Patent ID: 7150038

Claim:
A method for facilitating access to a plurality of applications that require passwords, comprising: receiving a request for a password from an application running on a remote computer system, the request being received at a local computer system; authenticating the request as originating from a trusted source, wherein authenticating the request involves authenticating the remote computer system that sent the request; using an identifier for the application to look up the password for the application in a password store containing a plurality of passwords associated with the plurality of applications, wherein the plurality of passwords allows a different password to be used with each application of the plurality of applications; if the password exists in the password store, sending the password or a function of the password to the application on the remote computer system; receiving a second request to change the password from the application on the remote computer system; automatically generating a replacement password; storing the replacement password in the password store; and forwarding the replacement password or the password function to the application on the remote computer system.