Patent ID: 8612766

Claim:
A method performed on a computing device for secure credential unlock, the method comprising: generating, by the computing device, an unblock key; obtaining an authentropy; obtaining a personal identification number (“PIN”) unlock key (“PUK”) at a first time t 1 ; utilizing the unblock key to protect the authentropy to create a protected authentropy; utilizing the PUK to protect the unblock key thereby creating a protected unblock key; utilizing the authentropy to protect a user key, wherein the user key can be used to decrypt protected data; storing the protected unblock key; removing the PUK from the computing device subsequent to utilizing the PUK to protect the unblock key; removing the authentropy from the computing device prior to a user logging off the computing device; obtaining a PUK at a second time t 2 ; utilizing the PUK obtained at the second time t 2 to attempt to unprotect the protected unblock key; unprotecting the protected unblock key with the PUK obtained at the second time t 2 when the PUK obtained at the second time t 2 is the same as the PUK obtained at the first time t 1 , wherein unprotecting the protected unblock key comprises rendering the unblock key available to the computing device; utilizing the unblock key to unprotect the protected authentropy subsequent to unprotecting the protected unblock key with the PUK obtained at the second time t 2 , wherein unprotecting the protected authentropy comprises rendering the authentropy available to the computing device; utilizing the authentropy to unprotect the user key at a time subsequent to the second time t 2 ; and utilizing the user key to decrypt protected data protected at a time subsequent to the second time t 2 .