Method, system, and storage medium for determining trivial keyboard sequences of proposed passwords

An exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a method, system, and storage medium for determining trivial keyboard sequences of proposed passwords. The system comprises a user system with associated keyboard input device; a server in communication with the user system via a communications link; a data storage device coupled to the server, the data storage device housing a database including a keyboard profile for specifying a physical layout of character and function keys on the computer keyboard input device; a master password database including a user account associated with the user system; and a password verification mechanism executable by the server. Upon execution, the password verification tool performs an algorithm on the proposed password and determines triviality according to criteria specified in the algorithm. The physical layout of character and function keys is specified by a graphical representation of the computer keyboard input device; an X axis horizontally spanning the graphical representation; and a Y axis vertically spanning the graphical representation. Each of the character and function keys is assigned a unique data coordinate set identifying positional placement values. The network system also includes an identifier assigned to the keyboard profile indicating manufacturer and model data. A keyboard profile, a method and storage medium for determining triviality of proposed passwords are also included.

BACKGROUND

This invention relates generally to password security systems, and more particularly, the present invention relates to a method, system and storage medium for determining trivial keyboard sequences of proposed passwords.

Secure computer network systems rely on security mechanisms to protect the integrity of the applications and information stored therein. Password-based mechanisms are the most common of these security systems and involve the selection of a string of alphanumeric characters that can be assigned either by a system administrator or self-assigned by a system user. The effectiveness of these security mechanisms depend, in part, upon the ability of system users to maintain discreet password usage over time and throughout the duration of network access. One difficulty, however, lies in the struggle to create a balance between the need for providing easily-remembered passwords against the security risks in doing so. Common words and phrases are vulnerable to external and internal attack. Various software programs exist that attempt to gain access to computer systems via systematic login attempts using common words and phrases (also referred to as weak passwords) until a match is found. Selecting non-obvious passwords may not necessarily solve the security problem because they are subject to compromise when password owners who have trouble remembering them resort to keeping written notes with the password. The chances of the written password getting into the wrong hands becomes a risk to the security of the network system.

Virtually every operating system environment provides some controls which attempt to ensure the quality of passwords. Types of controls include: requiring periodic changes of passwords, preventing password re-use, defining minimum length standards for passwords, adopting semantic content restrictions (e.g., passwords may not contain any three-character abbreviation for the months of the year, or a new password may not contain any three sequential characters that are the same as in the existing password), as well as trivial keyboard sequences (e.g., “qwerty”).

Various solutions have been devised to reduce or eliminate the problem of weak passwords (e.g., those utilizing common words or trivial keyboard sequences). Known solutions directed to weak passwords relate to password evaluation systems that evaluate the proposed password or substrings of the password against a ‘dictionary’ or database of known ‘bad’ password sets, either via a statistical method or a hashing table. These solutions are somewhat limited in that their success depends heavily on the quality and comprehensiveness of the ‘bad’ password sets. They are also time consuming since proposed passwords and/or its substrings must be each compared against voluminous database entries. Also, there is no guarantee a match will be found for certain common words. Trivial keyboard passwords may be particularly immune from implementation of these solutions because they do not conform to general ‘dictionary’-based requirements but instead use computer keyboard sequences. Determining keyboard triviality in prior art systems generally involves checking the password against known character strings, that are stored in a data file. This is a time-consuming process as large database searches are required and all variations of keyboard sequences would be necessary to ensure success.

What is needed is quicker and more direct way to determine trivial keyboard sequences of proposed passwords.

BRIEF SUMMARY

An exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a method, system, and storage medium for determining trivial keyboard sequences of a proposed password. The system comprises a user system and associated keyboard input device; a server in communication with the user system via a communications link; a data storage device coupled to the server, housing a database including a keyboard profile for specifying a physical layout of character and function keys on the computer keyboard input device; a master password database including a user account; and a password verification mechanism executable by the server. Upon execution, the password verification mechanism performs an algorithm on the proposed password and determines triviality according to criteria specified in the algorithm. The physical layout of character and function keys is specified by a graphical representation of the computer keyboard input device; an X axis horizontally spanning the graphical representation; and a Y axis vertically spanning the graphical representation. Each of the character and function keys is assigned a unique data coordinate set identifying positional placement values. The network system also includes an identifier assigned to the keyboard profile indicating manufacturer and model data. A keyboard profile, a method, and storage medium for determining triviality of a proposed password are also included.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

The password verification invention addresses the issue of determining trivial keyboard sequences used for proposed password requests. A computer keyboard is represented as a two-dimensional graph, where the X-axis represents the placement of keys in a column of a keyboard, and the Y-axis represents the placement of keys in a row of the keyboard. The password verification mechanism performs a mathematical algorithm on the proposed password according to its assigned data points in order to determine triviality. A standard parameter is set which is used to compare the values derived from the execution of the mathematical algorithm in order to assess acceptable distances between proposed password characters as displayed on the keyboard. If the values are acceptable, the process is finished and the password is approved.

