SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING SECURE SERVICES OVER PUBLIC AND PRIVATE NETWORKS USING A REMOVABLE PORTABLE COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE

• US 20030014371A1
• Filed: 09/10/1999
• Published: 01/16/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fidelity Information Services, LLC (Fidelity National Information Services Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: NYCE Payments Network LLC (Fidelity National Information Services Incorporated)
• Inventors: TURGEON, PAUL CHARLES
• Granted Patent: US 7,386,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/71
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/211 Software architecture within ATMs or in relation to the ATM network
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/10 together with a coded signal , e.g. in the form of personal identification information, like personal identification number [PIN] or biometric data
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1066 PIN data being compared to data on card

Abstract

A system and method provides secure access over public communication lines using encrypted information on a removable, portable storage medium. Information relating to a customer'"'"'s financial account is encrypted and stored to a disk. When a customer desires to purchase goods and/or services on-line or access his financial account, he inserts the CD into a disk drive of a personal computer. The encrypted information is retrieved from the disk and transmitted, via public communications lines, to a computer maintaining a Web site for providing the requested goods and/or services. The computer then forwards the encrypted information to a secure network. A processor on the secure network processes the customer'"'"'s request, and denies or approves the transaction based on the received information. The results of such processing are returned to the computer maintaining the Web site for completing or aborting the transaction.

Claims

1. A system for providing financial services over a public network accessible by a plurality of customers via respective network access devices with modems and over a private network accessible by a plurality of financial institutions via computers with modems, said financial institutions maintaining respective financial accounts for said plurality of customers, said system comprising:

a network access device including a programmable controller for executing code and a memory for storing a browser software to interface with said public network, a customer using said network access device and a computer-readable portable storage medium to access a customer'"'"'s financial account via said public network, said computer-readable portable storage medium having encrypted and unencrypted information recorded thereon pertaining to said customer'"'"'s financial account; and

a decryption processor, connected to said network access device via said public network, for decrypting said encrypted information retrieved from said storage medium such that a financial institution, connected to said decryption processor via said private network, determines an access to said customer'"'"'s financial account on the basis of the decrypted information.

2. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a computer connected to said network access device via said public network, said computer hosting a site for goods or services available on-line, said computer comprising a microprocessor being operative to transfer an active module to said network access device in response to said customer requesting the access to said customer'"'"'s financial account by using said computer-readable portable storage medium.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein said active module contains code which is executed by said programmable controller in said network access device such that said unencrypted information is displayed to said customer who is requested to enter a first identifier related to said customer'"'"'s financial account.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein said programmable controller is operative to transfer the entered first identifier and the encrypted information to said computer for forwarding to said decryption processor.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein said decryption processor is operative to extract a second identifier pertaining to said customer'"'"'s financial account from the decrypted information and to re-encrypt the extracted second identifier.

6. The system according to claim 5, further comprising a network switch located on said private network for routing the re-encrypted second identifier received from said decryption processor to said financial institution maintaining said customer'"'"'s financial account for determining whether to approve the access to said customer'"'"'s financial account.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein said financial institution generates a code for indicating whether or not the access to said customer'"'"'s financial account has been approved and transfers the generated code to said decryption processor via said network switch.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein customer'"'"'s address data is displayed to said customer on said network access device if said code represents an access approval.

9. The system according to claim 3, wherein the displayed unencrypted information includes a name of said financial institution maintaining said customer'"'"'s financial account.

10. The system according to claim 3, wherein the displayed unencrypted information includes an audio message pertaining to said financial institution maintaining said customer'"'"'s financial account.

11. The system according to claim 3, wherein the displayed unencrypted information includes advertising information pertaining to said financial institution maintaining said customer'"'"'s financial account.

12. The system according to claim 1, wherein said computer-readable portable storage medium is a CD-ROM.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said CD-ROM is produced by a card production facility, based on a card production file, for mailing said CD-ROM to said customer.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said card production file includes an encrypted first identifier pertaining to said customer'"'"'s financial account and said unencrypted information pertaining to said financial institution.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein said encrypted first identifier is generated by an encryption module for encrypting a first identifier.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein said first identifier prior to the encryption is generated by a card issuance system which is further operative to generate a second identifier pertaining to said customer'"'"'s financial account, the generated second identifier being transferred to a mailer production facility for mailing to said customer.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising using said computer-readable portable storage medium in said network access device in response to an active module being downloaded to and executed at said network access device such that said unencrypted information is displayed to said customer.

19. The method according to claim 18, further comprising entering an identifier pertaining to said customer'"'"'s financial account in response to the executed active module.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein said unencrypted information includes a name of said financial institution maintaining said customer'"'"'s financial account.

21. The method according to claim 19, wherein said unencrypted information includes an audio message pertaining to said financial institution maintaining said customer'"'"'s financial account.

22. The method according to claim 19, wherein said unencrypted information includes advertising information pertaining to said financial institution maintaining said customer'"'"'s financial account.

23. The method according to claim 17, wherein said computer-readable portable storage medium is a CD-ROM.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein said CD-ROM is produced on the basis of a card production file that includes an encrypted identifier pertaining to said customer'"'"'s financial account and said unencrypted information pertaining to said financial institution.

25. The method according to claim 17, further comprising reviewing customer'"'"'s address data displayed on a monitor of said network access device if said financial institution has approved the access to said customer'"'"'s financial account.

27. The storage medium according to claim 26, wherein said unencrypted information further includes an audio message pertaining to said financial institution.

28. The storage medium according to claim 26, wherein said unencrypted information includes advertising information pertaining to said financial institution.

17. A method for providing financial services over a public network accessible by a plurality of customers via respective network access devices with modems and over a private network accessible by a plurality of financial institutions via computers with modems, said financial institutions maintaining respective financial accounts for said plurality of customers, said method comprising:

accessing a customer'"'"'s financial account via said public network using a network access device and a computer-readable portable storage medium having encrypted and unencrypted information recorded thereon pertaining to said customer'"'"'s financial account;

retrieving said encrypted and unencrypted information from said storage medium; and

decrypting the retrieved encrypted information such that a financial institution determines an access to said customer'"'"'s financial account on the basis of the decrypted information.

26. A computer-readable portable storage medium having recorded thereon code, executable by a programmable controller, for providing financial services over a public network accessible by a plurality of customers via respective network access devices with modems and over a private network accessible by a plurality of financial institutions via computers with modems, said financial institutions maintaining respective financial accounts for said plurality of customers, said storage medium comprising:

first code means for storing encrypted information for accessing a customer'"'"'s financial account via said public network; and

second code means for storing unencrypted information for displaying a name of a financial institution maintaining said customer'"'"'s financial account in response to a customer using said storage medium in a network access device to request an access to said financial account.