Methods, Systems and Computer Program Products for Secure Access to Information

• US 20110154452A1
• Filed: 12/18/2009
• Published: 06/23/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Workday Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Drake, Alton W. II, Toretti, Gary A., Birkes, Jerry, Novack, Brian M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,613,059 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/5
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response

Abstract

Methods for secure communications are provided. The methods include creating a safe user account on a secure access system, wherein creating an account includes provision of at least one strong authenticator to be associated with a user of the secure access system; providing a unique login and the at least one strong authenticator associated with the user to the secure access system to gain access to information associated with a referring organization, the referring organization being registered with the secure access system; and accessing the information associated with the referring organization based on the unique login and the at least one strong authenticator provided to the secure access system. Related systems and computer program products are also provided.

Claims

1. A method of providing secure communications, comprising:

creating a safe user account on a secure access system, wherein creating an account includes provision of at least one strong authenticator to be associated with a user of the secure access system;

providing a unique login and the at least one strong authenticator associated with the user to the secure access system to gain access to information associated with a referring organization, the referring organization being registered with the secure access system; and

accessing the information associated with the referring organization based on the unique login and the at least one strong authenticator provided to the secure access system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein creating is preceded by:

attempting to access the referring organization by logging in from a legacy logon screen associated with the referring organization; and

creating the safe user account on the secure access system responsive to the attempt to access the referring organization.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein creating further comprises:

accessing the legacy logon screen associated with the referring organization;

selecting a link associated with secure access system registration for the secure access system;

selecting a link to create the safe user account on the secure access system;

providing a primary email address to be associated with the safe user account;

receiving a challenge email at the primary email address;

responding to the challenge email;

selecting at least one type of strong authenticator to be associated with the safe user account responsive to a proper response to the challenge email;

receiving an email from the secure access system at the primary email address including strong authenticator setup information for the selected at least one type of strong authenticator; and

providing information associated with the selected at least one type of strong authenticator to the secure access system to finalize creation of the safe user account.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein accessing further comprising:

accessing the legacy logon screen of the referring organization;

selecting a secure access registration link that is configured to connect to a web site associated with the secure access system;

selecting an option to login to the network of the referring organization as a secure access user using the unique login, the at least one strong authenticator and the primary email address associated with the user;

registering a web site of the referring organization;

providing a user ID associated with the referring organization and the at least one strong authenticator at the legacy logon screen of the referring organization; and

receiving a registration confirmation email at the primary email address.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein accessing further comprising:

accessing the legacy logon screen of the referring organization;

providing a user ID associated with the referring organization and the at least one strong authenticator at the legacy logon screen of the referring organization; and

obtaining secure access to the information associated with the referring organization if the at least one strong authenticator is determined to be valid.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a type of the at least one strong authenticator comprises voice biometrics, soft token, fob token, fingerprint biometrics, passwords, pass phrases, PIN and/or device authenticator.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one strong authenticator associated with the user of the secure access system corresponds to a level of security of the information associated with the referring organization.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the referring organization defines the at least one type of strong authenticator to be associated with the information of the referring organization.

9. A system for providing secure communications, the system being configured to:

create a safe user account on a secure access system based on provision of at least one strong authenticator to be associated with a user of the secure access system;

provide a unique login and the at least one strong authenticator associated with the user to the secure access system to gain access to information associated with a referring organization, the referring organization being registered with the secure access system; and

access the information of the referring organization based on the unique login and the at least one strong authenticator provided to the secure access system.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein the system is further configured to:

attempt to access the information associated with the referring organization by logging in from a legacy logon screen associated with the referring organization; and

create the safe user account on the secure access system responsive to the attempt to access the referring organization.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the system is further configured to:

access the legacy logon screen associated with the referring organization;

select a link associated with secure access system registration for the secure access system;

select a link to create the safe user account on the secure access system;

provide a primary email address to be associated with the safe user account;

receive a challenge email at the primary email address;

respond to the challenge email;

select at least one type of strong authenticator to be associated with the safe user account responsive to a proper response to the challenge email;

receive an email from the secure access system at the primary email address including strong authenticator setup information for the selected at least one type of strong authenticator; and

provide information associated with the selected type of at least one strong authenticator to the secure access system to finalize creation of the safe user account.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the system is further configured to:

access the legacy logon screen of the referring organization;

select a secure access registration link that is configured to connect to a web site associated with the secure access system;

select an option to login to the referring organization as a secure access user using the unique login, the at least one strong authenticator and the primary email address associated with the user;

register a web site of the referring organization;

provide a user ID associated with the referring organization and the at least one strong authenticator at the legacy logon screen of the referring organization; and

receive a registration confirmation email at the primary email address.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein a type of the at least one strong authenticator comprises voice biometrics, soft token, fob token, fingerprint biometrics, passwords, pass phrases, PIN and/or device authenticator.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one strong authenticator associated with the user of the secure access system corresponds to a level of security of the information associated with the referring organization being accessed.

15. A computer program product for providing secure communications, the computer program product comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to create a safe user account on a secure access system, wherein creating an account includes provision of at least one strong authenticator to be associated with a user of the secure access system;

computer readable program code configured to provide a unique login and the at least one strong authenticator associated with the user to the secure access system to gain access to information of a referring organization, the referring organization being registered with the secure access system; and

computer readable program code configured to access the information of the referring organization based on the unique login and the at least one strong authenticator provided to the secure access system.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to attempt to access the referring organization by logging in from a legacy logon screen associated with the referring organization; and

computer readable program code configured to create the safe user account on the secure access system responsive to the attempt to access the referring organization.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to access the legacy logon screen associated with the referring organization;

computer readable program code configured to select a link associated with secure access system registration for the secure access system;

computer readable program code configured to select a link to create the safe user account on the secure access system;

computer readable program code configured to provide a primary email address to be associated with the safe user account;

computer readable program code configured to receive a challenge email at the primary email address;

computer readable program code configured to respond to the challenge email;

computer readable program code configured to select at least one type of user strong authenticator to be associated with the safe user account responsive to a proper response to the challenge email;

computer readable program code configured to receive an email from the secure access system at the primary email address including strong authenticator setup information for the selected at least one type of strong authenticator; and

computer readable program code configured to provide information associated with the selected at least one type of strong authenticator to the secure access system to finalize creation of the safe user account.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to access the legacy logon screen of the referring organization;

computer readable program code configured to select a secure access registration link that is configured to connect to a web site associated with the secure access system;

computer readable program code configured to select an option to login to the referring organization as a secure access user using the unique login, the at least one strong authenticator and the primary email address associated with the user;

computer readable program code configured to register a web site of the referring organization;

computer readable program code configured to provide a user ID associated with the referring organization and the at least one strong authenticator at the legacy logon screen of the referring organization; and

computer readable program code configured to receive a registration confirmation email at the primary email address.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein a type of the at least one strong authenticator comprises voice biometrics, soft token, fob token, fingerprint biometrics, passwords, pass phrases, PIN and/or device authenticator.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the at least one strong authenticator associated with the user of the secure access system corresponds to a level of security of the information associated with the referring organization being accessed.