Mobile Password Manager for Decentralized Credential Security
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing account information management systems are vulnerable to data theft due to centralized server storage and master password leakage, compromising user data security.
Innovation Solution
An account information management method using a mobile password manager and an extension program on a web browser, with an intermediate server, encrypts and manages user data on the mobile device, generating asymmetric keys for secure data transmission and automatic input.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If account information is stored on a centralized password management server, then users can conveniently access and manage their credentials across multiple devices, but the system becomes vulnerable to external attacks and data theft
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the centralized server-based system into decentralized client-based systems. Each user's mobile device stores and manages their own account information locally, eliminating the centralized server that is vulnerable to external attacks. This segmentation maintains convenience for users while dramatically improving security by removing the single point of failure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the account information storage function from the centralized server and relocates it to individual user devices. The master password and account credentials are no longer stored on a remote server but are instead stored locally on each user's mobile device, eliminating the security risk associated with server-based storage.
2Ease of operation
If a master password is used to protect account information on the server, then access control is simplified, but the system becomes vulnerable to data theft when the master password is leaked
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the master password mechanism entirely from the system. Instead of using a centralized master password that could be leaked, each user device independently stores and protects its own account information using device-level security mechanisms such as biometric authentication and secure enclaves. This eliminates the harmful factor of master password leakage while maintaining simplified access control at the device level.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces device-level security intermediaries such as biometric authentication systems and secure hardware enclaves that mediate between the user and their account information. These intermediaries provide strong protection without requiring a vulnerable master password, as each device independently secures its own credentials through hardware-based security mechanisms.
3Reliability
If account information is decentralized on mobile devices, then security against external attacks is improved, but the system complexity increases with multiple devices and synchronization requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal account information management approach where the same mobile device application can be used across different platforms (iOS, Android) and devices. The system provides multi-functional capabilities including local storage, biometric authentication, automatic credential filling, and cloud synchronization through a single unified application interface, reducing the complexity burden on users despite the decentralized architecture.
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided is an account information management method using an extension program installed on a web browser, a mobile password manager which is an application program for account information management installed on a mobile device of a user, and an intermediate server communicating with the extension program and the mobile password manager. According to an account information management method according to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to enable a user to conveniently manage and automatically input an ID and password set for each online service to be accessed by using a mobile device that he/she possesses, and solve the problem of vulnerability to data theft from external attacks due to server storage of account information and the risk of data theft due to leakage of a master password of account information management software.