Abstract:
An embodiment generally relates to a method of increasing user convenience The method includes displaying a log-in user interface and receiving an authentication attempt in the log-in user interface. The method also includes determining a status of the authentication attempt and delaying a completion of an authentication attempt by a time-based function in response to a status being a failed authentication attempt

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    This invention relates generally to certificates, more particularly, embodiments relate to methods, apparatus, and systems for secure electronic mail. 
       DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART 
       [0002]    Security is an on-going concern for computers from the single home user to enterprise systems. Cryptographic keys, passwords, smart cards, personal identification numbers and other similar security devices are often used to protect computing systems. Some systems require a user to change her password every three months or to enter a synchronized time-based code when entering. 
         [0003]    For the users that enter passwords to log-in to their respective computing system, the user typically has a limited number of attempts to authenticate. The computing system may be configured to lock-out the user after the number of failed attempts exceeds the user-defined limit. Accordingly, the user may have to contact the security officer in the information technology department to verify the user, generate a new password and/or unlock the terminal. 
         [0004]    Although these measures increase the overall security of the computing system, they often frustrate the user in the time and energy expended to resolve a locked out terminal. Accordingly, there is a need for a system that allows a user to exceed the failed password attempt limit while still maintaining the security level. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0005]    An embodiment generally relates to a method of increasing user convenience. The method includes displaying a log-in user interface and receiving an authentication attempt in the log-in user interface. The method also includes determining a status of the authentication attempt and delaying a completion of the authentication attempt by a time-based function in response to a status being a failed authentication attempt. 
         [0006]    Another embodiment pertains generally to a system for managing users. The system includes a server configured to provide application and data services to a plurality of users and at least one client configured to interface with the server. The system also includes a delay module configured to be executed by the at least one client. The delay module is configured to monitor a number of authentication attempts by a user of the at least one client and to delay a completion of the authentication attempt based on a time-based function and the number of authentication attempts. 
         [0007]    Yet another embodiment relates generally to an apparatus for increasing user convenience. The apparatus includes a delay module adapted to interface with an existing log-in process executing on a computing platform and a counter configured to maintain a number of failed authentication attempts. The delay module is configured to monitor each log-in attempt and determine a status of each log-in attempt. The delay module is also configured to delay a completion of the authentication attempt by a time-based function in response to a status being a failed authentication attempt. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0008]    Various features of the embodiments can be more fully appreciated, as the same become better understood with reference to the following detailed description of the embodiments when considered in connection with the accompanying figures, in which: 
           [0009]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary system in accordance with an embodiment; 
           [0010]      FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary flow diagram in accordance with another embodiment; 
           [0011]      FIG. 3  illustrates another exemplary flow diagram in accordance with yet another embodiment; and 
           [0012]      FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary computing platform in accordance with yet another embodiment 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
       [0013]    For simplicity and illustrative purposes, the principles of the present invention are described by referring mainly to exemplary embodiments thereof. However, one of ordinary skill in the art would readily recognize that the same principles are equally applicable to, and can be implemented in, all types of secure computer systems, and that any such variations do not depart from the true spirit and scope of the present invention. Moreover, in the following detailed description, references are made to the accompanying figures, which illustrate specific embodiments. Electrical, mechanical, logical and structural changes may be made to the embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents. 
         [0014]    Embodiments generally relate to a method and system for increasing convenience for a user. More particularly, a delay module may be implemented for a log-in process. The typical log-in procedure allows a limited number of chances for a user to correctly input his user name and password. After a number of unsuccessful attempts, the conventional log-in process typically locks out the user. The user then has to notify the security officer to reset his password and/or unlock his terminal, which is a great inconvenience. The delay module increases the satisfaction of the user experience by increasing the time between incorrect attempts based on a time-based function, i.e., a function that has resulting values that increase for each input. An example of a time-based function is an exponential function. The values for the time-based function can be selected such that a user may have short return times initially, mimicking current log-in procedures, and then increasing for subsequent attempts. 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  illustrates an exemplary secure system  100  in accordance with an embodiment. It should be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the system  100  depicted in  FIG. 1  represents a generalized schematic illustration and that other components may be added or existing components may be removed or modified. Moreover, the system  100  may be implemented using software components, hardware components, or combinations thereof. 
