Patent ID: 7921454

Claim:
A method for protecting a password assigned to a user for access to a computer network, said method comprising: determining if the user is on a trusted network and if the user is on said trusted network, authenticating the user if the password supplied by the user matches a user password retrieved from a password database; providing a password entry screen displayed on a computer monitor having a virtual keyboard, said virtual keyboard including a plurality of letter keys and number keys arranged in a non-QWERTY format where, when providing said password entry screen, a different random array of letter keys and number keys is generated on said virtual keyboard each time any user accesses said password entry screen to mitigate attempts of illicit monitoring of mouse movements entered by the user, said random array of letter keys and number keys configurable to include at least one blank key as a null character that has no substantive effect when clicked on by a mouse cursor during password entry and can be clicked on to provide erroneous data to said illicit monitoring, at least one duplicate of a letter key where either said duplicate or said letter key can be clicked on by said mouse and have a same effect during password entry and can provide further erroneous data to said illicit monitoring when the user alternates between using said duplicate key and said letter key, and at least one glyph of said letter keys in an OCR-resistant format where said glyph is altered to mitigate attempts of illicit OCR recognition of said glyph, wherein said OCR-resistant format comprises a glyph from the group consisting of: vertical background lines, horizontal background lines, speckles, image noise, and geometric character distortion or rotation; requesting that a portion of the password be entered into the password entry screen where, if said portion has fewer letters and numbers than the password, said portion comprises a random selection of letters and numbers in the password thus mitigating attempts of illicit capturing of a complete password, wherein said requesting further comprises displaying on said password entry screen a password letter or number entry progress indication where entered letters and numbers, by the user, are represented by an indicating character that can be an asterisk; authenticating the user if said portion of the password submitted by the user accessing said password entry screen matches a portion of said user password retrieved from a password database; and denying access to the user if said submitted password does not match said retrieved user password in a predetermined amount of attempts by the user to enter the password.