Online Account Logout via Device Functionality Disruption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Online accounts are vulnerable to theft and unauthorized access due to users often remaining logged in, which can lead to malicious actions and data exposure, as existing security measures are inadequate in ensuring timely logout.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method and system that establishes a network session between an online platform and a user's device, verifying identity and disrupting device functionality, allowing users to log in and out securely by maintaining a network session tied to their presence, motivating users to log out after completing their session to regain full device functionality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If users remain logged into online accounts to avoid re-entering authentication credentials, then ease of operation is improved, but security deteriorates due to vulnerability to theft and unauthorized access
Solution Approach 1:
The system establishes a network session and disrupts device functionality before the user completes authentication, as a preliminary security measure. This prevents the user from inadvertently remaining logged in on unattended devices, as the functionality disruption serves as a reminder to log out after use.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback to the user by disrupting the functionality of the second computing device during the authentication process. This feedback mechanism reminds users to log out after completing their online account session, thereby maintaining security without permanently compromising convenience.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the system establishes a network session that disrupts device functionality to motivate logout, then security is improved, but ease of operation deteriorates due to functional disruption
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts device functionality based on the authentication state. The network session temporarily disrupts functionality of the second device only during the authentication process, and this disruption is dynamically removed when the user logs out, allowing full functionality to be restored.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of the second computing device by establishing a network session that modifies its functionality. This parameter change serves as a temporary constraint to motivate secure logout behavior, while allowing the device to return to its normal state after authentication completes.
3Reliability
If automated logout is implemented to ensure security, then reliability is improved, but user control deteriorates due to forced termination
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements self-service logout by automatically detecting when the user has completed their session and autonomously terminating the network session and logging the user out. This eliminates the need for users to manually remember to log out, ensuring security while allowing users to control session duration through their natural usage patterns.
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed computer-implemented method for logging users out of online accounts may include (i) receiving, from a first computing device of a user, a request from the user to log into an online account hosted by an online platform, (ii) establishing, between the online platform and a second computing device of the user, a network session that both (a) verifies the identity of the user to the online platform and (b) at least partially disrupts the functionality of the second computing device, (iii) logging the user into the online account via the first computing device, (iv) detecting a request from the user to log out of the online account, and then (v) in response to the request to log out of the online account, (a) restoring full functionality of the second computing device by terminating the network session and (b) logging the user out of the online account.