Gradual Credential Expiration System for Access Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The rigid password expiration policies in organizations lead to a bad user experience and increased administrative costs due to the all-or-nothing approach, where users either change their passwords before expiration or face complete loss of access, prompting unnecessary password reset requests.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a gradual credential expiration system that allows users to retain access rights with progressive restrictions over a defined grace period, enabling them to change their credentials without complete loss of access, thereby improving user experience and reducing administrative burdens.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a rigid password expiration policy is implemented, then security is improved, but user experience deteriorates and administrative costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the credential expiration process into multiple stages: a grace period with progressive access restrictions and a final expiration stage. During the grace period, users experience gradually deteriorating access rights rather than immediate complete loss, making the transition smoother and reducing user frustration while maintaining security requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic access control where the level of access rights changes over time based on the credential expiration timeline. Access rights are progressively restricted during the grace period and then completely revoked at final expiration, creating a dynamic rather than static security mechanism that adapts to the user's credential status.
2Device complexity
If an all-or-nothing password expiration approach is used, then security enforcement is simplified, but administrative costs increase due to unnecessary password reset requests
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by establishing a grace period before complete credential expiration. During this grace period, users are given progressive access restrictions that encourage timely credential renewal. This preliminary warning period reduces the number of users who reach the point of complete access loss and require emergency password resets, thereby improving administrative efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms where users receive notifications about their credential expiration status and the progressive restrictions being applied. This feedback loop allows users to understand the situation better and take timely action to renew their credentials, reducing unnecessary helpdesk requests and improving administrative productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and systems are provided to enable gradual expiration of credentials. Instead of depriving a user of all his access rights upon expiration of his credential (e.g., password), the user's access rights may be gradually restricted during a grace period after an expected or initial expiration time and/or before a final expiration time. The access right may be determined based on a duration from a time of the access request to the final expiration time or to the initial expiration time.