Importance

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Abstract

In order to establish a protected channel between a user and a software program running on a computer system, a graphic display unique to the user is displayed along with the normal information entry graphics. A foreign program which might duplicate the overall appearance of the entry graphics cannot display the unique visual display which would appear on the legitimate entry screen of a particular user. Thus, a user looking at his entry screen can tell by the visual display whether the entry screen has been generated by a legitimate program or by a foreign impostor program. Further, since it might be possible for an unauthorized person to surreptitiously observe the unique display pattern on the entry screen of an authorized user, to increase security, a program constructed according to the principles of the invention, changes the visual display as information is entered based on the partially entered information. Thus, even if an unauthorized person should oversee the entry of the information by an authorized user, memorize the display and incorporate the display in an impostor program, the impostor program would be unable to duplicate the sequence of visual displays which occurs during the entry of the information because the information itself is unknown.

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First Claim