摘要 |
<p>A novel password management device is interposed between a computer and a conventional computer input device such as a keyboard. Passwords are defined at the input device, stored in a preferably encrypted password vault and forwarded to a secure application. When the user is prompted for a password, the device retrieves the password from the vault and provides it to the computer in a manner indistinguishable from conventional data traffic, mitigating the likelihood that the innocuous data stream will be monitored to recover the password. The transmission of a password is push technology and may be enhanced by a gating feature. Automatic password retrieval from the vault is convenient to the user, particularly if the device automatically generates random passwords. No software is installed on the computer; the device is operating system, application and platform independent. The device may be integrated within the input device or within the computer itself.</p> |