Smart Password Management for Automated Credential Rotation

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Solution Overview

Problem

The complexity of managing passwords in information systems leads to difficulties in regular changes, with individuals and organizations often losing, forgetting, or leaking passwords, resulting in time-consuming and labor-intensive processes that compromise security.

Innovation Solution

A smart password implementation method and apparatus that utilizes a password center server to manage password changes automatically, allowing for one-click login and logout, data synchronization, and integration with multiple servers for redundancy and disaster tolerance, supporting various password types and enabling automatic password changes based on predefined templates and frequencies.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If passwords are manually changed by users, then password security compliance can be achieved, but the process becomes time-consuming and labor-intensive

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepassword security complianceVSAvoidpassword change time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system enables passwords to be automatically changed without human intervention. The password management server autonomously generates new passwords according to preset rules and pushes them to target devices, eliminating the need for manual password changes while ensuring security compliance through automated enforcement of change frequencies and complexity requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system pre-configures password change templates with security rules, complexity requirements, and frequency settings before actual password changes occur. This preliminary setup allows the automated system to generate compliant passwords immediately when needed, eliminating the time-consuming manual process of ensuring security compliance during each password change.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If passwords are recorded on paper or in electronic documents, then password memorization is avoided, but the risk of loss and leakage increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepassword memorizationVSAvoidpassword loss and leakage risk
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The password management server acts as a secure intermediary between users and passwords. Instead of storing passwords in vulnerable paper or electronic documents, the system maintains an encrypted password database on the server, generating and distributing passwords only when needed. This intermediary approach eliminates the need for users to memorize or store passwords externally while protecting against loss and leakage through centralized secure management.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates controlled copies of passwords only when necessary for authentication purposes. Rather than requiring users to maintain personal copies through paper or electronic storage, the password management server generates authenticated copies on-demand and pushes them to target devices temporarily. This eliminates the risks associated with permanent external storage while maintaining ease of access.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Reliability

If password changes require multiple personnel involvement, then security control is improved, but the complexity of the change process increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesecurity controlVSAvoidpassword change process complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The password management server autonomously performs password generation, validation, and distribution according to pre-configured security policies. The system self-manages the entire password change workflow including compliance checking and multi-device coordination, eliminating the need for multiple personnel to manually execute each step while maintaining security control through automated enforcement of policies.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The system combines multiple security control functions into a single automated platform. Instead of requiring separate manual actions for policy validation, password generation, device notification, and compliance tracking, the password management server merges all these functions into one integrated process that executes automatically, reducing procedural complexity while maintaining comprehensive security control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Device complexity

If traditional password management is used, then system simplicity is maintained, but productivity in password management decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem simplicityVSAvoidpassword management efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The password management server autonomously handles password generation, distribution, and tracking without requiring manual intervention for each password change. The system self-manages compliance enforcement, multi-device coordination, and security policy validation, dramatically improving password management productivity while maintaining interface simplicity through automated operations that execute in the background.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The password management server provides universal functionality across multiple devices and systems through a single platform. It can manage passwords for various target devices (routers, switches, servers, storage devices) simultaneously, enforce consistent security policies across the entire infrastructure, and coordinate changes across multiple devices in one operation, thereby improving overall productivity without increasing perceived system complexity for users.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentEP4191975B1Smart password implementation method and apparatus, and electronic device and computer-readable medium
Publication Date: 2025.11.12 JIANG YUNFAN
  • EP4191975B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4191975B1 patent drawingFigure 2~4
  • EP4191975B1 patent drawingFigure 5~6

AI summary

The present invention relates to the field of information security, and in particular to a smart password implementation method, an apparatus, an electronic device and a computer-readable medium. The method comprises: obtaining management request information sent by a user terminal, where the management request information comprising a password change request, a password change template, and a password change frequency; generating a password to be changed; obtaining a polling request from a target device/facility for information to be changed, or sending to the target device/facility the information to be changed; obtaining change feedback information sent by the target device/facility; and sending the change feedback information to the user terminal. The present invention solves the problems that the password is easy to lose, forget and leak, that the change wastes time and labor, and the problems of the resulted associated changes, which enables password management to be more compliant.