Patent ID: 8132017

Claim:
A method of securely synchronizing password databases on a network, the method comprising the steps of: performing password services by a Central Password Repository network device comprising a hardware processor upon receipt of inquiries from domains and applications without password databases; and identifying, by the CPR network device, password databases implemented by domains and applications on the network to accept access by an user; and for each said identified password database, establishing by the CPR network device an encrypted and authenticated communication session between the CPR network device and the identified password database, the encrypted and authenticated communication session relying on an authentication level of an user's password in the CPR network device, the step of establishing the encrypted and authenticated communication session comprising determining the authentication level of the user's password and requiring the authentication level of the user's password to be at least as strict as an authentication level enforced by the identified password database when the identified password database determines whether to admit the user to access a domain or application associated with the identified password database, and when the authentication level of the user's password is at least as strict as the authentication level enforced by the identified password database when the identified password database determines whether to admit the user to access the domain or application associated with the identified password database, enforcing a password change on the identified password database by the CPR network device by performing a reset function on the identified password database by the CPR network device to cause a previous password associated with the user on the identified password database to be changed without requiring submission to the identified password database of the previous password associated with the user on the identified password database.