IP Library Granted Patent US 11,095,636
Granted Patent B1
US 11,095,636 · App. 16/139,490 · Granted Aug 17, 2021

Systems and methods for protecting passwords

Inventors: Ilya Sokolov (Boston, MA); Keith Newstadt (Newton, MA)
Assignee: NortonLifeLock Inc.
H04L63/083H04L9/3226H04L63/10H04L63/1408H04L63/306H04L67/26
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,095,636
App. No.
16/139,490
Granted
Aug 17, 2021
Kind
B1
Abstract

The disclosed computer-implemented method for protecting passwords may include (i) intercepting network traffic indicating an attempted login procedure at a workload device to login to a protected resource, (ii) prompting a user, in response to intercepting the network traffic, and at an authentication device that has been registered to the user, to indicate whether to approve the attempted login procedure, (iii) collecting, at the authentication device, a credential for the attempted login procedure that was stored in a protected vault of the authentication device, (iv) providing, by the authentication device to the workload device, an authentication decision based on the collected credential, and (v) injecting, at the workload device, the authentication decision into a browser session to enable the user to complete the attempted login procedure to login to the protected resource. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Claims (55)

1. A computer-implemented method for protecting passwords, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:

intercepting network traffic indicating an attempted login procedure at a workload device to login to a protected resource;

prompting a user, in response to intercepting the network traffic, and at an authentication device that has been registered to the user, to indicate whether to approve the attempted login procedure;

collecting, at the authentication device, a credential for the attempted login procedure that was stored in a protected vault of the authentication device;

providing, by the authentication device to the workload device, an authentication decision based on the collected credential; and

injecting, at the workload device, the authentication decision into a browser session to enable the user to complete the attempted login procedure to login to the protected resource;

wherein the workload device and the authentication device are both operated by the same user such that, in response to the user attempting the login procedure at the workload device, the user receives a push notification at the authentication device prompting the user to indicate whether to approve the attempted login procedure.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the protected resource comprises a protected online resource.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the protected resource comprises a user account of a protected online service.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the online service comprises at least one of:

a social networking service; or

an email service.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein intercepting the network traffic comprises at least one of:

a local security agent at the workload device monitoring the network traffic;

a local proxy agent at the workload device proxying the network traffic to a remote cloud-based security server;

a smart device cover monitoring a visual display of the workload device; or

a security agent at an intermediary network gateway monitoring network traffic.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein prompting the user is performed according to a push notification protocol of at least one of an operating system or a third-party security vendor.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the credential comprises at least one of:

a username;

a password; or

a second factor authentication code.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the authentication decision comprises

a signed SECURITY ASSERTION MARKUP LANGUAGE assertion.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:

providing the authentication decision based on the collected credential comprises redirecting a user session at the workload device to a captive portal; and

the captive portal collects the authentication decision from the authentication device.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the captive portal collects the authentication decision from the authentication device through at least one of:

a QUICK RESPONSE code;

a short range network communication; or

a short range sound.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein redirecting the user session at the workload device to the captive portal is performed by a security agent at an intermediary network gateway monitoring network traffic.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11 , wherein redirecting the user session at the workload device to the captive portal is performed by the security agent at the intermediary network gateway monitoring network traffic without coordination by a local security agent at the workload device.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the method is performed without sending the credential to the workload device.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein a result of prompting the user to indicate whether to approve the attempted login procedure is used to authenticate the user through an external identity provider.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 14 , wherein the user is authenticated through the external identity provider without loading a page of the external identity provider into the browser session.

16. A system for protecting passwords, the system comprising: an interception module, stored in memory, that intercepts network traffic indicating an attempted login procedure at a workload device to login to a protected resource;

a prompting module, stored in memory, that prompts a user, in response to intercepting the network traffic, and as part of an authentication device that has been registered to the user, to indicate whether to approve the attempted login procedure;

a collection module, stored in memory, that collects, as part of the authentication device, a credential for the attempted login procedure that was stored in a protected vault of the authentication device;

a provisioning module, stored in memory, that

provides, by the authentication device to the workload device, an authentication decision based on the collected credential; and

an injection module, stored in memory, that injects, at the workload device, the authentication decision into a browser session to enable the user to complete the attempted login procedure to login to the protected resource; and at least one physical processor configured to execute the interception module, the prompting module, the collection module, the provisioning module, and the injection module;

wherein the workload device and the authentication device are both operated by the same user such that, in response to the user attempting the login procedure at the workload device, the user receives a push notification at the authentication device prompting the user to indicate whether to approve the attempted login procedure.

17. The system of claim 16 , wherein the protected resource comprises a protected online resource.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the protected resource comprises a user account of a protected online service.

19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the online service comprises at least one of:

a social networking service; or

an email service.

20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

intercept network traffic indicating an attempted login procedure at a workload device to login to a protected resource;

prompt a user, in response to intercepting the network traffic, and at an authentication device that has been registered to the user, to indicate whether to approve the attempted login procedure;

collect, at the authentication device, a credential for the attempted login procedure that was stored in a protected vault of the authentication device;

provide, by the authentication device to the workload device, an authentication decision based on the collected credential; and

inject, at the workload device, the authentication decision into a browser session to enable the user to complete the attempted login procedure to login to the protected resource;

wherein the workload device and the authentication device are both operated by the same user such that, in response to the user attempting the login procedure at the workload device, the user receives a push notification at the authentication device prompting the user to indicate whether to approve the attempted login procedure.

Assignments (6)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 6, 2023
From: NORTONLIFELOCK INC.
To: GEN DIGITAL INC.
Reel/Frame 062714/0605 →
NOTICE OF SUCCESSION OF AGENCY (REEL 050926 / FRAME 0560) Recorded Sep 13, 2022
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 061422/0371 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Sep 13, 2022
From: NORTONLIFELOCK INC.
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 062220/0001 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Feb 14, 2020
From: SYMANTEC CORPORATION
To: NORTONLIFELOCK INC.
Reel/Frame 051935/0228 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 4, 2019
From: SYMANTEC CORPORATION; BLUE COAT LLC; LIFELOCK, INC,; SYMANTEC OPERATING CORPORATION
To: JPMORGAN, N.A.
Reel/Frame 050926/0560 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 24, 2018
From: SOKOLOV, ILYA; NEWSTADT, KEITH
To: SYMANTEC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 046950/0725 →