Patent ID: 8412931
Filing Date: 2013-04-02
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A machine-implemented method implemented in a non-transitory machine-readable medium and for execution on a machine, comprising: detecting, by the machine, that a failed authentication to a secure network has occurred; acquiring, by the machine, a failed credential used in the failed authentication from an authentication service, the failed authentication included a valid user identifier and the failed credential and automatically deriving a failed pattern used with the failed authentication; determining, by the machine, when the failed credential falls within a defined threshold of tolerance, the defined threshold of tolerance is a numeric range, a numeric value for the failed credential is obtained by comparing the failed credential and its failed pattern against a legitimate credential having a legitimate pattern for the valid user identifier and determining when the numeric value falls within the numeric range or outside the numeric range; ignoring, by the machine, the failed credential when the numeric value falls within the numeric range by assuming an instance where a valid user for the valid user identifier has mistyped a part of the legitimate credential with the failed credential; recording, by the machine, the failed credential and failed pattern in a failed credential store when the numeric value associated with the failed credential falls outside the numeric range; and using, by the machine and in accordance with a policy, when the numeric value associated with the failed credential falls outside the numeric range, the failed credential and other entries for other failed credentials in the failed credential store to resolve a strength attribute associated with the legitimate credential or one or more existing valid credentials that properly authenticate to the secure network, and dynamically modifying the strength attribute associated with the legitimate credential or one or more existing valid credentials to increase security within the secure network.