Patent ID: 8424098

Claim:
A method for protecting data stored in a computer memory comprising a data repository, the method comprising verifying, by a computer, authenticity of a user at a first security level; continuing on a first path in response to correct user identification at the first security level; verifying authenticity of the user at a second security level of the first path; continuing on the first path in response to correct user identification at the second security level; verifying authenticity of the user at a third security level of the first path; allowing user access to a first data set stored in a computer memory in response to a correct user identification at the third security level of the first path the first data set comprising true data; directing the user to a second path in response to incorrect user identification at one of the first, the second and the third security levels of the first path; identifying an unauthorized access attempt in response to an incorrect user identification at one of the first, the second and the third security levels of the first path; querying a user as to user identification information at each of a second security level and a third security level of the second path; and presenting a second data set to the user in response to user submission of a response at each of the second and the third security levels of the second path, the second data set being fake data; wherein the second path directs the user to the fake data and the first path directs the user to the true data so as to not alert an unauthorized user of an unauthorized access attempt; and wherein the verifying of the authenticity of the user at each of the first, the second and the third security levels of the first path comprises employing different authentication at each of the security levels.