Techniques and apparatus for providing peer-based management of user accounts are described. In one embodiment, for example, an apparatus may include at least one memory and logic coupled to the at least one memory. The logic may be configured to receive a request from at least one first user account to unlock a second user account locked responsive to a fraud event, determine a safe authentication value for the fraud event, and unlock the second user account responsive to the at least one first user account being a safe authentication account and the safe authentication value being over a safe authentication threshold value. Other embodiments are described.

A method at a computing device for enabling access to a credential vault if a master password for the credential vault is lost, the method including selecting at least one credential from within the credential vault; encrypting one of the master password or a vault key for the credential vault with the selected at least one credential, thereby creating a recovery file; and storing the recovery file, wherein the selected at least one credential can be used to decrypt the recovery file to enable access to the credential vault.

A computing device can perform operations to unlock encrypted volumes of the computing device while the computing device is in a recovery environment. In some examples, the computing device can work in conjunction with a test computing device to unlock the encrypted volumes using an unlock token and a PIN. In other examples, the computing device can perform operations without a test computing device. For example, the computing device can, while in the recovery environment, use credentials associated with a user of the computing device to obtain a recovery password to unlock keys for interpreting the encrypted volumes. In some examples, the computing device can use a shortened recovery password in conjunction with anti-hammering capabilities of a Trusted Platform Module in order to unlock keys for interpreting the encrypted volumes. These and other operations can facilitate secure unlock of volumes of encrypted data on a consumer device.

Some embodiments of the invention provide a program for recovering access to a service associated with an account. The program provides a login credential to log into the account to receive the associated service. Next, the program receives an access continuation parameter (ACP) after logging into the account. The program then accesses the service and receives a rejection of a subsequent access to the service. The program then provides the ACP in lieu of the login credential to continue to receive the service.

Systems and methods for maintaining encryption keys are disclosed. An encrypted master key is determined by encrypting a master key based on an initial user password and discarding the master key. The encrypted master key is stored. A request for the master key including a present user password is received and verified based on comparison to the initial user password. Based on failure of verifying the present user password, a failed attempt counter that is maintained within a secure container is created. User password based access to the master key is locked out based on the failed attempt counter exceeding a defined value.

A computing device can perform operations to unlock encrypted volumes of the computing device while the computing device is in a recovery environment. In some examples, the computing device can work in conjunction with a test computing device to unlock the encrypted volumes using an unlock token and a PIN. In other examples, the computing device can perform operations without a test computing device. For example, the computing device can, while in the recovery environment, use credentials associated with a user of the computing device to obtain a recovery password to unlock keys for interpreting the encrypted volumes. In some examples, the computing device can use a shortened recovery password in conjunction with anti-hammering capabilities of a Trusted Platform Module in order to unlock keys for interpreting the encrypted volumes. These and other operations can facilitate secure unlock of volumes of encrypted data on a consumer device.

A virtual machine password reset method includes a virtual machine first sending a password obtaining request to a cloud service computing node, the cloud service computing node querying a reset password of the virtual machine in a metadata server based on the password obtaining request, the cloud service computing node returning a password obtaining response based on a result of querying the reset password of the virtual machine in the metadata server, the virtual machine configuring the reset password as a password of the virtual machine, to complete virtual machine password reset.

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for authentication using a text file and a one-time password are described. A method includes receiving user credentials and providing initial text for modification then generating first and second hash values based on a hash function of the initial and modified texts, and comparing the hash values and creating a record in a user table to store information corresponding to the user including the second hash value, wherein the information includes the modified text if the texts do not match; then sending a user a first one-time password via email to verify that the user is an owner of an email address provided by the user.

Novel distractorless authorship verification technology optionally combines with novel algorithms to solve authorship attribution as to an open set of candidatessuch as without limitation by analyzing the voting of mixture of experts and outputting the result to a user using the following: if z (z=p.sub.ip.sub.jp.sub.i+p.sub.j(p.sub.ip.sub.j).sup.2/n) is larger than a first predetermined threshold then author j cannot be the correct author; or if z (z=p.sub.ip.sub.jp.sub.i+p.sub.j(p.sub.ip.sub.j).sup.2/n) is smaller than a second predetermined threshold then author i cannot be the correct author; or if no author garners significantly more votes than all other contenders then none of the named authors is the author of a document in questionin a number of novel applications. Personality profiling and authorship attribution may also be used to verify user identity to a computer.

A messaging system may include a notification module that generates a cryptic notification of one or more messages available to a first user account from one or more second user accounts. The system may receive user notification preference settings for the first user account via a user interface of an electronic user communication device that predefines the cryptic notification to be generated by the notification module for display by the user communication device when a message is available. The cryptic notification may be cloaked as an event or operation unrelated to notification of an available message.