SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR GRID-BASED ONE-TIME PASSWORD

• US 20190312861A1
• Filed: 04/09/2018
• Published: 10/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2018
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: KAIRI, Gangadhar, SHARAF, Satish Kumar
• Application Number:
  US15/948,501
• Publication Number:
  US 20190312861A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/36 by graphic or iconic representation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0838 using one-time-passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3228 One-time or temporary data, i.e. information which is sent for every authentication or authorization, e.g. one-time-password, one-time-token or one-time-key
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

A method by an authentication server includes storing authentication information comprising at least one sub-grid position associated with a grid pattern and at least one character position associated with a sub-grid pattern. The authentication server generates an authentication grid that includes sub-grids. Each of the sub-grids is disposed at a sub-grid position associated with the grid pattern and includes a plurality of randomly selected characters that are disposed at respective character positions associated with the sub-grid pattern. The authentication server transmits the authentication grid to the user and receives first user input including at least one character. Authentication server determines a one-time password (OTP) based on the authentication grid and the authentication information. The user is authenticated based on a comparison of the OTP to the user input.

Claims

1. A method by an authentication server, the method comprising:

storing authentication information associated with a user, the authentication information comprising;

at least one sub-grid position selected from a plurality of sub-grid positions associated with a grid pattern; and

at least one character position selected from a plurality of character positions associated with a sub-grid pattern;

generating an authentication grid comprising a plurality of sub-grids, each of the plurality of sub-grids being disposed at one of the plurality of sub-grid positions associated with the grid pattern, each of the plurality of sub-grids comprising a plurality of randomly selected characters, each of the randomly selected characters being disposed at a respective one of the plurality of character positions associated with the sub-grid pattern;

transmitting the authentication grid to at least one device associated with a user;

based on the authentication grid and the authentication information comprising that at least one sub-grid position and the at least one character position, determining a one-time password (OTP) for the user;

receiving, from the at least one device of the user, first user input comprising at least one character;

performing a comparison of the first user input to the OTP; and

based on the comparison, authenticating the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user input comprises a user-generated OTP.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first user input comprises a plurality of characters, and each of the plurality of characters in the first user input comprises a number, letter, or special character.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

the plurality of characters in the first user input comprises at least four characters;

the authentication grid comprises at least four sub-grids disposed in at least four respective sub-grid positions; and

each of the four sub-grids comprises at least four randomly selected characters disposed in at least four respective character positions.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein each of the plurality of characters in the first user input are associated with a unique sub-grid within the authentication grid.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the authentication grid to the at least one device associated with a user comprises sending a SMS message comprising the authentication grid to a mobile device associated with the user.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the first user input comprising the plurality of characters comprises receiving the first user input from a mobile application running on the mobile device associated with the user.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving the first user input comprising the plurality of characters comprises receiving the first user input from a computer associated with the user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to storing the authentication information associated with the user and generating the authentication grid;

transmitting, to the at least one device of the user, the grid pattern comprising the plurality of sub-grid positions;

transmitting, to the at least one device of the user, the sub-grid pattern comprising a plurality of character positions; and

receiving the authentication information comprising the at least one grid position and the at least one character position from user, wherein;

the at least one sub-grid position comprises a subset of the plurality of sub-grid positions as selected by the user;

the at least one character position comprises one of the plurality of character positions as selected by the user for each of the plurality of sub-grid positions in the subset.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the first user input comprises n-number of characters, and

the subset of the plurality of sub-grid positions comprises n-number of sub-grid positions.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein n is selected based on a desired level of security such that n is greater for a higher level of security than for a lower level of security.

12. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions being executable by a computing system to cause the computing system to:

store authentication information associated with a user, the authentication information comprising;

at least one sub-grid position selected from a plurality of sub-grid positions associated with a grid pattern; and

at least one character position selected from a plurality of character positions associated with a sub-grid pattern;

generate an authentication grid comprising a plurality of sub-grids, each of the plurality of sub-grids being disposed at one of the plurality of sub-grid positions associated with the grid pattern, each of the plurality of sub-grids comprising a plurality of randomly selected characters, each of the randomly selected characters being disposed at a respective one of the plurality of character positions associated with the sub-grid pattern;

transmit the authentication grid to at least one device associated with a user;

based on the authentication grid and the authentication information comprising that at least one sub-grid position and the at least one character position, determine a one-time password (OTP) for the user;

receive from the at least one device of the user, first user input comprising at least one character;

perform a comparison of the first user input to the OTP; and

based on the comparison, authenticate the user.

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

the first user input comprises a plurality of characters associated with a user-generated OTP, and

each of the plurality of characters in the first user input comprises a number, letter, or special character.

14. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein:

the plurality of characters in the first user input comprises at least four characters;

the authentication grid comprises at least four sub-grids disposed in at least four respective sub-grid positions; and

each of the four sub-grids comprises at least four randomly selected characters disposed in at least four respective character positions.

15. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 13, wherein each of the plurality of characters in the first user input are associated with a unique sub-grid within the authentication grid.

16. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein transmitting the authentication grid to the at least one device associated with a user comprises sending a SMS message comprising the authentication grid to a mobile device associated with the user.

17. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein receiving the first user input comprising the plurality of characters comprises receiving the first user input from a mobile application running on the mobile device associated with the user.

18. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the instructions are further executable by the computing system to cause the computing system to:

prior to storing the authentication information associated with the user and generating the authentication grid;

transmit, to the at least one device of the user, the grid pattern comprising the plurality of sub-grid positions;

transmit, to the at least one device of the user, the sub-grid pattern comprising a plurality of character positions; and

receive the authentication information comprising the at least one grid position and the at least one character position from user, wherein;

the at least one sub-grid position comprises a subset of the plurality of sub-grid positions within the grid pattern selected by the user;

the at least one character position comprises one of the plurality of character positions as selected by the user for each of the plurality of sub-grid positions in the subset.

19. The non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein:

the first user input comprises n-number of characters,

the subset of the plurality of sub-grid positions comprises n-number of sub-grid positions, and

n is selected based on a desired level of security such that n is greater for a higher level of security than for a lower level of security.

20. An authentication server comprising:

a memory storing authentication information for a plurality of users; and

processing circuitry with access to the memory, the processing circuitry configured to;

store authentication information associated with a user, the authentication information comprising;

at least one sub-grid position selected from a plurality of sub-grid positions associated with a grid pattern; and

at least one character position selected from a plurality of character positions associated with a sub-grid pattern;

generate an authentication grid comprising a plurality of sub-grids, each of the plurality of sub-grids being disposed at one of the plurality of sub-grid positions associated with the grid pattern, each of the plurality of sub-grids comprising a plurality of randomly selected characters, each of the randomly selected characters being disposed at a respective one of the plurality of character positions associated with the sub-grid pattern;

transmit the authentication grid to at least one device associated with a user;

based on the authentication grid and the authentication information comprising that at least one sub-grid position and the at least one character position, determine a one-time password (OTP) for the user;

receive from the at least one device of the user, first user input comprising at least one character;

perform a comparison of the first user input to the OTP; and

based on the comparison, authenticate the user.