Methods and apparatus to manage password security

1. An apparatus to manage password security, comprising:

a hardware processor to implement:

an alarm action engine to invoke a provisional transmission block of a candidate password associated with a user in response to detecting entry of the candidate password;

a transmission delay manager to maintain the provisional transmission block until a blocking release authorization code is received; and

a password linkage monitor to retrieve a list of password hash values, stored in a memory, the password hash values associated with previously used passwords associated with the user, the password linkage monitor to compare the list of password hash values to a hash value of the candidate password, the password linkage monitor to determine a count of the number of times the hash value of the candidate password matches a password hash value in the list, wherein the count represents a number of different online service sites where the candidate password has been used;

the alarm action engine to identify a service category type associated with the candidate password, the alarm action engine to identify a threshold based on the service category type, where the threshold for the service category type is dependent on a security risk for the service category type, the alarm action engine to compare the count with the threshold;

the alarm action engine to invoke a permanent block of the candidate password when the count meets or exceeds the threshold;

the alarm action engine to allow use of the candidate password when the count does not meet or exceed the threshold.

2. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , further including a hash manager to calculate the hash value of the candidate password.

3. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , further including a password vault to store the list of password hash values associated with previously used passwords.

4. The apparatus as defined in claim 3 , further including a vault hash manager to calculate the hash values associated with previously used passwords.

5. The apparatus as defined in claim 1 , further including a client risk monitor to monitor a security feed to detect password hacking activity.

6. The apparatus as defined in claim 5 , wherein the client risk monitor is to monitor at least one of a rich site summary feed, a social media feed, or a website for the password hacking activity.

7. The apparatus as defined in claim 5 , wherein the alarm action engine is to generate a warning message when the password hacking activity is detected and is associated with a service, the candidate password associated with the service.

8. The apparatus as defined in claim 7 , wherein the warning message identifies the password associated with the service is used with a second service.

9. The apparatus as defined in claim 5 , further including an application interface to generate an alternate password in response to the password hacking activity.

10. A method to manage password security, comprising:

invoking, with a hardware processor, a provisional transmission block of a candidate password associated with a user in response to detecting entry of the candidate password;

maintaining the provisional transmission block until a blocking release authorization code is received;

retrieving a list of password hash values associated with previously used passwords associated with the user;

comparing the list of password hash values to a hash value of the candidate password to determine a count of the number of times the hash value of the candidate password matches a password hash value in the list, wherein the count represents a number of different online service sites where the candidate password has been used;

identifying a service category type associated with the candidate password, identifying a threshold based on the service category type, where the threshold for the service category type is dependent on a security risk for the service category type, comparing the count with the threshold;

invoking a permanent block of the candidate password when the count meets or exceeds the threshold; and

allowing use of the candidate password when the count does not meet or exceed the threshold.

11. The method as defined in claim 10 , further including monitoring a security feed to detect password hacking activity.

12. The method as defined in claim 11 , further including monitoring at least one of a rich site summary feed, a social media feed, or a website for the password hacking activity.

13. The method as defined in claim 11 , further including generating a warning message when the password activity is detected and is associated with a service, the candidate password associated with the service.

14. The method as defined in claim 11 , further including generating an alternate password in response to the password hacking activity.

15. A tangible computer readable storage medium comprising instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a hardware processor to, at least:

invoke a provisional transmission block of a candidate password associated with a user in response to detecting entry of the candidate password;

maintain the provisional transmission block until a blocking release authorization code is received;

retrieve a list of password hash values associated with previously used passwords associated with the user;

compare the list of password hash values to a hash value of the candidate password to determine a count of the number of times the hash value of the candidate password matches a password hash value in the list, wherein the count represents a number of different online service sites where the candidate password has been used;

identify a service category type associated with the candidate password, identify a threshold based on the service category type, where the threshold for the service category type is dependent on a security risk for the service category type, compare the count with the threshold;

invoke a permanent block of the candidate password when the count meets or exceeds the threshold;

allow use of the candidate password when the count does not meet or exceed the threshold.

16. The storage medium as defined in claim 15 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to calculate the hash value of the candidate password.

17. The storage medium as defined in claim 16 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to store the list of password hash values associated with previously used passwords.

18. The storage medium as defined in claim 17 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to calculate the hash value of the candidate password with a same hash algorithm used to calculate the password hash values associated with the previously used passwords.

19. The storage medium as defined in claim 15 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to monitor a security feed to detect password hacking activity.

20. The storage medium as defined in claim 19 , wherein the instructions cause the machine to generate an alternate password in response to the password hacking activity.