or more of the received credentials comprise one or more use conditions; considering the one or more of the received credentials as valid if all use conditions relating of the one or more of the received credentials are fulfilled; checking whether the received credentials correspond to valid credentials in the access enabling data; and granting the user access to the account, and granting the user permission with respect to dedicated maintenance service tasks of the individual system, if the credentials received via the user interface correspond to valid credentials in the access enabling data.