JPH07160638A - Terminal device for information equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the security in an information equipment network consisting of plural information equipments by occasionally and automatically changing the password data when the log-in procedure is automated to confirm the legitinary of users. CONSTITUTION:The data are added to the host information data for decision of the password changing timing (19), and these data are checked every time an automatic log-in operation is performed based on the procedure data (15, 16). When the changing of a password is decided, the password of the host side is changed based on the procedure data (17). At the same time, the password of the terminal side is also changed (18). As the passwords are occasionally changed at the terminal side, the security is improved for a terminal device. Furthermore the handling performance of the terminal equipment is also improved since the host information data are also automatically changed.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an authentication process in an individual information equipment terminal when a plurality of information equipments are connected and operated.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Connecting and operating a plurality of information devices,
A so-called information device network generally has a configuration as shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, the host device (21) 1
And two terminal devices (22, 23) are connected via a network cable (24). Each device includes a communication device (211, 221, 231) and a control device (21
2, 222, 232), display device (213, 223, 2)
33) and input devices (214, 224, 234), and the host is also provided with a large-capacity storage device (215). In addition, although an output device such as a printer is generally provided, it is not particularly shown.

When a terminal uses an environment such as a storage device of a host, in order to determine whether it is a legitimate user,
An authentication process called login is generally performed (Fig. 3). At that time, the user ID (user name) and the password are transmitted in sequence (31, 32), and if the authentication is successful, a message or the like is displayed (33) and then the input waiting state is set (3).
4). Normally, the password transmitted from the terminal is not echoed back (retransmitted) from the host, and therefore is not displayed on the screen (32).

Since this login process is performed in a fixed sequence as shown in FIG. 4, a login procedure is registered and executed, and as shown in FIG. 5, the user ID and password data of the host information data are selected from the procedures. It is common to take out and execute and automate. The login procedure and host information data are recorded / held in the storage device of the terminal device.

[0005]

For security reasons, it is considered desirable to change the password of the user in a timely manner. In order to change the password, as shown in FIG. 6, the password change process must be started (61) and the old (current) password (63) and new password (64, 65) must be input.

At this time, if the login process is automated, the next login process cannot be normally performed unless the procedure data or the host information data is manually changed after the logout.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is to automate this password change process and improve security.

[0008]

[Means for Solving the Problems] First, data for judging the timing of password change is added to the host information data, and secondly, the password change sequence (FIG. 7) is the same as the login sequence (FIG. 4). Thirdly, means for adding the process of updating the password of the host information data from the automatic password changing process is provided.

As data for judging the password change timing, the number of logins, the last date and time when the password is changed, etc. are used.

[0010]

With respect to the data for judging the timing of the first password change, the necessity of the automatic password change is judged by referring to the data in the login procedure. If it is the number of logins, it is determined that the password needs to be changed at a fixed number of times, and if it is the last date and time of password change, the password must be changed when the elapsed date from the last date and time has passed a certain period. The second password automatic change processing is started when it is determined that the first data is automatically changed. The third password update process is performed when the second process ends normally.

[0011]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The configuration of the device and the like have already been described, and will be omitted.

FIG. 1 is a schematic flowchart of a login process including a password automatic change process according to the present invention.

First, the host is connected by the automatic dialing process (12). This is only done if the network is configured by circuit switching and is passed if not needed (11). If unnecessary, the telephone number of the host information data (19) is not set, or the like.

Next, it is judged whether or not the automatic login processing is necessary (13), and if necessary, the automatic login processing is performed (14).
Whether or not the automatic login process is necessary is determined by whether or not the automatic login procedure is set.

In the automatic login process, the user ID and password of the host information data are used. This processing procedure is as shown in FIG.

When the login is normally performed, the login count data of the host information data is updated (1 is added and the data in the storage device is rewritten) (15). Whether or not the login has been normally performed can be determined by a message from the host after inputting the user ID / password.

When the password is changed every time the user logs in 10 times, the process branches to the password changing process when the number of times of login reaches 10 (16). In addition to this, there is also a method of making a judgment based on the remainder divided by 10. The number of times the password is changed may be fixed in the system or may be recorded in the host information data as a user setting value.

In the password change process, the password of the host information data is used to change the host-side password according to the procedure shown in FIG. 7 (17). The new password can be generated using a random number generator (not shown).

When the password is changed normally,
The password of the host information data is replaced with the new password data (18).

FIG. 8 shows details of the processes (17) and (18). New password data (8
9) is retained after the generation until it is stored in the host information data.

According to this embodiment, every time the user logs in a certain number of times, the password data on the host side and the terminal side are changed at the same time, and a new password is generated by a random number, so that it is hard to be stolen. Therefore, the security is greatly improved, and the usability is improved.

[0022]

According to the present invention, the password data on the host side and the terminal side are automatically updated, which is effective in improving security and usability.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart of an automatic login process with automatic password change according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a device configuration of a general information device network.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a screen example of a login process.

FIG. 4 is a sequence of login processing.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a processing flow for automatic login and a host information data structure.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a screen for password change processing.

FIG. 7 is a sequence of password change processing.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a detailed flow of automatic password change processing of FIG. 1 and a host information data structure.

[Explanation of symbols]

11, 12 ... Automatic dialing process, 13, 14 ... Automatic login process, 15, 16 ... Judgment process of password change necessity, 17, 18 ... Automatic password change process, 19 ... Host information data, 21 ... Host device, 22, 23 ... Terminal device, 24 ... Network cable, 211, 221, 2
31 ... Communication device, 212, 222, 232 ... Control device,
213, 223, 233 ... Display device, 214, 224
234 ... Input device, 214 ... Mass storage device.

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. An information equipment terminal device comprising a display device / input device / storage device / communication device and a control device for controlling them, in which a user ID and a password can be recorded, and host information data which can be changed and a host. Data that includes changeable communication procedure data for automating communication with the user, and that uses the above data to automate the user authentication process. In the automatic login process, data that determines whether or not to change the password in the host information data. If the password change is determined to be necessary by additionally recording, and the data is compared with the system-specific data, the password change procedure on the host side recorded in advance is executed and the password in the host information data is also recorded. An information equipment terminal device characterized by being changed. 2. The information equipment terminal device according to claim 1, wherein the number of logins is recorded as data for determining whether or not the password should be changed, and the password is automatically changed every fixed number of times. 3. The information equipment terminal device according to claim 1, wherein a password change date and time is recorded as data for judging the necessity of password change, and the password is automatically changed every certain number of days.