Systems and methods for third-party authentication

• US 20070067620A1
• Filed: 09/06/2006
• Published: 03/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Marble Security, Inc. (Proofpoint Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Ironkey Incorporated (Proofpoint Incorporated)
• Inventors: Jevans, David
• Application Number:
  US11/517,129
• Publication Number:
  US 20070067620A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/156
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3263 involving certificates, e.g. public key certificate [PKC] or attribute certificate [AC]; Public key infrastructure [PKI] arrangements network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using certificates in a packet data network H04L63/0823

Abstract

A third-party authentication system can comprise a third-party digital device configured to receive an authentication signal to establish a secure link between a first-party device and a second-party network site, transmit a request to the first-party device for security information, the security information comprising a digital certificate, receive for security information, authenticate the digital certificate, and transmit an authentication file to the first-party device.

Claims

1. A third-party authentication system comprising:

a third-party digital device configured to

receive an authentication signal to establish a secure link between a first-party device and a second-party network site;

transmit a request to the first-party device for security information, the security information comprising a digital certificate;

receive the security information;

authenticate the digital certificate; and

transmit an authentication file to the first-party device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first-party device comprises a USB storage device configured to store the digital certificate.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second-party server configured to receive the authentication file from the first-party device, verify the authentication file, and establish a secure link between the first-party device and the second-party network site.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the security information further comprises a serial number of a USB device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the authentication signal further indicates a second-party network site address.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the authorization file comprises a code based on the second-party network site address.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the authentication signal is triggered by the first-party device downloading a web page from the second-party network site.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the authentication signal is triggered in response to the first-party device interacting with a web page from the second-party network site.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the third-party digital device is further configured to

receive an other authentication signal from the first-party device to establish a secure link between the first-party device and a fourth-party network site;

transmit an other request to the first-party device for the security information, the security information comprising the digital certificate;

receive the security information;

authenticate the digital certificate; and

transmit an other authentication file to the first-party device.

10. A third-party authentication method comprising:

receiving an authentication signal at a third-party digital device to establish a secure link between a first-party device and a second-party network site;

transmitting a request from the third-party digital device to the first-party device for security information, the security information comprising a digital certificate;

receiving the security information;

authenticating the digital certificate; and

transmitting an authentication file from the third-party digital device to the first-party device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first-party device comprises a USB storage device configured to store the digital certificate.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving the authentication file from the first-party device, verifying the authentication file, and establishing a secure link between the first-party device and the second-party network site.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the security information further comprises a serial number of a USB device.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the authentication signal further indicates a second-party network site address.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the authorization file comprises a code based on the second-party network site address.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising triggering the authentication signal based on the first-party device downloading a web page from the second-party network site.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising triggering the authentication signal based on the first-party device interacting with a web page from the second-party network site.

18. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving an other authentication signal from a fourth-party network site to establish a secure link between the first-party device and the fourth-party network site;

transmitting an other request from the third-party digital device to the first-party device for the security information, the security information comprising a digital certificate;

receiving the security information;

authenticating the digital certificate; and

transmitting an other authentication file from the third-party digital device to the first-party device.

19. A third-party authentication software product comprising:

software operational when executed by a processor to

receive an authentication signal at a third-party digital device to establish a secure link between a first-party device and a second-party network site;

transmit a request from the third-party digital device to the first-party device for security information, the security information comprising a digital certificate;

receive the security information;

authenticate the digital certificate; and

transmit an authentication file from the third-party digital device to the first-party device; and

a storage medium configured to store the software product.

20. The software product of claim 19, wherein the first-party device comprises a USB storage device configured to store the digital certificate.

21. The software product of claim 19, wherein the software is further operational when executed by the processor to receive the authentication file from the first-party device, verify the authentication file, and establish a secure link between the first-party device and the second-party network site.

22. The software product of claim 19, wherein the security information further comprises a serial number of a USB device.

23. The software product of claim 19, wherein the authentication signal further indicates a second-party network site address.

24. The software product of claim 23, wherein the authorization file comprises a code based on the second-party network site address.

25. The software product of claim 19, wherein the authentication signal is triggered by the first-party device downloading a web page from the second-party network site.

26. The software product of claim 19, wherein the authentication signal is triggered in response to the first-party device interacting with a web page from the second-party network site.

27. The software product of claim 19, wherein the software is further operational when executed by the processor to receive an other authentication signal from a fourth-party network site to establish a secure link between the first-party device and the fourth-party network site, transmit an other request from the third-party digital device to the first-party device for the security information, the security information comprising the digital certificate, receive the security information, authenticate the digital certificate, and transmit an other authentication file from the third-party digital device to the first-party device.