Abstract: An association system for associating digital assets may include a processing device, a first computer-readable storage medium portion in communication with the processing device that includes an association database of statements regarding a set of digital assets and associations between the digital assets in the set, and a second computer-readable storage medium portion in communication with the electronic device. The second computer-readable storage medium portion may include one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the processing device to receive electronic data including a statement defining an association between a delegating digital asset and a receiving digital asset, verify whether the statement is reliable, and, in response to verifying that the statement is reliable, add an entry to the association database, and store in the entry an indication that the delegating digital asset grants the receiving digital asset the one or more characteristics.

Abstract: A backup account recovery authentication of last resort using social authentication is described. The account holder requests trustees who have been previously identified to obtain an account recovery code. The account recovery system sends a communication to the trustee for information to verify the trustee as one of the previously identified trustees. The account recovery system then may transmit a link and code with instructions for the trustee to return the link. The account recovery system then transmits a situational query to the trustee to provide additional security. Finally, if all the communications have been completed for the required level of security, the account recovery code is transmitted to the trustee. The trustee sends the account recovery code to the account holder for access to an account.

Abstract: A method for protecting stored account data from unauthorized access includes receiving data elements corresponding to an account of a user, identifying a plurality of signals in the data elements, and determining a signal value for each of the signals. The signals correspond to various characteristics of the account. The method also includes assigning a plurality of weights (according to various criteria) to at least a subset of the signal values to yield a set of weighted signal values, and using the set of weighted signal values to assign an account value to the account. The method further includes using the account value to select a security-related action or a storage-related action that corresponds to the account value, and instructing data storage facilities from which the data elements were received to automatically implement the selected security related action or the selected storage-related action.

Abstract: A method for protecting stored account data from unauthorized access includes receiving data elements corresponding to an account of a user, identifying a plurality of signals in the data elements, and determining a signal value for each of the signals. The signals correspond to various characteristics of the account. The method also includes assigning a plurality of weights (according to various criteria) to at least a subset of the signal values to yield a set of weighted signal values, and using the set of weighted signal values to assign an account value to the account. The method further includes using the account value to select a security-related action or a storage-related action that corresponds to the account value, and instructing data storage facilities from which the data elements were received to automatically implement the selected security related action or the selected storage-related action.

Abstract: An association system for associating digital assets may include a processing device, a first computer-readable storage medium portion in communication with the processing device that includes an association database of statements regarding a set of digital assets and associations between the digital assets in the set, and a second computer-readable storage medium portion in communication with the electronic device. The second computer-readable storage medium portion may include one or more programming instructions that, when executed, cause the processing device to receive electronic data including a statement defining an association between a delegating digital asset and a receiving digital asset, verify whether the statement is reliable, and, in response to verifying that the statement is reliable, add an entry to the association database, and store in the entry an indication that the delegating digital asset grants the receiving digital asset the one or more characteristics.

Abstract: A system determines a value of an online account, and uses that value to identify a security-related mechanism for the account. The system determines the account value by taking as input various quantified characteristics of the account. The system weights each characteristic according to various criteria. The system may then use the weighted signals as inputs of an algorithm to calculate the account value for the account, and it may determine a security-related action that corresponds to the account value.

Abstract: A backup account recovery authentication of last resort using social authentication is described. The account holder requests trustees who have been previously identified to obtain an account recovery code. The account recovery system sends a communication to the trustee for information to verify the trustee as one of the previously identified trustees. The account recovery system then may transmit a link and code with instructions for the trustee to return the link. The account recovery system then transmits a situational query to the trustee to provide additional security. Finally, if all the communications have been completed for the required level of security, the account recovery code is transmitted to the trustee. The trustee sends the account recovery code to the account holder for access to an account.

Abstract: A backup account recovery authentication of last resort using social authentication is described. The account holder requests trustees who have been previously identified to obtain an account recovery code. The account recovery system sends a communication to the trustee for information to verify the trustee as one of the previously identified trustees. The account recovery system then may transmit a link and code with instructions for the trustee to return the link. The account recovery system then transmits a situational query to the trustee to provide additional security. Finally, if all the communications have been completed for the required level of security, the account recovery code is transmitted to the trustee. The trustee sends the account recovery code to the account holder for access to an account.

Abstract: The subject disclosure is directed towards authentic timing indicators, comprising data (e.g., an animation) that are output to a user to convey security-related information to the user, using timing to call attention to the authentic timing indicators. For example, a browser program may select and output a particular authentic timing indicator based upon whether a connection to a site is unsecure, secure, or secure and the site has an extended validation certificate; an email program may use authentic timing indicators to highlight signed versus unsigned messages. The authentic timing indicator appears before the content is allowed to control the content pane, increasing the difficulty of spoofing a site, or email message.

Abstract: The access control management technique described herein manages access control to one or more resources. Rather than mapping individuals or groups to permissions, the technique maps each permission (the right to perform an action on a resource) to the list of authorized principals (the users and groups authorized to perform the action on the resource). These lists are written in text form just as one would write the list of recipients (individuals and groups) of an email composition window. The technique also provides various operations to allow a user to manage the list of authorized principals and the authorizations assigned to a principal to access the resource/action pair.

Abstract: A backup account recovery authentication of last resort using social authentication is described. The account holder requests trustees who have been previously identified to obtain an account recovery code. The account recovery system sends a communication to the trustee for information to verify the trustee as one of the previously identified trustees. The account recovery system then may transmit a link and code with instructions for the trustee to return the link. The account recovery system then transmits a situational query to the trustee to provide additional security. Finally, if all the communications have been completed for the required level of security, the account recovery code is transmitted to the trustee. The trustee sends the account recovery code to the account holder for access to an account.