Patent ID: 8572392

Claim:
An access authentication method for performing access authentication using a recording medium that is detachably connected to an information processing unit, the access authentication method comprising: first performing the access authentication by authenticating authentication information provided by a user; issuing a key corresponding to the authentication information, when the access authentication based on the authentication information is successful at the first performing; encrypting the authentication information provided by the user with the key to generate encrypted authentication information; and first storing the key in the information processing unit; second storing, using a processor, the encrypted authentication information in a first memory area of the recording medium, and a plurality of identification information of login screens for a plurality of systems and respective login information about the login screens, in a corresponding manner, the login information being used to log in the respective login screens and including both an identification information (ID) and a password in a second memory area of the recording medium, the second memory area being protected by the authentication information provided by the user; second performing, using the processor, the access authentication by obtaining the encrypted authentication information stored in the first memory area of the recording medium at the storing and by decrypting the encrypted authentication information using the key stored in the information processing unit at the storing, when a login screen for a system is displayed on the information processing unit; reading, using the processor, login information including both an ID and a password corresponding to identification information of the displayed login screen from the second memory area, when the access authentication is successful at the second performing; and entering, using the processor, the login information read at the reading on the displayed login screen, wherein the issuing, the encrypting, the first storing, and the second storing are performed in a first event in which the recording medium is connected to the information processing unit, and the second performing, the reading, and the entering are performed in a second event after the first event in which the recording medium is connected to the information processing unit.