Computer security apparatus with password hints

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Computer systems include well known security capabilities, such as password protection of data files and encryption of data files.
These capabilities are little used because the users either find such capabilities burdensome or are intimidated by the finality of such security.
FIG.
1 illustrates in block diagram form the conceptual architecture of a typical security apparatus 3 that is resident in a computer system 1, and the inclusion of the computer security apparatus 2 of the present invention.
The computer system 1 includes a user password identification system 3A and a data file encryption/decryption system 3B that are available to prevent unauthorized access to the protected data files.
Password protection of computer files is implemented on computer system 1 either as an entre to accessing the computer system I via the keyboard, and/or on an individual data file basis, and/or to block certain users from executing certain parts of application programs.
The computer system 1 activates the password identification system 3A when the user attempts to access the protected data files, or upon activation of the terminal of computer system 1.
The password identification system 3A typically provides the user with a prompt such as that illustrated in FIG.
3.
The user must then enter the password that matches the password stored in password identification system 3A, in order to have the password identification system 3A unlock the data file access prevention software resident on computer system 1.
Once the password procedure is completed, the user has unfettered access to the protected data file.
The password is provided to the computer system 1 by the user when the data file is created or the password security system 3A is initially invoked to protect the data file.
The user must thereafter enter a password that exactly matches the password initially input by the user to obtain access to the protected data file.
Encryption is an additional security capability provided on computer system 1 that renders data files undecipherable, even if the password security protection is thwarted