Password Policy Enforcement via Regular Expressions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication systems lack efficient mechanisms for managing and enforcing password policies across customer devices, leading to potential security vulnerabilities due to inconsistent and uncontrolled password creation.
Innovation Solution
An apparatus and method that utilize a customer device to receive a password policy defined by regular expressions, evaluate passwords against these policies, and either permit or prevent password setting based on compliance, facilitated through device management protocols like TR-069 or TR-369.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If password policies are enforced using traditional methods, then security control is limited, but system complexity and implementation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a password policy server as an intermediary component that mediates between the device management system and password validation. This server receives password policies from the service provider, converts them into regular expressions, and distributes them to customer devices. By placing this intermediary layer, the patent achieves centralized security control without requiring complex integration into each device's existing authentication mechanisms, thus improving security control while limiting the increase in system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical password policy enforcement mechanisms with a software-based regular expression evaluation system. Instead of using complex device configurations or hardware security modules, the system uses programmable regular expression patterns that can be dynamically updated and distributed. This substitution allows for flexible security policies to be implemented through software updates rather than hardware changes or complex configuration procedures.
2Reliability
If custom password policies are implemented for each service provider, then security requirements are met, but device compatibility and ease of deployment deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal password policy enforcement mechanism that can serve multiple service providers and device types through a single system architecture. The password policy server uses standardized device management protocols (such as TR-069) and regular expressions that can be applied across different device platforms and service provider requirements. This universal approach allows the same system to enforce customized security policies for each service provider while maintaining broad device compatibility, eliminating the need for provider-specific implementations.
3Reliability
If complex password rules are enforced, then password strength improves, but user convenience and ease of operation decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the system to automatically evaluate passwords against the configured regular expression patterns without requiring user intervention or manual policy configuration on each device. The password policy server automatically converts service provider security requirements into regular expressions and enforces them transparently during password creation or modification operations. Users simply need to enter their desired password, and the system automatically checks compliance, providing strong password enforcement while maintaining ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
Various example embodiments for supporting security for communication networks are presented herein. Various example embodiments may be configured to allow service providers of communication networks (e.g., Internet Service Providers (ISPs), Communication Service Providers (CSPs), or the like, as well as various combinations thereof) to support configuration and enforcement of password rules for customer devices of the communication networks (e.g., customer devices such as customer gateways and customer premises equipments (CPEs) supported by such customer gateways), using configurable regular expressions through a device management data model (e.g., a Broadband Forum (BBF) data model such as a TR-98 data model, a TR-181 data model, or the like, as well as various combinations thereof), for controlling passwords created for the customer devices of the communication networks through a device management interface (e.g., a Web Graphical User Interface (WebGUI) or the like).