Patent ID: 8881251

Claim:
A computer authentication system comprising: a memory holding a graphical password of a given user, the graphical password being formed of a user selected series of certain graphical elements chosen from within at least one user-selected category; an authentication process executable by a processor and implementing an authentication session, the authentication process having: a user interface, and a source of graphical elements, wherein during the authentication session the user interface (i) displays to an end-user one or more pluralities of ones of the graphical elements from the source randomly placed with the certain graphical elements dispersed throughout the pluralities, each different certain graphical element being dispersed in a respective different plurality, and (ii) requires the end-user to identify the at least one user-selected category, and then find in and select from the displayed pluralities within the at least one user-selected category each of the certain graphical elements that form the graphical password, and wherein upon the end-user correctly selecting all of the certain graphical elements forming the graphical password, the authentication process positively authenticates the end-user as the given user of the graphical password; and wherein the certain graphical elements of the graphical password and the graphical elements from the source are organized by respective category, and strength of the graphical password is a function of (i) a number of the graphical elements chosen in sequence from the user-selected categories used in forming the graphical password, (ii) a total number of available categories from which the user selects, and (iii) a total number of graphical elements within each of the available categories.