METHOD, SYSTEM AND PROGRAM FOR VERIFYING THE AUTHENTICITY OF A WEBSITE USING A RELIABLE TELECOMMUNICATION CHANNEL AND PRE-LOGIN MESSAGE

• US 20130144620A1
• Filed: 12/06/2011
• Published: 06/06/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/06/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Telcordia Technologies Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Original Assignee: Telcordia Technologies Incorporated (Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson)
• Inventors: Lipton, Richard J., Loeb, Shoshana K., Panagos, Thimios
• Application Number:
  US13/312,292
• Publication Number:
  US 20130144620A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/246
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/645 using a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/02 based on web technology, e.g. hypertext transfer protocol [HTTP]

Abstract

Various embodiments of the present invention for validating the authenticity of a website are provided. An example of a method according to the present invention comprises providing a website having an artifact, receiving a communication from a user, at a service provider, for validating the website associated with a service provider, inquiring from the user a description of the artifact comparing the artifact on the website with the description of the artifact from the user and generating a indication to the user based upon the comparing. The communication is over a first communication channel and the website is accessed over a second communication channel. The first communication channel is different than the second. The artifact can be displayed after a user session is identified.

Claims

1. A method for validating the authenticity of a website comprising:

providing a website, from a service provider, the website having an artifact;

receiving a communication from a user, at a service provider, for validating the website associated with a service provider;

inquiring from the user a description of the artifact;

comparing the artifact on the website with the description of the artifact from the user; and

generating an indication to the user based upon the comparing.

2. The method for validating the authenticity of a website according to claim 1, wherein the communication is over a first communication channel and the website is accessed using a second communication channel, the first communication channel being different than the second.

3. The method for validating the authenticity of a website according to claim 2, wherein the first communication channel is a telephone network.

4. The method for validating the authenticity of a website according to claim 3, further comprising providing to the user a telephone number for the service provider.

5. The method for validating the authenticity of a website according to claim 1, wherein the artifact is randomly generated.

6. The method for validating the authenticity of a website according to claim 1, wherein the artifact is unique to a user session.

7. The method for validating the authenticity of a website according to claim 1, wherein the artifact is predetermined for the website and is common to all user sessions.

8. The method for validating the authenticity of a website according to claim 1, wherein the artifact is selected from a group consisting of a message, an identification string and an image.

9. The method for validating the authenticity of a website according to claim 1, wherein the artifact is positioned in a dedicated location for authenticating the website, the user being instructed of the dedicated location during the inquiring.

10. The method for validating the authenticity of a website according to claim 1, wherein the inquiring being performed by an interactive voice recognition device.

11. The method for validating the authenticity of a website according to claim 1, further comprising

displaying a user input interface on the website;

instructing the user to input information into the user input interface;

receiving, via the website, the information;

receiving, via the communication a description of the information input via the website; and

determining if the information input via the website matches the description of the information received via the communication, wherein if there is a match, the artifact is displayed on the website.

12. The method for validating the authenticity of a website according to claim 11, wherein the determining comprises:

searching a plurality of host servers for matching information, if there is a match,

determining a corresponding host server; and

comparing the corresponding host server with a host server that is hosting the website.

13. The method for validating the authenticity of a website according to claim 1, wherein the communication is automatically generated by a mobile communication device when the website is displaying using a predetermined telephone number.

14. The method for validating the authenticity of a website according to claim 1, wherein the communication is automatically generated by a mobile communication device when the website is displaying using a predetermined communication channel that is different from a communication channel used for accessing the website.

15. The method for validating the authenticity of a website according to claim 14, wherein the artifact is displayed when the communication is received from the mobile communication device.

16. A system for validating the authenticity of a website comprising:

a plurality of host servers, each hosting a plurality of websites, configured to receive a request for one of the plurality of websites from a user and to transmit the requested website to the user in response, the request and response being transmitted via a first communication channel;

an interactive voice recognition device configured to;

receive a call from a user, the call being transmitted via a second communication channel,

interact with the user to authenticate a website, where the website has an artifact,

inquire from the user a description of the artifact and

receive the description of the artifact in response; and

a controller configured to compare the artifact on the website with the description of the artifact from the user and generate an indication to the user based upon the comparison.

17. The system for validating the authenticity of a website of claim 16, further comprising:

a secure network between the controller and the plurality of host servers configured to secure communication between the controller and the plurality of host servers.

18. The system for validating the authenticity of a website of claim 16,

wherein the website includes a user input interface and the interactive voice recognition device is further configured to instruct the user to input information into the user input interface, the input information is received via the first communication channel at one of the host servers of the plurality of host servers,

wherein the interactive voice recognition device is further configured to receive a description of the input information and forward the description to the controller, and

wherein the controller is configured to determine if the information input via the website matches the description of the information, wherein if there is a match, the controller causes the artifact to be displayed on the website.

19. The system for validating the authenticity of a website of claim 18, wherein the controller determines if the information input via the website matches the description of the information by identifying a host server that received the information input via the website from the plurality of host servers and determining if the host server is a correct host server for the corresponding website, wherein if the host server is correct, the controller causes the artifact to be displayed on the website.

20. The system for validating the authenticity of a website of claim 18, wherein the artifact is unique to a session.

21. A computer readable storage medium having a program for causing a computer to execute a method for validating the authenticity of a website comprising:

receiving a description of an artifact on a website via a first communication channel, the website being displayed on a user equipment via a second communication channel;

comparing the artifact on the website with the description of the artifact; and

generating an indication to the user based upon the comparing.

22. A computer readable storage medium having a program for causing a computer to execute a method for validating the authenticity of a website comprising:

displaying a user input interface on the website;

receiving a description of information input into the user input interface; and

searching a plurality of host servers for matching information, if there is a match,

determining a corresponding host server; and

comparing the corresponding host server with a host server that is hosting the website, if the corresponding host server is the host server that is hosting the website,

displaying an artifact on the website;

receiving a description of the artifact on the website;

comparing the displayed artifact with the description of the artifact; and

generating an indication to the user based upon the comparing of the artifact on the website with the description of the artifact.