Patent ID: 7769889

Claim:
A system for securely sending a password from an access device to an authentication device, said system comprising: means within the access device for receiving a plurality of password characters comprising a multi-character password; means within the access device for dividing the multi-character password into a plurality of password data segments; means within the access device for placing each of said password data segments in a different one of a plurality of password packets; and means within the access device for sending the plurality of password packets on a plurality of paths through a data network to the authentication device, said data sending means including means for forcing each of the plurality of password packets to follow a different path through the data network; wherein the means for sending the plurality of password packets also includes means for individually transmitting each of the password packets, wherein the sending means separates each subsequent password packet in time from a preceding password packet by a predefined time interval mutually agreed upon by the access device and the authentication device and without regard to any timing characteristics with which the access device received the characters, wherein the predefined time intervals between the password packets are part of the password.