         [0016]    As shown in  FIG. 1 , the secure system  100  includes a server  105 , clients  110  and a local network  115 . The server  105  may be a computing machine or platform configured to execute a security management system  120  through a multiple user operating system (not shown) in conjunction with the clients  110 . The server  105  may be implemented with server platforms as known to those skilled in the art from Intel, Advanced Micro Devices, Hewlett-Packard, etc. 
         [0017]    The server  105  may interact with the clients over the local network  115 . The local network  115  may be a local area network implementing an established network protocol such as Ethernet, token ring, FDDI, etc. The local network  115  provides a communication channel for the server  105  and clients  110  to exchange data and commands. 
         [0018]    The clients  110  may be computing machine or platform configured to execute secure and open applications through the multi-user operating system. The clients  110  may be implemented with personal computers, workstations, thin clients, thick clients, mobile computing devices, or other similar computing platform. The clients  110  may use operating systems such as Linux, Windows, Macintosh or other available operating system. 
         [0019]    Each client  110  may be configured to interface with a security device  125 . The security device  125  may be configured to act as a gatekeeper to the client  110 . More particularly, a user may use a security token, such as a smart card, to access the respective client  110 . Each client  110  may have a security client  130  executing to monitor the security device  125 . 
         [0020]    The security client  130  may execute a delay module  135  as part of a log-in process. The delay module  135  may replace an existing log-in process or be used in conjunction with the existing log-in procedure. The delay module  135  may be configured to prompt the user for authentication information, e.g., a password. The delay module  135  may pass the authentication information to the security client  130  to verify the authentication information. If the authentication information is valid, the delay module  135  allows the security client  130  to continue logging-on the user as existing systems do. Otherwise, if the authentication information is invalid, the delay module  135  may calculate a delay value based on a time-based function and a current number of failed authentication attempts. The delay value is then used to delay the re-appearance of the log-in user interface requesting authentication information. Accordingly, a user may enter as many password attempts as long as he is willing to tolerate an increasing amount of time between attempts. The time-based function may have the characteristic of increasing resulting values, time delay, for each input, i.e., password attempts. 
         [0021]    In some embodiments, the delay module  135  may maintain a counter of failed authentication attempts. This counter is reset when the user successfully logs-on, after a system administrator specified length of time between password attempts or by direct intervention of the system administrator. 
         [0022]      FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary flow diagram  200  executed by the delay module  135  in accordance with another embodiment. It should be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that the flow diagram  200  depicted in  FIG. 2  represents a generalized schematic illustration and that other steps may be added or existing steps may be removed or modified. 
         [0023]    As shown in  FIG. 2 , the delay module  135  may be configured to display a log-in user interface, in step  205 . More particularly, the delay module  135  may be invoked as a process as part of the boot-up procedure for the client  110 . In step  210 , the delay module  135  may receive an authentication attempt on the log-in user interface. The delay module  135  may then transfer the authentication attempt to the security client  130  to validate the entered authentication information and store a log-in attempt time. 
         [0024]    In step  215 , the delay module  135  may determine a time interval value between the current attempt time and a previous authentication attempt, if any. The delay module  135  may be compare the time interval value with a reset time limit, in step  220 . The reset time limit is a user defined value that allows a user to attempt a log-in as a first attempt. The reset time limit may be as short as a day or as long as a week. As such, if the delay module  135  determines time interval value is greater than the reset time limit, the delay module  135  may reset the failed authentication attempt counter, in step  225 . Otherwise, the delay module  135  proceeds with the current value of the failed authentication attempts counter. 
         [0025]    In step  230 , the delay module  135  receives a status of the authentication attempt from the security client  130 . If the authentication attempt is valid, the delay module  135  may reset the failed authentication attempts counter, in step  235 . Subsequently, the delay module  135  may pass the user to the security client  130  to continue logging-in the user, in step  240 . 
         [0026]    Otherwise, if the authentication attempt failed, in step  230 , the delay module  135  may be configured to increment by one the failed authentication attempts counter, in step  240 . The delay module  135 , in step  245 , may calculate a time delay based on a time-based function, in step  250 , The time-based function may be a variety of mathematical functions with the characteristic of increasing function values for each input value. One example is an exponential function. 
         [0027]    For some embodiments, an exponential function may be selected such as b x . Accordingly, a time delay value may be defined as equation 1: 
         [0000]      time delay= ab   x   (1) 
         [0000]    where the base value, b, may be a user-specified real number, exponent x may be set to the current value of the failed authentication attempts counter, and weighting factor, a, may be a user-specified real number to further refine the time delay. 
