Method and system for easily and securely managing multiple keys used to have access to multiple computing resources

Abstract

The present invention is directed to a system, method and computer program for easily and securely managing multiple keys on a computer, each key being used to access one or a plurality of computing resources. The method comprises the steps of receiving a command for selecting a key among one or plurality of keys, each key comprising one or a plurality of key fields; receiving a command for activating a computing resource corresponding to the selected key in order to have access to the computing resource; retrieving and displaying on a computer screen, the one or plurality of key fields associated with the selected key; displaying on the computer screen one or a plurality of input fields, each input field being used to enter the content of an appropriate key field associated with the key selected to access the activated computing resource; passing, in response to an action of a pointing device on a displayed key field, the content of the key field in an appropriate input field of the activated computing resource; and having access to the activated computing resource when all key fields of the selected key have been passed to the appropriate input fields.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for securely managing multiple keys on a computer system, each key being used to access one or more computing resources, each of the keys including a plurality of key fields, and each of the key fields having a name and a value, said method comprising:
 storing the multiple keys in a key file, each of the keys including a plurality of key fields, including storing the key fields of each of the multiple keys in a key table;   receiving a command from a user to access the key file;   the computer system displaying the key file on a display screen of the computer system, including displaying a list of the multiple keys in the key file;   the user selecting one of the keys in the key file, said one of the keys being used to access an associated one of the computing resources;   displaying the selected key on the display screen, including displaying the key fields of the selected key;   displaying on the display screen a plurality of input fields for receiving the values of the key fields of the selected key;   identifying on the display screen each of the input fields with one of the names of the key fields of the selected key;   the user interacting with the display of the selected key and the display of the plurality of input fields, using a graphical user interface, to pass the value of each of the key fields of said selected key, one value at a time, from the key table to said input fields, including entering the value for each of the key fields into the input field identified on the display screen with the name of said each key field; and   giving the user access to the associated one of the computing resources when the values of all the key fields of the selected key have been passed to the input fields.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the user interacting with the displays on the display screen, comprises:
 dragging the value of one of the key fields of the selected key to one of the input fields.   
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the user interacting with the displays on the display screen, comprises:
 updating a pointing device icon displayed on the computer screen according to the remaining fields that are still to be passed before the computing resource can be accessed.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the user interacting with the displays on the display screen, comprises:
 updating a pointing device icon displayed on the computer screen according to the passed key field.   
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the user interacting with the displays on the display screen, comprises:
 updating a pointing device icon displayed on the computer screen according to the key fields that have already been passed.   
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the receiving a command from a user, comprises:
 displaying on the computer screen one or plurality of the multiple keys.   
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising associating with each key field of a key:
 means for identifying the key field;   a content to paste in an input field; and   an indication specifying that the content to paste must only be pasted in a protected input field, each input field of a computing resource being defined as either protected or unprotected, the content pasted in a protected input field being hidden from the user.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 recording one or a plurality of the multiple keys in a key ring file.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising associating with each key;
 means for identifying and reaching one or a plurality of computing resources.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 retrieving a secret private key under which information recorded in the key file is encrypted; and   encrypting and decrypting said key file using said secrete private key.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the steps of the method are transparent for said one or more computing resources. 
     
     
         12 . A system for securely managing multiple keys on a computer system, each of said keys being used to access one or more computing resources, each of the keys including a plurality of key fields, and each of the fey fields having a name and a value, said system comprising:
 a storage device on the computer system for storing the multiple keys in a key file, including storing the key fields of each of the multiple keys in a key table;   the computer system receiving a command from a user to access the key file;   the computer system displaying the key file on a display screen of the computer system, including displaying a list of the multiple keys in the key file;   the computer system receiving input from the user selecting one of the keys in the key file, said one of the keys being used to access an associated one of the computing resources;   the computer system displaying on the display screen the selected key, including displaying the key fields of the selected key;   the computer system displaying on the display screen a plurality of input fields for receiving the values of the key fields of the selected key; and identifying on the display screen each of the input fields with one of the names of the key fields of the selected key;   the computer system receiving input from the user, by the user interacting with the display of the listing of said selected key and the display of the plurality of input fields using a graphical user interface, to pass the value of each of the key fields of said selected key, one value at a time, from the key table to said input fields including entering the value for each of the key fields into the input field identified on the display screen with the name of said each key field; and   the computer system giving the user access to the associated one of the computing resources when the values of all the key fields of the selected key have been passed to the input fields.   
     
     
         13 . The system according to  claim 12 , wherein the input from the user includes:
 input for dragging one of the key fields of the selected key to one of the input fields.   
     
     
         14 . A program storage device including a tangible storage medium readable by machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for securely managing multiple keys on a computer system, each of said keys being used to access one or more computing resources, each of the keys including a plurality of key fields, and each of the key fields having a name and a value, the method comprising:
 storing the multiple keys in a key file, including storing the key fields of each of the multiple keys in a key table;   receiving a command from a user to access the key file;   displaying the key file on a display screen of the computer system, including displaying a list of the multiple keys in the key file;   receiving from the user input for selecting one of the keys in the key file, said one of the keys being used to access an associated one of the computing resources;   displaying on the display screen the selected key, including displaying the key fields of the selected key;   displaying on the display screen a plurality of input fields for receiving the values of the key fields of the selected key;   identifying on the display screen each of the input fields with one of the names of the key fields of the selected key;   receiving input from the user, by the user interacting with the display of the listing of said selected key and the display of the plurality of input fields using a graphical user interface, to pass the value of each of the key fields of said selected key, one value at a time, from the key table to said input fields including entering the value for each of the key fields into the input field identified on the display screen with the name of said each key field; and   giving the user access to the associated one of the computing resources when the values of all the key fields of the selected key have been passed to the input fields.   
     
     
         15 . The program storage device according to  claim 14 , wherein the receiving input from the user, by the user interacting with the display of the listing of said selected key and the display of the plurality of input fields using a graphical user interface, comprises:
 receiving input from the user for dragging one of the key fields of the selected key to one of the input fields.