ABDS method and verification status for authenticating entity access

• US 7,143,284 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2003
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated), Riverwood International Corporation
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Wheeler, Anne M., Wheeler, Henry Lynn
• Primary Examiner(s): Zand, Kambiz
• Application Number:
  US10/248,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20030126437A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,397 Days
• Field of Search: 713/161, 713/168, 713/169, 713/170, 713/176, 713/180, 713/182, 713/155
• US Class Current: 713/155
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2113 Multi-level security, e.g. mandatory access control
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3558 Preliminary personalisation for transfer to user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3676 Balancing accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3823 combining multiple encryption tools for a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3825 Use of electronic signatures
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3829 involving key management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/388 using mutual authentication without cards, e.g. challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 : Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40975 : using encryption therefor
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 : Electronic negotiation
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0886 : the card reader being portable for interacting with a POS or ECR in realizing a payment transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 : Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1016 : Devices or methods for securing the PIN and other transaction-data, e.g. by encryption arrangements for secret communication, see H04L9/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/42 : Anonymization, e.g. involving pseudonyms
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 : Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 : wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0442 : wherein the sending and receiving network entities apply asymmetric encryption, i.e. different keys for encryption and decryption cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for public-key encryption H04L9/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 : for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 : using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• 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 63/12 : Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/321 : involving a third party or a trusted authority
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 : involving digital signatures

Abstract

Authenticating an entity for access to a controlled resource by an access authentication component for the controlled resource includes the steps of: the requesting entity initially opening a security account with the access authentication component, with the access authentication component establishing and maintaining a record including information pertaining to the account and being retrievable based on a unique identifier for the requesting entity, and associating a public key of a public-private key pair with the record; the requesting entity originating an electronic message and generating a digital signature using a private key of the key pair, and sending the digitally signed electronic message to the access authentication component with the unique identifier; authenticating the electronic message using the public key associated with the record identified by the unique identifier; and upon successful authentication, authenticating access to the controlled resource. A digitally signed verification status is included with the electronic message.

Claims

1. A method of authenticating a requesting entity for access to a controlled resource, the requesting entity communicating electronically over a communications medium with an access authentication component for the controlled resource, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing the requesting entity with a security account maintained in a database of the access authentication component, the security account having a record of information being retrievable by the access authentication component based on a unique identifier of the requesting entity;

(b) associating a public key of a public-private key pair of the requesting entity with the record such that the public key of the requesting entity is retrievable from the record based on the unique identifier and wherein the private key of the public-private key pair is maintained only within a secure device of the requesting entity, and wherein the access authentication component does not reside in and is not part of the secure device of the requesting entity;

(c) wherein the secure device performs the steps of;

(i) receiving suspect verification data;

(ii) comparing the suspect verification data with verification data of the requesting entity previously stored in the secure device;

(iii) generating a verification status indicator based on said comparison; and

(iv) generating a digitally-signed message using the private key of the secure device, the digitally-signed message including a message and a digital signature of the message, the message including a request by the requesting entity for access to the controlled resource and the verification status indicator generated by the secure device;

(d) wherein the access authentication component performs the steps of;

(i) receiving the unique identifier of the requesting entity;

(ii) receiving the digitally-signed message generated by the secure device;

(iii) obtaining the request and the verification status indicator from the message;

(iv) based on the unique identifier, obtaining the public key of the requesting entity from the record; and

(iv) using the public key obtained from the record, decrypting the digital signature to verify that the digital signature was generated using the private key of the secure device and that the verification status indicator was not altered after the digital signature was generated;

