PASSWORD MAINTENANCE IN COMPUTER NETWORKS

摘要

An apparatus for providing controlled access to a plurality of devices in a computer network (104), wherein the plurality of devices are accessible by users external to the computer network (102) by logging in to a privileged account, to which access is controlled by an authentication server (106); the apparatus comprises a receiver configured to receive user password data from a user requesting access to the privileged account via a device, a password determiner configured to determine account password data based on user password data, and to control a transmitter to transmit to the device account password data for allowing the user to access the privileged account, the receiver also configured to receive a request from the device to update account password data, and a password manager configured to update account password data and store updated account password data associated with the privileged account.