Abstract: In a method for improving client's login and sign-on security in accessing services offered by service providers over shared network resources such as Internet and particularly working within the framework of the www, a password is created for the client at a first attempt to access the service provider. The client's password is generated either at an authentication authority in trust relationship with the service provider and transmitted to the client, or the client is allowed to create his or her password on the basis of random character sequences transmitted from the authentication authority. For subsequent access to the service provider the authentication authority presents a client for characters in ordered sequences or in a diagram containing in an appropriate order a single occurrence of each password character.

Abstract: In a method for improving client's login and sign-on security in accessing services offered by service providers over shared network resources such as Internet and particularly working within the framework of the www, a password is created for the client at a first attempt to access the service provider. The client's password is generated either at an authentication authority in trust relationship with the service provider and transmitted to the client, or the client is allowed to create his or her password on the basis of random character sequences transmitted from the authentication authority. For subsequent access to the service provider the authentication authority presents a client for characters in ordered sequences or in a diagram containing in an appropriate order a single occurrence of each password character.