SECURE RANDOMIZED INPUT

• US 20140250507A1
• Filed: 05/19/2014
• Published: 09/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Nahari, Hadi
• Granted Patent: US 9,356,930 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/46 by designing passwords or checking the strength of passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

A user inserts a received random sequence into the user'"'"'s password or PIN. The user enters and transmits this randomized password to a service provider. The service provider extracts the password to determine whether to authenticate the user.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a transceiver for transmitting a random sequence to a user device associated with a user, causing to be displayed on the user device a request for the user to insert the random sequence into a specific location of a user credential, and receiving the random sequence within the user credential from the user through the user device, wherein the random sequence is included in the user credential by the user so that the random sequence and the user credential are both present; and

a processor for separating the user credential from the random sequence and determining whether the user credential separated from the random sequence matches an expected credential associated with the user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor further generates the random sequence before the transceiver transmits the random sequence.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the random sequence comprises a combination of letters, numbers, characters, and/or symbols.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the user credential is a password or personal identification number (PIN).

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the random sequence comprises a random number of characters and a random combination of characters.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the random sequence comprises a random number of characters, a random combination of characters, and a random specific location.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the random sequence is based on the user credential.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the specific location is at the beginning of the user credential.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the specific location is at the end of the user credential.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the specific location is within the user credential.

11. A system comprising:

a memory storing a user credential associated with an account of the user; and

one or more hardware processors in communication with the memory and configured for;

transmitting a random sequence to the user;

causing to be provided one or more specific locations of the user credential for the user to insert the random sequence either wholly or in pieces;

receiving information comprising the random sequence and the user credential, wherein the random sequence is included in the user credential by the user so that the random sequence and the user credential are both present in the information;

extracting the user credential from the information; and

determining whether the extracted user credential matches the user credential associated with the account of the user.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the random sequence comprises a random number of characters and a random combination of characters.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the random sequence comprises a random number of characters, a random combination of characters, and a random specific location.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the random sequence is based on the user credential.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the specific location is at the beginning or the end of the user credential.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the specific location is within the user credential.

17. A method comprising:

transmitting, by a computer system to a user device, a random sequence to a user device;

requesting the user to insert the random sequence into or at a specific location of a user credential;

receiving, electronically by the computer system, the random sequence and the user credential from the user through the user device, wherein the random sequence is included in the user credential by the user so that the random sequence and the user credential are both present;

separating the user credential and the random sequence; and

determining whether the separated user credential matches an expected credential associated with the user.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

transmitting a Captcha phrase;

receiving a user-entered Captcha phrase; and

verifying the user-entered Captcha phrase matches the transmitted Captcha phrase prior to transmitting the random sequence to the user device.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the receiving comprises receiving a hash value from the random sequence included in the user credential.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the separating comprises determining whether the received hash value is what is expected.