Patent ID: 8166311

Claim:
A computer-assisted method for authenticating at least one service-related communication with a technician in a telecommunications system, the method comprising: receiving by an application a password and a user identification from an access device employed by the technician; in response to receiving the password and the user identification, requesting a token by the application, the application performing an application program interface call to security software stored on an authentication server; receiving a token from the authentication server by the application; combining by the application the token with the password to form a combined authentication password by the application, wherein combining concatenates the token with the password; in response to combining the token with the password, providing by the application the user identification and the combined authentication password to the authentication server to be authenticated through at least a technician server, wherein after providing the user identification and the combined authentication password to the authentication server to be authenticated, providing an indication of one of the following: authentication and rejection for access to the telecommunications system; and permitting access by the technician to the telecommunications system subject to an authentication of at least the combined authentication password, wherein permitting access by the technician comprises: determining if the user identification matches a valid access device serial number; if the user identification does not match the valid access device serial number, restricting access to the technician server; and if the user identification matches the valid access device serial number, authenticating a session and allowing the technician access to the technician server, wherein allowing the technician access to the technician server comprises permitting the technician access to at least one closed user group to which the technician is assigned.