TRUSTED REMOTE ATTESTATION AGENT (TRAA)

• US 20100306107A1
• Filed: 03/31/2010
• Published: 12/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Nahari, Hadi
• Granted Patent: US 9,734,496 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3227 using secure elements embedded in M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/14 for detecting or protecting against malicious traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/00 Security arrangements; Authentication; Protecting privacy or anonymity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/10 Integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/67 Risk-dependent, e.g. selecting a security level depending on risk profiles

Abstract

Systems and methods for use with a service provider and a consumer electronic device include a trusted remote attestation agent (TRAA) configured to perform a set of checking procedures or mechanisms to help ensure the security status of a consumer electronic device (e.g., a mobile terminal or phone) that holds financial instruments. The checking procedures may include: self-verifying integrity by the TRAA; checking for presence of a provisioning SIM card (one that was present when the financial instruments were enabled on the device); checking that a communication connection between the consumer electronic device and the service provider is available and active; and checking that communication connectivity to a home mobile network is available and active. The frequency of the checking mechanisms may be adjusted, for example, according to a risk-profile of a user associated with the device or the location (e.g., GPS location) of the device. The checks may be used, for example, to temporarily disable or limit the use of the financial instruments from the device.

Claims

1. A system for use with a service provider and a consumer electronic device, the system comprising:

an agent module configured to;

perform a set of checking mechanisms to ensure that a communication connection between the consumer electronic device and the service provider is available and active,

wherein the frequency of the checking mechanisms may be adjusted by the system.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein:

a predetermined restriction on the consumer electronic device is enforced if one or more of the checking mechanisms fail.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the system adjusts the frequency of the checking mechanisms depending on a risk-profile associated with the consumer electronic device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the agent module is included in a hardware secure module of the consumer electronic device; and

the checking mechanisms include a mechanism for verifying self-integrity by the agent module.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the agent module has a stored, protected copy of a SIM card unique identifier value; and

the checking mechanisms include a mechanism for verifying whether an identity of a SIM card of the consumer electronic device matches the stored, protected copy of the unique identifier value.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the checking mechanisms include a mechanism for checking connectivity to a home mobile network including a trusted service manager (TSM) of the service provider.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the checking mechanisms include a mechanism for checking connectivity to a financial services provider (FSP).

8. The system of claim 1, wherein

the consumer electronic device includes a provisioning SIM card that was present when the consumer electronic device was provisioned with a financial instrument by storing a copy of and protecting a unique identifier value of the provisioning SIM card in a hardware secure module of the consumer electronic device;

and

the checking mechanisms include a mechanism for verifying whether an identity of a SIM card of the consumer electronic device matches the stored, protected copy of the unique identifier value of the provisioning SIM card; and

wherein;

the system is configured to put the financial instrument in a hold state if the verification of the provisioning SIM card fails.

9. A method for use with a consumer electronic device and a service provider, the method comprising:

determining whether a SIM card is present on the consumer electronic device;

determining whether a data in a secure element of the consumer electronic device has changed;

determining, if the SIM card is present, whether a network connection to the service provider is available; and

enforcing a predetermined restriction on the consumer electronic device if either the SIM card is not present or the data in the secure element has changed and there is no confirmation from the service provider through the network connection.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

self-verifying integrity by an agent resident on the consumer electronic device, wherein if the self-verifying fails, a financial instrument on the consumer electronic device is put in a lock state so that the financial instrument is required to be re-enabled by calling the service provider.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the consumer electronic device includes a provisioning SIM card that was present when the consumer electronic device is provisioned with a financial instrument and the provisioning SIM card has a unique identifier value that is stored and protected in the consumer electronic device; and

further comprising;

if the SIM card is determined to be present, verifying whether an identity of the SIM card matches the stored, protected unique identifier value of the provisioning SIM card; and

putting the financial instrument in a hold state if the verification of the provisioning SIM card fails so that the financial instrument will become available for use once the provisioning SIM card is again present in the consumer electronic device.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the service provider comprises a trusted service manager for a financial instrument, the trusted service manager connected on a home mobile network of the consumer electronic device; and

further comprising;

if determining whether a network connection to the service provider is available fails, putting the financial instrument in a cap state, wherein financial transactions for more than a predetermined cap value are denied to the consumer electronic device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein:

the cap state is enforced until a provisioning SIM card, a connection to the trusted service manager via the home mobile network, and a connection to a financial service provider (FSP) all become available on the consumer electronic device.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the determination whether a SIM card is present, the determination whether a data has changed, the determination whether a network connection is available, and the conditional enforcement of restrictions comprise a set of checking mechanisms; and

the checking mechanisms are performed at a frequency depending on a risk-profile associated with user of the device.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the determination whether a SIM card is present, the determination whether a data has changed, the determination whether a network connection is available, and the conditional enforcement of restrictions comprise a set of checking mechanisms; and

the checking mechanisms are performed at a frequency depending on a global positioning system (GPS) location of the consumer electronic device.

16. A computer program product comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable code for instructing a processor of a device to perform a method, the method comprising:

self-verifying integrity of the computer readable code;

checking for presence of a provisioning SIM card present when the device is provisioned with a financial instrument;

checking for connectivity to a financial service provider (FSP);

checking for connectivity to a trusted service manager (TSM) via a home mobile network;

if the self-verifying fails, putting a financial instrument on the device in a lock state so that the financial instrument is required to be re-enabled by calling the service provider;

if a SIM card is determined present, verifying whether the SIM card matches the provisioning SIM card;

if the verification of the provisioning SIM card fails, putting the financial instrument in a hold state so that the financial instrument will become available for use once the provisioning SIM card is again present in the device; and

if checking for connectivity to the FSP fails and checking for connectivity to the TSM fails, putting the financial instrument in a cap state, wherein financial transactions for more than a predetermined cap value are denied to the device.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the self-verifying includes using one or more of a digital signature verification or an oblivious hashing (OH) technique applied to the computer readable code.

18. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein a frequency of the self-verification and checking is adjusted according to at least one of a user-profile associated with the device and a GPS location of the device.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the device is a mobile phone.

20. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the device is a consumer electronic device for which the SIM card is substituted by a uniquely identifiable network communication element.