METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PROVIDING AUTHENTICATION

• US 20150007285A1
• Filed: 09/15/2014
• Published: 01/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Workday Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: GILBOY, CHRISTOPHER P.
• Granted Patent: US 9,380,045 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4016 involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• 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: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing authentication are disclosed. For example, the method receives a request from a customer to access a service via a first user endpoint device, and sends a first authentication request to the customer for first authentication information. The method then sends a second authentication request to the customer for second authentication information via a second user endpoint device if the first authentication information is received, wherein the first user endpoint device is different from the second user endpoint device. The method then enables the customer to proceed with accessing the service if the second authentication information is received.

Claims

1. A method for providing authentication, comprising:

receiving, via a processor, a request from a customer to access a service via a first user endpoint device;

sending, via the processor, a first authentication request via a first authentication format to the customer for a first authentication information;

receiving, via the processor, the first authentication information;

determining, via the processor, a second authentication format for a second authentication request to be sent to a second user endpoint device;

sending, via the processor, the second authentication request to the customer for a second authentication information to the second user endpoint device that is triggered when the first authentication information is received from the first user endpoint device, wherein the first user endpoint device is different from the second user endpoint device; and

enabling, via the processor, the customer to proceed with accessing the service when the second authentication information is received from the second user endpoint device via the second authentication format, wherein the first authentication format and the second authentication format are different.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the first authentication information comprises receiving an identification of the customer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the receiving the second authentication information comprises receiving an identification of the customer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the enabling the customer to proceed with accessing the service is provided upon receiving the second authentication information that was previously defined by the customer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the second authentication request comprises sending a string of characters.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the enabling the customer to proceed with accessing the service is provided when the string of characters is received as the second authentication information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending the second authentication request to the second user endpoint comprises sending the second authentication request to a wireless user endpoint device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the second authentication format comprises retrieving from a database the second authentication format that was defined by the customer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the retrieving determines that the second authentication format comprises a telephone call.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining the second authentication format comprises retrieving from a database a type of the second user endpoint device that was defined by the customer.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying the customer when the second authentication information is not received.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for authentication, the operations comprising:

receiving a request from a customer to access a service via a first user endpoint device;

sending a first authentication request via a first authentication format to the customer for a first authentication information;

receiving the first authentication information;

determining a second authentication format for a second authentication request to be sent to a second user endpoint device;

sending the second authentication request to the customer for a second authentication information to the second user endpoint device that is triggered when the first authentication information is received from the first user endpoint device, wherein the first user endpoint device is different from the second user endpoint device; and

enabling the customer to proceed with accessing the service when the second authentication information is received from the second user endpoint device via the second authentication format, wherein the first authentication format and the second authentication format are different.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12,

wherein the receiving the first authentication information comprises receiving an identification of the customer;

and

wherein the receiving the second authentication information comprises receiving an identification of the customer.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the enabling the customer to proceed with accessing the service is provided upon receiving the second authentication information that was previously defined by the customer.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the sending the second authentication request comprises sending a string of characters.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the enabling the customer to proceed with accessing the service is provided when the string of characters is received as the second authentication information.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the determining the second authentication format comprises retrieving from a database the second authentication format that was defined by the customer.

18. An apparatus for providing authentication, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving a request from a customer to access a service via a first user endpoint device;

sending a first authentication request via a first authentication format to the customer for a first authentication information;

receiving the first authentication information;

determining a second authentication format for a second authentication request to be sent to a second user endpoint device;

sending the second authentication request to the customer for a second authentication information to the second user endpoint device that is triggered when the first authentication information is received from the first user endpoint device, wherein the first user endpoint device is different from the second user endpoint device; and

enabling the customer to proceed with accessing the service when the second authentication information is received from the second user endpoint device via the second authentication format, wherein the first authentication format and the second authentication format are different.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the sending the second authentication request comprises sending a string of characters.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the enabling the customer to proceed with accessing the service is provided when the string of characters is received as the second authentication information.