and, (e) providing the requesting entity with access to the controlled resource in response to the request if the digital signature was generated using the private key of the secure device and as a function of the verification status indicator obtained from the digitally-signed message.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the verification status indicator is indicative of no suspect verification data being input into the secure device within a predetermined period of time.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the verification status indicator is indicative of a successful comparison of the suspect verification data with the verification data of the requesting entity previously stored in the secure device.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the verification status indicator is further indicative that said indicator was included in a previous digitally-signed message generated by the secure device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the verification status indicator is indicative of an unsuccessful comparison of the suspect verification data with the verification data of the requesting entity previously stored in the secure device.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the suspect verification data is input into the secure device by the requesting entity.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the verification data of the requesting entity is a secret, PIN, or password.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the verification data of the requesting entity is biometric data of the requesting entity.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the unique identifier is obtained from the secure device.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein a portion of the message is input into the secure device before the digital signature is generated by the secure device.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the message further includes the unique identifier.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of decrypting the digital signature to verify that the digital signature was generated using the private key of the secure device further comprises generating a message digest of the message and comparing the message digest with the decrypted digital signature.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising establishing an account with the controlled resource on behalf of the requesting entity.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the message includes an instruction regarding the account of the controlled resource.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the verification data of the requesting entity is not provided to or accessible by the access authentication component.

16. In a system for authenticating a requesting entity for access to a controlled resource in which access to the controlled resource is controlled by an access authentication component for the controlled resource, a method comprising the steps of:

(a) providing the requesting entity with a security account maintained in a database of the access authentication component, the security account having a record of information being retrievable by the access authentication component based on a unique identifier of the requesting entity;

(b) associating a public key of a public-private key pair of the requesting entity with the record such that the public key of the requesting entity is retrievable from the record based on the unique identifier and wherein the private key of the public-private key pair is maintained within a secure device of the requesting entity, and wherein the access authentication component does not reside in and is not part of the secure device of the requesting entity;

(c) wherein the secure device performs the steps of;

(i) receiving suspect verification data;

(ii) comparing the suspect verification data with verification data of the requesting entity previously stored in the secure device;

(iii) generating a verification status indicator based on said comparison; and

(iv) generating a digitally-signed message using the private key of the secure device, the digitally-signed message including a message and a digital signature of the message, the message including a request by the requesting entity for access to the controlled resource and the verification status indicator generated by the secure device;

(d) transmitting over a communications medium an electronic communication from the requesting entity to the access authentication component, the electronic communication including the unique identifier of the requesting entity and the digitally-signed message;

(e) wherein the access authentication component performs the steps of;

(i) receiving the electronic communication;

(ii) obtaining the digital signature, the unique identifier of the requesting entity, the request, and the verification status indicator from the electronic communication;

(iii) based on the unique identifier, obtaining the public key of the requesting entity from the record; and

(iv) using the public key obtained from the record, decrypting the digital signature to verify that the digital signature was generated using the private key of the secure device and that the verification status indicator was not altered after the digital signature was generated;

and, (f) providing the requesting entity with access to the controlled resource in response to the request if the digital signature was generated using the private key of the secure device and as a function of the verification status indicator obtained from the digitally-signed message.

17. A method of providing access to an entity requesting access to a controlled resource, the requesting entity communicating electronically over a communications medium with an access authentication component for the controlled resource, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing the requesting entity with a security account maintained in a database accessible by the access authentication component, the security account having information that is retrievable based on a unique identifier, the information pertaining to the requesting entity'"'"'s right to access the controlled resource;

(b) associating a public key of a public-private key pair with the security account such that the public key is retrievable based on the unique identifier of the requesting entity; and

(c) thereafter,

(i) receiving the unique identifier;

(ii) receiving a message and a digital signature of the message, the message comprising a request by the requesting entity for access to the controlled resource and a verification status indicator, the verification status indicator and digital signature generated by a secure device, the verification status indicator representative of a comparison of suspect verification data input into the secure device with verification data of the requesting entity previously stored in the secure device, wherein the secure device does not reside in and is not part of the access authentication component;

(iii) obtaining the public key associated with the unique identifier received;

(iv) decrypting the digital signature using the public key obtained to verify that the digital signature was generated using the private key of the secure device and that the verification status indicator was not altered after the digital signature was generated; and

(v) granting the requesting entity with access to the controlled resource in response to the request if the digital signature was generated using the private key of the secure device and as a function of the verification status indicator obtained from the digitally-signed message and as a function of the information pertaining to the requesting entity'"'"'s right to access the controlled resource.