Patent ID: 7730321

Claim:
A method of receiving information useful for logging a user into a computer system, comprising: causing a user identifier to be stored in a persistent file of a client system; receiving from the user a request to log into the computer system; responsive to the request received; receiving the persistent file including the user identifier from the client system; providing from the computer system to the user a prompt for the user identifier; receiving a response from the user responsive to the prompt for the user identifier; and determining if the response received from the user matches the user identifier received in the persistent file; and responsive to a determination that the response received matches the user identifier received: providing from the computer system to the user a prompt for confidential information; and presenting to the user customization information corresponding to the user identifier received that is perceptible to the user and can allow the user to authenticate the computer system if the customization information presented matches customization information expected by the user; said customization information being presented to the user before or during the providing from the computer system to the user the prompt for confidential information step; said customization information not being presented to the user between the receiving the request step and the determination that the response received matches the user identifier received; and the correspondence of the customization information with the user identifier not ordinarily being publicly known.