In an exemplary embodiment, the password verification mechanism is implemented on a computer network system such as that depicted inFIG. 1. Network system100includes a user system102coupled to a server104via a communications link106. System100may be a central facility for a business enterprise which executes the password verification mechanism (e.g., regional/global hub facility) or may itself comprise the entire business enterprise. Additional facilities or hubs may be included in system100in order to realize the advantages of the invention. Such might be the case where the business enterprise implementing the password verification mechanism is a large global enterprise with offices, sites, and/or distribution centers dispersed around the world. User system102and administrator system114may be general-purpose computers such as a personal computer (PC), laptop, or handheld appliance that include a processor, memory, computer keyboard input devices, and suitable output devices. User system102and administrator system114execute one or more computer programs for carrying out the processes described herein. It should be noted that any number of user systems and administrator systems may be utilized by network system100. Alternatively, user system102and/or administrator system114may employ applications stored on server104wherein user system102and administrator system114operate as ‘dumb’ clients and server104carries out the processes described herein with respect to the password verification mechanism. Typical users of user system102may include management, support staff, and other representatives of the business enterprise. Typical users of administrator system114may include security personnel, information technology (IT) specialists, systems maintenance personnel, etc. Communications link106may comprise a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or other network configuration known in the art. Further, link106may include wireless connections, radio-based communications, telephony-based communications, and other network-based communications. For purposes of illustration, however, communications link106is a LAN.

Server104may be executing suitable web server software designed to accommodate various forms of network communications, including voice, video, and text. Server104may also be running e-mail and groupware applications typically found in a business environment. Server104executes database management software and security software for assisting users of the password verification mechanism in establishing and maintaining password accounts. Security features may be achieved via a firewall or similar security device for limiting access to network system100to those users possessing proper access permissions. For instance, an administrator at system114may have access to the entire system and have authority to modify portions of the system. By contrast, a low level employee on user system102may have the ability to execute programs but not alter the applications or data stored in data storage device108. It is understood that more than one server may be used

Server104may be coupled to a data storage device108via communications link106. Data storage device108is any form of mass storage device configured to read and write database type data maintained in a file store (e.g., a magnetic disk data storage device). Data storage device108may be logically addressable as a consolidated data source across a distributed environment such as a network system. The implementation of local and wide-area database management systems to achieve the functionality of data storage device108will be readily understood by those skilled in the art. Information stored in data storage device108may be retrieved and manipulated by database management software executed by server104. Data storage device108contains a variety of information and databases related to the password verification mechanism as well as proprietary information desired by network system100. Keyboard profiles database110houses keyboard profiles related to user systems utilized by the business enterprise. Keyboard profiles define the layout of character and function keys of a computer keyboard for purposes of assigning data coordinates. Keyboard profiles for a variety of computer models are stored in database110. An example of a keyboard profile is illustrated inFIG. 2.

Master password database112stores current validation information for user accounts and may also store keyboard-identifying information related to the system devices assigned to password users. For example, user system's102password account may be tagged with keyboard identifying information relating to the keyboard profile that coincides with the user's computer. Other databases may be included in network system100as desired by the business enterprise. Data stored in data storage device108is accessed by server104during presentation of the password verification program to user system102and/or administrator system114. It will be understood that data storage device108and server104may comprise one server/storage unit and that multiple server/storage units may be employed by network system100in order to realize the advantages of the invention.

FIG. 2illustrates a sample keyboard profile for an IBM ThinkPad 570(TM). A graphical representation of a computer keyboard is displayed indicating actual physical location of character and functions keys as they appear on an actual keyboard. An X-axis spans the keyboard profile horizontally and includes assigned data points X1–X15. A Y-axis spans the keyboard profile vertically and includes assigned data points Y0–Y6. Thus, the coordinates of a password associated with a keyboard profile includes the following data.

The data coordinates for letter ‘J’ of the keyboard profile ofFIG. 2would be (9, 2). The utility of these assigned data points will be described further herein.