         [0028]    In other embodiments, the time-based function is a linear function such as in equation 2: 
         [0000]      time delay= abx   (2) 
         [0000]    where the base value, b, may also be a user-specified real number, variable x may be to the current value of the failed authentication attempts counter, and weighting factor, a, may be a user-specified real number to refine the time delay. 
         [0029]    After the calculation of the time delay, the delay module  135  may be configured to compare the calculated time delay with a rail value, in step  255 . The rail value may be time limit to lock out the token as an added measure of security, where the rail value may be user-defined. If the time delay exceeds the rail value, the delay module  135  may set the time delay to the rail value. Subsequently, the delay module  135  may delay a subsequent attempt to communicate with the token by the rail value. Otherwise, if the calculated time delay is less than the rail value, the delay module  135  may delay a subsequent attempt to communicate with the token for the calculated time delay, in step  265 . For some embodiments, the tokens may be configured to allow one log-in attempt at a time and will wait until that log-in attempt has completed before allowing the next attempt. Accordingly, the delay module  135  may be configured to add the calculated time delay to the wait time of the token in completing the log-in attempt. 
         [0030]    In some embodiments, steps  255  and  260  may be omitted from the flow diagram  200  if the delay module  135  implements an additional flow diagram as depicted in  FIG. 3 . With reference to  FIG. 3 , the delay module  135  may detect the removal of the token, in step  305 . The delay module  135 , in step  305 , may be configured to reset the failed authentication attempts counter. 
         [0031]    Accordingly, a user may attempt to log-in the secure computer system without considering being locked-out. The user has to merely incur lengthy delays between later authentication attempts. Moreover, the security of the overall system is maintained because a hacker would only have a few attempts at entering the system before the time delay forces the hacker to move along. 
         [0032]      FIG. 4  illustrates an exemplary block diagram of a computing platform  400  where an embodiment may be practiced. The functions of the delay module may be implemented in program code and executed by the computing platform  400 . The delay module may be implemented in computer languages such as PASCAL, C, C++, JAVA, etc. 
         [0033]    As shown in  FIG. 4 , the computer system  400  includes one or more processors, such as processor  402  that provide an execution platform for embodiments of the delay module. Commands and data from the processor  402  are communicated over a communication bus  404 . The computer system  400  also includes a main memory  406 , such as a Random Access Memory (RAM), where the delay module may be executed during runtime, and a secondary memory  408 . The secondary memory  408  includes, for example, a hard disk drive  410  and/or a removable storage drive  412 , representing a floppy diskette drive, a magnetic tape drive, a compact disk drive, etc., where a copy of a computer program embodiment for the delay module may be stored. The removable storage drive  412  reads from and/or writes to a removable storage unit  414  in a well-known manner. A user interfaces with the delay module with a keyboard  416 , a mouse  418 , and a display  420 . A display adapter  422  interfaces with the communication bus  404  and the display  420 . The display adapter also receives display data from the processor  402  and converts the display data into display commands for the display  420 . 
         [0034]    Certain embodiments may be performed as a computer program. The computer program may exist in a variety of forms both active and inactive. For example, the computer program can exist as software program(s) comprised of program instructions in source code, object code, executable code or other formats; firmware program(s); or hardware description language (HDL) files. Any of the above can be embodied on a computer readable medium, which include storage devices and signals, in compressed or uncompressed form. Exemplary computer readable storage devices include conventional computer system RAM (random access memory), ROM (read-only memory), EPROM (erasable, programmable ROM), EEPROM (electrically erasable, programmable ROM), and magnetic or optical disks or tapes. Exemplary computer readable signals, whether modulated using a carrier or not, are signals that a computer system hosting or running the present invention can be configured to access, including signals downloaded through the Internet or other networks. Concrete examples of the foregoing include distribution of executable software program(s) of the computer program on a CD-ROM or via Internet download. In a sense, the Internet itself, as an abstract entity, is a computer readable medium. The same is true of computer networks in general. 
         [0035]    While the invention has been described with reference to the exemplary embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will be able to make various modifications to the described embodiments without departing from the true spirit and scope. The terms and descriptions used herein are set forth by way of illustration only and are not meant as limitations. In particular, although the method has been described by examples, the steps of the method may be performed in a different order than illustrated or simultaneously. Those skilled in the art will recognize that these and other variations are possible within the spirit and scope as defined in the following claims and their equivalents.