Controlling user access to electronic resources without password
Described herein are devices and techniques for remotely controlling user access to a restricted computer resource. The process includes pre-determining an association of the restricted computer resource and computer-resource-proximal environmental information. Indicia of user-proximal environmental information are received from a user requesting access to the restricted computer resource. Received indicia of user-proximal environmental information are compared to associated computer-resource-proximal environmental information. User access to the restricted computer resource is selectively granted responsive to a favorable comparison in which the user-proximal environmental information is sufficiently similar to the computer-resource proximal environmental information. In at least some embodiments, the process further includes comparing user-supplied biometric measure and comparing it with a predetermined association of at least one biometric measure of an authorized user. Access to the restricted computer resource is granted in response to a favorable comparison.
1. A method of remotely controlling user access to a restricted computer resource, comprising:
pre-determining, by a device comprising a processor, an association of the restricted computer resource and computer-resource-proximal environmental information;
receiving, by the device, from a user requesting access to the restricted computer resource, indicia of user-proximal environmental information;
comparing, by the device, the indicia of user-proximal environmental information to associated computer-resource-proximal environmental information;
granting, by the device, selectively user access to the restricted computer resource responsive to the comparing of the indicia of the user-proximal environmental information in which the user-proximal environmental information corresponds to the computer-resource-proximal environmental information;
pre-determining, by the device, an association of a biometric measure with an authorized user;
receiving, by the device, from the user requesting access to the restricted computer resource a user-supplied biometric measure;
comparing, by the device, the user-supplied biometric measure with the associated biometric measure, wherein granting comprises granting selectively user access to the restricted computer resource responsive to the comparing of the indicia of the user-proximal environmental information in which:
(i) the user-proximal environmental information corresponds to the computer-resource-proximal environmental information; and
(ii) the user-supplied biometric measure corresponds to the biometric measure;
contacting, by the device, the user responsive to the comparing of the user-supplied biometric measure in which one of the user-proximal environmental information does not correspond to the computer-resource-proximal environmental information, the user-supplied biometric measure or a combination thereof corresponds to the associated biometric measure;
obtaining, by the device, supplemental user-supplied information;
interpreting, by the device, the supplemental user-supplied information;
granting selectively, by the device, user access to the restricted computer resource responsive to the interpreting of the supplemental user-supplied information; and
securing, by the device, a transfer of the supplemental user-supplied information, wherein securing comprises application of a software agent to establish such secure communications, wherein the software agent is associated with a plurality of networked software agents to collectively detect and deter attempted reverse engineering and to securely examine a state of the device.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user-supplied biometric measure comprises an identifiable feature of the user.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the user-proximal information comprise a user-obtained image comprising the user-supplied biometric measure in juxtaposition with an identifiable feature of a user-proximal environment.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computer-resource-proximal environmental information comprises a geo-location.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computer-resource-proximal environmental information comprises an identifiable landmark.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computer-resource-proximal environmental information comprises a pre-configured identification tag.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the pre-configured identification tag is selected from the group consisting of a serial number, a bar code, a QR code, a radio frequency identification tag, a near field communication-readable tag and combinations thereof.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the supplemental user-supplied information comprises one of a voice print, a user-response to a query or a combination thereof.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the restricted computer resource comprises one of a workstation, an application, or a combination thereof.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein securing of the transfer of the supplemental user-supplied information, comprises encrypting all communications according to encryption keys that are established just-in-time before they are needed.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising detecting, by the software agent, an attempted reverse engineering.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a smart-phone.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising reimaging software of the device by the software agent associated with the plurality of networked software to detect an attempt at reverse engineering.
14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising securing the device by examining one of device software, operating system or both during one of a power charging of the device, or before use of the device, by the software agent associated with a plurality of networked software agents, to detect reverse engineering and conduct examinations of the device from the plurality of networked software agents.