Systems and Methods for Security Verification in Electronic Learning Systems and Other Systems

Abstract

The embodiments described herein relate to security verification systems and methods. In some aspects, there is provided a security verification server comprising a server processor. The server processor is adapted to provide at least one account identifier, receive at least one command for execution, determine whether to activate one or more available additional permission sets to execute the received command, and if it is determined that one or more additional permission sets should be activated to execute the received command, activate those permission sets by executing the security verification processes associated therewith.

1 . A security verification system for an electronic learning system, comprising:
 at least one client computer having a client processor, the client processor adapted to send at least one command for execution; and   at least one server having a server processor in data communication with the at least one client computer, the server processor being adapted to:
 provide at least one account identifier, the at least one account identifier being associated with zero or more permission sets available for activation, each permission set comprising permissions to execute one or more commands when that permission set is activated and each permission set having a security verification process associated therewith to activate that permission set, 
 receive at least one command for execution from the at least one client computer, each command having command-specific requirements comprising zero or more permission sets to be activated before the command is executed, 
 determine whether to activate one or more available additional permission sets to execute the received command, and 
 if it is determined that one or more additional permission sets should be activated to execute the received command, activate those permission sets by executing the security verification processes associated therewith. 
   
     
     
         2 . The security system of  claim 1  further comprising a portable electronic device in data communication with the server, and wherein the security verification process comprises sending information to that portable electronic device 
     
     
         3 . The security system of  claim 2 , wherein the security verification process comprises receiving a response to the information sent to the portable electronic device. 
     
     
         4 . A security verification server comprising a server processor, the server processor being adapted to:
 provide at least one account identifier, the at least one account identifier being associated with zero or more permission sets available for activation, each permission set comprising permissions to execute one or more commands when that permission set is activated and each permission set having a security verification process associated therewith to activate that permission set;   receive at least one command for execution, each command having command-specific requirements comprising zero or more permission sets to be activated before the command is executed;   determine whether to activate one or more available additional permission sets to execute the received command; and   if it is determined that one or more additional permission sets should be activated to execute the received command, activate those permission sets by executing the security verification processes associated therewith.   
     
     
         5 . The server of  claim 4 , wherein the server processor is further adapted to modify the command-specific requirements based on user input. 
     
     
         6 . The server of  claim 4 , wherein the server processor is further adapted to modify the security verification process based on user input. 
     
     
         7 . The server of  claim 4 , wherein the server processor is further adapted to determine an operational context associated with the received command, and modify the command-specific requirements based on the operational context. 
     
     
         8 . The server of  claim 7 , wherein the operational context includes location information indicative of the location of where the at least one command is received from. 
     
     
         9 . The server of  claim 7 , wherein the operational context includes time information indicative of when the command was received. 
     
     
         10 . The server of  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the available permission sets includes at least one operational context-based permission set, the operational context-based permission set comprising permissions to execute one or more commands in a given operational context. 
     
     
         11 . The server of  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the available permission sets includes at least one role-based permission set, the role-based permission set comprising permissions to execute one or more commands that are associated with a role. 
     
     
         12 . The server of  claim 7 , wherein at least one of the available permission sets includes at least one task-based permission set, the task-based permission set comprising permissions to execute one or more commands that are associated with a functional task. 
     
     
         13 . The server of  claim 7 , wherein once one of the permission sets is activated, the permission set remains activated for a defined period and after the period expires, the server processor is further adapted to deactivate the permission set. 
     
     
         14 . The server of  claim 7 , wherein the security verification process comprises at least one of a passive security verification process and an active security verification process. 
     
     
         15 . The server of  claim 14 , wherein when the security verification process includes a passive security verification process, the server is further adapted to send at least one notice to a contact associated with the at least one account identifier. 
     
     
         16 . The server of  claim 14 , wherein when the security verification process includes an active security verification process, the server is further adapted to receive input from client, and based on the received input, determine whether to activate the permission set. 
     
     
         17 . A security verification method comprising:
 providing at least one account identifier, the at least one account identifier being associated with zero or more permission sets available for activation, each permission set comprising permissions to execute one or more commands when that permission set is activated and each permission set having a security verification process associated therewith to activate that permission set;   receiving at least one command for execution, each command having command-specific requirements comprising zero or more of the permission sets to be activated before the command is executed;   determining whether to activate one or more available additional permission sets to execute the received command; and   if it is determined that one or more additional permission sets should be activated to execute the received command, activating those permission sets by executing the security verification processes associated therewith.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising receiving user input and modifying the command-specific requirements based on the user input. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising receiving user input and modifying the security verification process based on the user input. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising determining a operational context associated with the received command, and modifying the command-specific requirements based on the operational context. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the operational context includes location information indicative of the location of where the at least one command is received from. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the operational context includes time information indicative of when the command was received. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein at least one of the available permission sets includes at least one operational context-based permission set, the operational context-based permission set comprising permissions to execute one or more commands in a given operational context. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein at least one of the available permission sets includes at least one role-based permission set, the role-based permission set comprising permissions to execute one or more commands that are associated with a role. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein at least one of the available permission sets includes at least one task-based permission set, the task-based permission set comprising permissions to execute one or more commands that are associated with a functional task. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein when one of the permission sets is activated, the permission set remains activated for a defined period and after the period expires, the permission set is deactivated. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the security verification process comprises at least one of a passive security verification process and an active security verification process. 
     
     
         28 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein the passive security verification process comprises sending at least one notice to a contact associated with the at least one account identifier. 
     
     
         29 . The method according to  claim 27 , wherein the active security verification process comprises requesting and receiving additional input prior to activating the permission set associated therewith. 
     
     
         30 . A security verification method comprising:
 providing at least one account identifier, each account identifier being associated with one or more permission sets available for activation, each permission set comprising permissions to execute one or more commands when that permission set is activated and each permission set having a security verification process associated therewith to activate that permission set;   receiving at least one command for execution, each command having command-specific requirements comprising one or more of the permission sets to be activated before the command is executed;   determining whether to activate one or more available additional permission sets to execute the received command; and   if it is determined that one or more additional permission sets should be activated to execute the received command, activating those permission sets by executing the security verification processes associated therewith.