Self-Protecting Storage Password Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current password management systems require users to manually create, store, and manage passwords, which is inefficient and prone to errors, especially when accessing secure storage devices.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for automatically generating, storing, and applying passwords using a nonvolatile storage separate from the storage device, where an initialization module generates and stores a password, and a storage access module retrieves and provides it upon request to access the data, with options for changing passwords and using a master password for recovery.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If users manually create, store, and manage passwords for storage access, then password security can be maintained, but user efficiency decreases and errors increase
Solution Approach 1:
The storage device automatically generates and manages its own passwords without requiring user intervention. The system performs self-service by creating passwords, storing them securely, and handling password changes autonomously, thereby eliminating the need for users to manually manage passwords while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-generates and stores passwords before they are needed for access. By performing the password generation and storage actions in advance, the system eliminates the need for users to create and manage passwords at the time of access, improving efficiency while maintaining security.
2Reliability
If users manually manage passwords, then security control is maintained, but operational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The storage device independently handles all password-related operations including generation, storage, and management. This self-service approach removes the operational burden from users while maintaining security control, as the system autonomously performs tasks that would otherwise require user intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The password management functionality is extracted from the user's operational tasks and integrated into the storage device itself. By taking out the manual password management step and embedding it within the storage system, the solution simplifies user operations while preserving security control.
3Reliability
If passwords are stored separately from the storage device, then security is improved, but access time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The password storage and data storage functions are merged into a single integrated system. The storage device contains both the data and the password management capabilities in one unified structure, allowing simultaneous access to both without the time loss associated with separate storage locations.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for managing passwords for accessing data in a storage is provided. The method comprises generating and storing a password, generating and providing to the storage a request to access data in response to receiving a first request to access data in the storage, retrieving and providing the password to the storage in response to the request for a password. The apparatus comprises an initialization module and a storage access module. The initialization module is configured to generate and store a password. The storage access module is configured to generate and provide a request to access data in response to receiving a first request to access data in the storage, receive a request for a password, retrieve the password in response to the request for a password, and provide the password to the storage to obtain access to the data in the storage.