Network security management for ambiguous user names

Abstract

A method of managing network security can include receiving a user input comprising a user name and a password, determining whether the input user name potentially corresponds to a plurality of user accounts, determining whether the password is valid, and determining whether each of the user accounts is locked. The method can include selecting a security response to the user input based upon whether the input user name potentially corresponds to the plurality of user accounts, whether the password is valid, whether each of the user accounts is locked, and outputting the security response.

1 . A computer-implemented method of managing network security comprising:
 receiving a user input from a user comprising a user name and a password;   determining whether the input user name potentially corresponds to a plurality of user accounts;   determining whether the password is valid;   determining whether each of the user accounts is locked;   selecting a security response to the user input based upon whether the input user name potentially corresponds to the plurality of user accounts, whether the password is valid, and whether each of the user accounts is locked; and   outputting the security response.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the security response to the user input further comprises:
 denying access to the user to a first of the user accounts in response to determining that the input user name corresponds to a user name associated with the first user account, determining that the password is invalid, and determining that the first user account is locked.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the security response to the user input further comprises:
 denying access to the user to a first of the user accounts and adding at least one strike to the first user account in response to determining that the input user name corresponds to a user name associated with the first user account, determining that the password is invalid, and determining that the first user account is unlocked.   
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the security response to the user input further comprises:
 denying access to the user to the plurality of user accounts in response to determining that the input user name corresponds to a user name associated with each of the user accounts, determining that the password is invalid, and determining that each of the user accounts is locked.   
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the security response to the user input further comprises:
 denying access to the user to the plurality of user accounts and adding at least one strike to each of the user accounts in response to determining that the input user name corresponds to a user name associated with each of the user accounts, determining that the password is invalid, and determining that each of the user accounts is unlocked.   
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the security response to the user input further comprises:
 denying access to the user to the plurality of user accounts and adding at least one strike to each of the plurality of user accounts that is unlocked in response to determining that the input user name corresponds to a user name associated with each of the user accounts, determining that the password is invalid, and determining that at least the first user account is unlocked, and at least a second of the plurality of user accounts is locked.   
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the security response to the user input further comprises:
 denying access to the user to a first of the user accounts in response to determining that the input user name corresponds to a user name associated with the first user account, determining that the password is valid, and determining that the first user account is locked.   
     
     
         8 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the security response to the user input further comprises:
 allowing access to the user to a first of the user accounts in response to determining that the input user name corresponds to a user name associated with the first user account, determining that the password is valid, and determining that the first user account is unlocked.   
     
     
         9 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the security response to the user input further comprises:
 denying access to the user to the plurality of user accounts in response to determining that the input user name corresponds to a user name associated with each of the user accounts, determining that the password is valid, and determining that each of the user accounts is locked.   
     
     
         10 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the security response to the user input further comprises:
 allowing access to the user to a first of the user accounts for which the password is valid in response to determining that the input user name corresponds to a user name associated with each of the user accounts, determining that the password is valid only for the first user account, and determining that each of the user accounts is unlocked.   
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the security response to the user input further comprises:
 denying access to the user to the plurality of user accounts and adding at least one strike to each of the user accounts in response to determining that the input user name corresponds to the a user name associated with each of the user accounts, determining that the password is valid not only for a first of the plurality of user accounts, and determining that each of the user accounts is unlocked.   
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the security response to the user input further comprises:
 denying access to the user to the plurality of user accounts in response to determining that the input user name corresponds to the a user name associated with each of the user accounts, determining that the password is valid not only for a first of the plurality of user accounts, and determining that each of the user accounts is unlocked.   
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the security response to the user input further comprises:
 denying access to the user to the plurality of user accounts and adding at least one strike to each of the user accounts in response to determining that the input user name corresponds to a user name associated with each of the user accounts, determining that the password is valid not only for a first of a plurality of user accounts, and determining that at least the first user account is locked and at least a second of the plurality of user accounts is unlocked.   
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the security response to the user input further comprises:
 denying access to the user to the plurality of user accounts in response to determining that the input user name corresponds to a user name associated with each of the user accounts, determining that the password is valid not only for a first of a plurality of user accounts, and determining that at least the first user account is locked and at least a second of the plurality of user accounts is unlocked.   
     
     
         15 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the security response to the user input further comprises:
 denying access to the user to the plurality of user accounts and adding at least one strike to each of the plurality of user accounts that is unlocked in response to determining that the input user name corresponds to a user name associated with each of the user accounts, determining that the password is valid only for a first user account, and determining that at least the first user account is locked and at least a second of the plurality of user accounts is unlocked.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein selecting the security response to the user input further comprises:
 allowing access to the user to a first of the user accounts in response to determining that the input user name corresponds to a user name associated with each of the user accounts, determining that the password is valid only for the first user account, and determining that at least the first user account is unlocked and at least a second of the plurality of user accounts is locked.   
     
     
         17 . A network security management system comprising:
 a server comprising at least one processor and at least one memory element, the server operable to:   receive a user input from a user comprising a user name and a password;   determine whether the input user name potentially corresponds to a plurality of user accounts;   determine whether the password is valid;   determine whether each of the user accounts is locked;   via the processor, select a security response to the user input based upon whether the input user name potentially corresponds to the plurality of user accounts, whether the password is valid, and whether each of the user accounts is locked; and   output the security response.   
     
     
         18 . A computer program product comprising:
 a computer-usable storage device having stored thereon computer-usable program code that, when executed by a system comprising a processor and a memory, manages network security, the computer-usable storage device comprising:   computer-usable program code that receives a user input from a user comprising a user name and a password;   computer-usable program code that determines whether the input user name potentially corresponds to a plurality of user accounts;   computer-usable program code that determines whether the password is valid;   computer-usable program code that determines whether each of the user accounts is locked;   computer-usable program code that selects a security response to the user input based upon whether the input user name potentially corresponds to the plurality of user accounts, whether the password is valid, and whether each of the user accounts is locked; and   computer-usable program code that outputs the security response.   
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 18 , wherein the computer-usable program code that selects the security response to the user input further comprises:
 computer-usable program code that denies access to the user to a first of the user accounts in response to determining that the input user name corresponds to a user name associated with the first user account, determining that the password is invalid, and determining that the first user account is locked.   
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 18 , wherein the computer-usable program code that selects the security response to the user input further comprises:
 computer-usable program code that denies access to the user to a first of the user accounts and adds at least one strike to the first user account in response to determining that the input user name corresponds to a user name associated with the first user account, determining that the password is invalid, and determining that the first user account is unlocked.