Systems and methods for using vehicles as information sources for knowledge-based authentication

• US 10,404,697 B1
• Filed: 12/28/2015
• Issued: 09/03/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gen Digital Inc.
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Jiang, Kevin, Sokolov, Ilya, McCorkendale, Bruce
• Primary Examiner(s): Colin, Carl G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Little, Vance M
• Application Number:
  US14/979,620
• Time in Patent Office: 1,345 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/12 specially adapted for proprietary or special-purpose networking environments, e.g. medical networks, sensor networks, networks in vehicles or remote metering networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

The disclosed computer-implemented method for using vehicles as information sources for knowledge-based authentication may include (1) identifying a vehicle belonging to a user who is attempting to authenticate with an identity-verification authority, (2) acquiring analytic information about the vehicle, (3) generating, by analyzing the analytic information about the vehicle, at least one authentication question, where the correct response to the authentication question requires knowledge about the vehicle, (4) presenting the authentication question to the user, and (5) authenticating the identity of the user based on the user responding correctly to the authentication question. Various other methods, systems, and computer-readable media are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for using vehicles as information sources for knowledge-based authentication, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:

determining that a user is attempting to authenticate, over a network, an identity with an identity-verification authority that controls access to a secure digital service;

in response to determining that the user is attempting to authenticate the identity with the identity-verification authority, identifying, based at least in part on querying a government-managed database of vehicle owners using personally identifying information associated with the identity, a vehicle that belongs to an individual represented by the identity;

acquiring, from the vehicle, analytic information about the vehicle;

generating, by analyzing the analytic information acquired from the vehicle, at least one knowledge-based authentication question, wherein a correct response to the knowledge-based authentication question requires knowledge about the vehicle that demonstrates direct physical access to the vehicle;

testing whether the user has direct physical access to the vehicle by presenting the knowledge-based authentication question to the user;

authenticating the identity as the identity of the user based on the user responding correctly to the knowledge-based authentication question, wherein the user responding correctly to the knowledge-based authentication question demonstrates that the user has direct physical access to the vehicle; and

granting, based on authenticating the identity of the user, the user access to the secure digital service.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the vehicle that belongs to the individual represented by the identity comprises requesting the personally identifying information from the user.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein acquiring the analytic information from the vehicle comprises the vehicle digitally signing the analytic information before transmitting the analytic information.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the vehicle is equipped with a trusted platform module that enables the vehicle to securely provide analytic information to a computing device remote from the vehicle by digitally signing the analytic information before transmitting the analytic information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein acquiring the analytic information comprises the vehicle transmitting the analytic information via a wireless network.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein acquiring the analytic information comprises storing the analytic information in association with the time at which the analytic information was collected.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein acquiring the analytic information comprises receiving an aggregate report of analytic information from the vehicle that contains data from more than one sensor of the vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the analytic information comprises at least one of:

a fuel gauge reading;

an odometer reading;

physical location information;

a list of recently played radio stations;

a list of media played through an onboard entertainment system;

transponder information; and

a list of devices paired to an internal network that is integrated with the vehicle.

9. A system for using vehicles as information sources for knowledge-based authentication, the system comprising:

a determination module, stored in a memory of the system, that determines that a user is attempting to authenticate, over a network, an identity with an identity-verification authority that controls access to a secure digital service;

an identification module, stored in the memory, that, in response to determining that the user is attempting to authenticate the identity with the identity-verification authority, identifies, based at least in part on querying a government-managed database of vehicle owners using personally identifying information associated with the identity, a vehicle that belongs to an individual represented by the identity;

an acquisition module, stored in memory, that acquires, from the vehicle, analytic information about the vehicle;

a generation module, stored in memory, that generates, by analyzing the analytic information acquired from the vehicle, at least one knowledge-based authentication question, wherein a correct response to the knowledge-based authentication question requires knowledge about the vehicle that demonstrates direct physical access to the vehicle;

a presentation module, stored in memory, that tests whether the user has direct physical access to the vehicle by presenting the knowledge-based authentication question to the user;

an authentication module, stored in memory, that;

authenticates the identity as the identity of the user based on the user responding correctly to the knowledge-based authentication question, wherein the user responding correctly to the knowledge-based authentication question demonstrates that the user has direct physical access to the vehicle; and

grants, based on authenticating the identity of the user, the user access to the secure digital service; and

at least one physical processor configured to execute the determination module, the identification module, the acquisition module, the generation module, the presentation module, and the authentication module.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the identification module identifies the vehicle that belongs to the individual represented by the identity by requesting personally identifying information from the user.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the vehicle digitally signs the analytic information before providing the analytic information to the acquisition module.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the vehicle is equipped with a trusted platform module that enables the vehicle to securely provide analytic information to a computing device remote from the vehicle by digitally signing the analytic information before transmitting the analytic information.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the vehicle transmits the analytic information via a wireless network.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the acquisition module acquires the analytic information by storing the analytic information in association with the time at which the analytic information was collected.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the acquisition module acquires the analytic information by receiving an aggregate report of analytic information from the vehicle that contains data from more than one sensor of the vehicle.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the analytic information comprises at least one of:

a fuel gauge reading;

an odometer reading;

physical location information;

a list of recently played radio stations;

a list of media played through an onboard entertainment system;

transponder information; and

a list of devices paired to an internal network that is integrated with the vehicle.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising one or more computer-readable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

determine that a user is attempting to authenticate, over a network, an identity with an identity-verification authority that controls access to a secure digital service;

in response to determining that the user is attempting to authenticate the identity with the identity-verification authority, identify, based at least in part on querying a government-managed database of vehicle owners using personally identifying information associated with the identity, a vehicle that belongs to an individual represented by the identity;

acquire, from the vehicle, analytic information about the vehicle;

generate, by analyzing the analytic information acquired from the vehicle, at least one knowledge-based authentication question, wherein a correct response to the knowledge-based authentication question requires knowledge about the vehicle that demonstrates direct physical access to the vehicle;

test whether the user has direct physical access to the vehicle by presenting the knowledge-based authentication question to the user;

authenticate the identity as the identity of the user based on the user responding correctly to the knowledge-based authentication question, wherein the user responding correctly to the knowledge-based authentication question demonstrates that the user has direct physical access to the vehicle; and

grant, based on authenticating the identity of the user, the user access to the secure digital service.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more computer-readable instructions cause the computing device to identify the vehicle that belongs to the individual represented by the identity by requesting the personally identifying information from the user.