Remote commercial applications like databases, telebanking, electronic mail systems run security mechanisms based on passwords. Too many passwords per user become a security problem. The goal of this research is to design systems allowing "password-less" user access to network services while improving the security of existing password mechanisms. A system relying on one primary login with one password is proposed. A "guard" functionality on the user login host's side relays the application service suppliers' password requests to a password server which satisfies these requests with strong "machine" passwords. To the user, this system appears to be password-less. Application providers do not have to give up their current password security. Variations of this architecture and its protocols for three levels of increasing security are described, employing complete message traffic encryption, public key cryptography, trusted hardware and software and strong authentication devices like chipcards. Keyword Codes: C.2.2; D.4.6/K.6.5; C.2.4.
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