FIG. 3illustrates a flowchart describing the process of determining trivial keyboard sequences of proposed passwords using the password verification mechanism. A user at user system102accesses the password verification mechanism at step302. The user enters a proposed password request at step304. The password verification mechanism accesses master password database112and checks the proposed password against existing password quality rules, such as minimum length, semantic content, and reuse in database112at step306. If the mechanism finds an inappropriate password (step308) it redirects the user to select a different password (step304). If the password has passed the first acceptability test, flow proceeds to step310whereby the password verification mechanism is invoked. The password verification mechanism accesses keyboard profile database110and retrieves the keyboard profile associated with the user system requesting the password at step312. This may be accomplished using various techniques. The mechanism may receive an automatic signal from the requesting user system indicating the name, brand, model, etc. of the keyboard/user system in use. Of course, this step may not be required where only one keyboard type is utilized by computer network system100. The mechanism may also be configured to provide the user with a listing of keyboard/system types available whereby the user selects the appropriate item on the list.

The password verification mechanism executes an algorithm on the proposed password utilizing one or more of three formulas designed to minimize the occurrence and assignment of trivial keyboard passwords. The first two formulas verify that the key strokes associated with the proposed password are not on the same row and column, and the third formula assures a diverse key stroke pattern. If the first formula results in a failure, it is not necessary to proceed with the execution of the second formula and the process ends. Likewise, if the second formula results in a failure, it is not necessary to proceed with the execution of the third formula.

It will be noted that proposed passwords that contain mixed case values may be folded to a single case before the validation mechanism is invoked.

For purposes of illustration, a first proposed password provided by user system102is ‘qwerty’. Utilizing the keyboard profile ofFIG. 2, this password selection would result in data points (3,3), (4,3), (5,3), (6,3), (7,3), and (8,3).

A first formula (F1) is executed at step314, checking for vertical keyboard sequences (also referred to as ‘vertical triviality’).
F1: (ΔX1+ΔX2+ . . . +Δxn−1)/(n−1)>0

The following conditions apply to all formulas where ‘n’ is the length of the password.ΔX1equals the difference between X1and X2.ΔX2equals the difference between X2and X3.. . .ΔXn equals the difference between Xn+1 and Xn.

In general, let 1<=m<n whereby ΔXm is the absolute value of the difference between the X coordinate of letter m and letter m+1 (e.g., ΔXm=ΔXm−ΔXm+1) and ΔYm is the absolute value of the difference between the Y coordinate of letter m and letter m+1 (e.g., ΔYm=ΔYm−ΔYm+1)

S is a system installation parameter and represents the mean distance between character keys used for comparisons. For purposes of illustration, S has been set at ‘2’.

For the ‘qwerty’ password example, the first formula applied to it data coordinates results as follows.
F1: (1+1+1+1+1)/5=1

The indicated result of ‘1’ is a valid sequence (step316) and so the process continues at step318where a second formula of the algorithm is executed. Formula 2 verifies horizontal keyboard sequences (also referred to as ‘horizontal triviality’).
F2: (ΔY1+ΔY2+ . . . +ΔYn−1)/(n−1)>0

With values of proposed password qwerty plugged in to F2, the following results are indicated.F2: (0+0+0+0+0)/5=0 The indicated result of ‘0’ is an invalid sequence (step320) and causes a failure and so the process returns to step304whereby the mechanism directs the user to provide an alternative password.

Because the second formula failed, the mechanism will not need to initiate formula three. For purposes of illustration, a second password ‘Ap—5ple’ is provided that will facilitate the description of the execution of the third formula.

Assuming for purposes of illustration that execution of F1and F2resulted in a valid sequence, a third formula (F3) is initiated at step322as follows.
F3: (ΔX1+ΔY1+ΔX2+ΔY2+ . . . +ΔX(n−1)ΔY(n−1) /(2*(n-1))>=S
or (F1+F2)/2>=S.
Therefore, in the example of the second password ‘Ap1335ple’,F3: (28/6+5/6)/2=2.75 or
F3: (1+9+1+0+0+6+1+6+1+1+1+6)/2*6=33/12=2.75

Since the system installation parameter is set at 2, this sequence would pass. The installation parameter number reflects the average distance between key strokes.

Once all three formulas have been validated (step324), the mechanism transmits an acceptance of the proposed password to the user system102and/or administrator system114at step326. The mechanism then updates password database112to reflect the new password at step328.