Dynamic Password Lockout Threshold Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional password management systems often inadvertently lock users out of accounts due to incorrect password attempts, especially after a password change, as they use static thresholds that do not account for the timing and frequency of password updates.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a dynamic password lockout process that adjusts the incorrect attempt threshold based on the time since the last password change, allowing a higher number of attempts initially and decreasing them over time, and considering the number of correct attempts to prevent accidental lockouts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a static threshold for incorrect password attempts is used, then automated password guessing is prevented, but users are inadvertently locked out after password changes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by transitioning from a static password attempt threshold to a dynamic threshold that automatically adjusts based on time elapsed since password change. The system implements a time-based window where the threshold is elevated immediately after password changes, then gradually decreases over time until reaching the standard security threshold. This dynamic adjustment prevents both automated guessing attacks and inadvertent user lockouts during password transitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of the attempt threshold based on temporal context. Specifically, it modifies the threshold value according to the time elapsed since the last password change event. Within a defined time window after password change, the threshold parameter is increased to accommodate legitimate user attempts, while outside this window, the standard lower threshold applies to maintain security against automated attacks.
2Adaptability or versatility
If devices automatically check for updated password information, then access is maintained across multiple devices, but users quickly get locked out when passwords change
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements beforehand cushioning by pre-establishing an elevated attempt threshold in the time window immediately following password changes. This cushioning buffer accommodates the automatic password update checks from multiple devices that occur during this period, preventing them from being counted as failed attempts that would trigger lockout. The system anticipates the automatic update behavior and prepares a protective threshold adjustment in advance.
3Reliability
If a low attempt threshold is used, then security is improved, but legitimate users are locked out due to muscle memory or forgetting new passwords
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action through time-based threshold adjustment cycles. The system implements a periodic pattern where the threshold is elevated during the initial time window after password changes, then systematically decreases over subsequent time periods until reaching the standard security threshold. This periodic modulation of the threshold parameter provides users with a grace period to adapt to new passwords while maintaining security over the longer term.
Data Source
AI summary
The management of credentials subject to a lockout policy can include dynamically determining appropriate lockout thresholds and other such values appropriate for a current situation. For example, the number of incorrect password attempts allowed before an account lockout can be based at least in part upon the amount of time that has passed since a most recent password change. There might be an unlimited number of attempts allowed for a short period after a password change, followed by a decreasing number of permissible attempts over a subsequent period of time. In some embodiments the number of correct attempts received after a password change can affect the number of incorrect attempts allowed. Further, if an incorrect attempt matches a previously correct password then that attempt might not count toward the number of incorrect attempts compared against the threshold, at least for a determined period of time after a password change.