Method of Authentication of Users in Data Processing Systems

• US 20100275010A1
• Filed: 10/30/2007
• Published: 10/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Original Assignee: Telecom Italia S.p.A.
• Inventors: Ghirardi, Maurizio
• Granted Patent: US 8,407,463 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/155
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2103 Challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0838 using one-time-passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/77 Graphical identity

Abstract

A method of authentication of users in a data processing system is provided. The method includes a “Challenge” univocally associated with a user to be authenticated; processing the “Challenge” to generate an expected answer code, to be compared with an answer code that the user has to provide for authentication; encoding the generated “Challenge” for obtaining an image displayable through a display device; sending the image containing the “Challenge” to the user; displaying the image containing the “Challenge”; through a user device provided with an image-capturing device, optically capturing the displayed image; through the user device, processing the captured image for extracting from the captured image the “Challenge”, and subsequently processing the obtained “Challenge” for generating the answer code; receiving the answer code from the user and comparing it to the expected answer code; and, in case of positive comparison, authenticating the user. One among the actions of generating a “Challenge” and an expected answer code, and the action of processing the captured image that generates the answer code exploit secret information univocally associated with the user.

Claims

1. A method of authentication of users in a data processing system, the method comprising:

generating a “

Challenge”

univocally associated with a user to be authenticated;

processing the “

Challenge”

to generate an expected answer code, to be compared to an answer code that the user has to provide for authentication;

encoding the generated “

Challenge”

for obtaining an image displayable through a display device adapted to display the image to the user;

sending the image containing the “

Challenge”

to the user;

displaying to the user the image containing the “

Challenge”

through the display device;

through a user device provided with an image-capturing device, optically capturing the displayed image;

through the user device, processing the captured image for extracting from the captured image the “

Challenge”

, and subsequently processing the obtained “

Challenge”

for generating the answer code;

receiving the answer code from the user and comparing it to the expected answer code; and

in case of positive comparison, authenticating the user,

wherein one among said actions of generating a “

Challenge” and

an expected answer code, and said action of processing the captured image to generate said answer code exploit a secret information univocally associated with the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating an expected answer code includes associating with the expected answer code a time validity limit, and receiving the answer code from the user and comparing it with the expected answer code includes assessing if the answer code from the user is received within said time validity limit.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said generating the “

Challenge”

comprises generating a substantially random sequence of bits.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said generating the “

Challenge”

comprises encoding the substantially random sequence of bits into a first string of alphanumeric characters that univocally represents it.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said encoding the “

Challenge”

comprises encoding the first string of alphanumeric characters, and encoding the encoded first string of alphanumeric characters to obtain the image displayable through the display device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said generating the expected answer code includes encrypting the substantially random sequence of bits with said secret information or calculating a hash of the substantially random sequence of bits with said secret information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said generating the expected answer code includes encoding the encrypted substantially random sequence of bits, or the hash of the substantially random sequence of bits, to obtain a second string of alphanumeric characters and storing the obtained string.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said processing the captured image for extracting from the captured image the “

Challenge” and

generating the answer code includes;

decoding the first string of alphanumeric characters to obtain the substantially random sequence of bits;

encrypting the substantially random sequence of bits with said secret information to obtain a further encrypted substantially random sequence of bits, or calculating a hash of the substantially random sequence of bits with said secret information;

encoding the further encrypted substantially random sequence of bits, or the hash of the substantially sequence random of bits, to obtain the second string of alphanumeric characters, said second string of alphanumeric characters constituting the answer code.

9. The method of claim 3, wherein said generating the “

Challenge”

comprises encrypting the substantially random sequence of bits with said secret information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein said generating the “

Challenge”

comprises encoding the encrypted substantially random sequence of bits into a first string of alphanumeric characters, and encoding the first string of alphanumeric characters to obtain the image displayable through the display device.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein said generating the expected answer code includes encoding the substantially random sequence of bits into a second string of alphanumeric characters and storing the obtained second string.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said processing the captured image for extracting from the captured image the “

Challenge” and

generating the answer code includes;

decoding the first string of alphanumeric characters to obtain the encrypted substantially random sequence of bits;

decrypting the encrypted substantially random sequence of bits with said secret information to obtain the substantially random sequence of bits;

encoding the substantially random sequence of bits to obtain the second string of alphanumeric characters, said second string of alphanumeric characters constituting the answer code.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said encoding the generated “

Challenge”

for obtaining an image comprises generating a bidimensional barcode.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said authenticating the user includes to enable the user accessing, through a user data processing terminal connected to a data network, a service made available by a server connected to said network.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said encoding the generated “

Challenge”

for obtaining an image comprises including in the image summary information adapted to identify a transaction performed by the user.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said sending the image containing the “

Challenge”

to the user comprises including the image in an electronic mail message, and sending the electronic mail message to the user.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said authenticating the user includes allowing the user to display an electronic document attached to the electronic mail message.

18. A system for the authentication of users in a data processing system, the authentication system comprising:

a) an authentication server, said authentication server being in used adapted to;

generating a “

Challenge”

univocally associated with a user to be authenticated;

processing the “

Challenge”

to generate an expected answer code, to be compared to an answer code that the user has to provide for his/her authentication;

encoding the generated “

Challenge”

for obtaining an image;

sending the image containing the “

Challenge”

to a data processing terminal of the user through a data network;

wherein the user data processing terminal comprises a display device adapted to display to the user the image containing the “

Challenge”

;

b) a user device provided with an image-capturing device, adapted to optically capture the visualized image, the user device being adapted in use to process the captured image for extracting from the captured image the “

Challenge” and

to process the “

Challenge”

to generate an answer code to be compare to the expected answer code for the authentication of the user,

wherein one among said actions of generating a “

Challenge” and

generating an expected answer code, and said action of processing the captured image to generate the answer code exploits secret information univocally associated with the user.