System and method for add-on services, secondary authentication, authorization and/or secure communication for dialog based protocols and systems

• US 7,475,240 B2
• Filed: 11/06/2002
• Issued: 01/06/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: CA, Inc. (d/b/a CA Technologies) (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Symantec Corporation (NortonLifeLock Inc.)
• Inventors: Shah, Milan, Hassounah, Khaled W.
• Primary Examiner(s): HENEGHAN, MATTHEW E
• Application Number:
  US10/288,548
• Publication Number:
  US 20040088546A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,253 Days
• Field of Search: 713/155
• US Class Current: 713/155
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/386 using messaging services or messaging apps using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS G06Q20/3255
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/04 Real-time or near real-time messaging, e.g. instant messaging [IM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32

Abstract

In an authentication system, a first computer system provides a desired service and a second computer system provides a dialog-based interactive protocol service (e.g., an instant messaging service). Users of a second computer system can be authenticated by the first system using a mechanism separate from the dialog based interactive protocol system, so the users can then access the first system using the dialog based interactive protocol systems (even though the systems are not owned or necessarily trusted by the first system). The authentication system enables communication between the first and second computer systems by establishing the dialog session between the computer systems and transmitting to the second computer system a link to a site used to authenticate this computer system. The authentication system associates authentication information (e.g., a unique identifier and/or an authorization token, etc.) with the dialog and uses this information to enable the second computer system to have authorized communications with the first.

Claims

1. A method of enabling authorized communication between a first communication device associated with a first entity and a second communication device associated with a second entity, comprising:

establishing a dialog session, using at least one dialog based interactive protocol, between the first communication device and the second communication device that is initiated with the first communication device by the second communication device;

the first entity transmitting to the second communication device a link to a site used to authenticate the second communication device;

a third entity receiving a message from the first entity associated with the first communication device containing authentication information for the second communication device;

the third entity associating the authentication information with the dialog session, thereby enabling the second communication device to engage in authorized communication with the first communication device through the third entity, the authorized communications comprising;

receiving a message from the second entity associated with the second communication device requesting a withdrawal of a predetermined sum of money from an account associated with the first entity;

associating the message from the second entity with the authentication information;

transmitting to the first communication device the message from the second entity and the associated authentication information; and

transmitting to the second communication device a link to the site for re-authenticating of the second communication device.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first and second communication devices comprise at least one of a computer and a wireless device.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the site is secure.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first communication device and the second communication device use the same dialog based interactive protocol.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first communication device and the second communication device use different dialog based interactive protocols.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the dialog session is facilitated by the transmission control protocol.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the dialog is facilitated by the HyperText Transport Protocol.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

setting, on a hosts file of the first communication device, the internet protocol address of a server providing the dialog based interactive protocol service to be a loopback address;

returning the loopback address associated with the dialog based interactive protocol server, stored in the host file, to a client operative with the second communication device;

using the client to establish a connection with the loopback address;

establishing communication between the client and an add-on service module operative with the first communication device; and

establishing a communication link between the interactive protocol server and the add-on services module.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the add-on service module provides at least one of encryption, filtering, and storage of at least a portion of the dialog session.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the third entity is independent of the first entity and the second entity.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the third entity is not operated by the first entity or the second entity.

12. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium, for use in a computer network environment that provides authorized communication between a first communication device and a second communication device, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

establish a dialog session, using at least one dialog based interactive protocol, between a first communication device and a second communication device that is initiated with the first communication device by the second communication device;

transmit by a first entity to the second communication device a link to a site used to authenticate the second communication device;

receive at a third entity a message from the first entity associated with the first communication device containing authentication information for the second communication device;

associate by a third entity the authentication information with the dialog session, thereby enabling the second communication device to engage in authorized communication with the first communication device through the third entity, the authorized communications comprising;

receive a message from the second entity associated with the second communication device requesting a withdrawal of a predetermined sum of money from an account associated with the first entity;

associate the message from the second entity with the authentication information;

transmit to the first communication device the message from the second entity and the associated authentication information; and

transmit to the second communication device a link to the site used for re-authentication of the second communication device.

13. The computer program product according to claim 12, wherein the first and second communication devices comprise at least one of a computer and a wireless device.

14. The computer program product according to claim 12, wherein the computer program product further comprises instructions to:

set, on a hosts file of the second communication device, the internet protocol address of a server providing the dialog based interactive protocol service to be a loopback address;

return the loopback address, stored in the host file associated with the dialog based interactive protocol server, to a client operative with the second communication device;

use the client to establish a connection with the loopback address;

establish communication between the client and an add-on service module operative with the second communication device; and

establish a communication link between the interactive protocol server and the add-on services module.

15. A device associated with a third entity that provides an interface between a first communication device associated with a first entity and second communication device associated with a second entity, said device comprising:

at least one memory area; and

at least one processor that (i) receives from the first entity associated with the first communication device a message to the third entity containing authentication information for the second communication device; and

(ii) associates the authentication information with a dialog session between the first communication device and the second communication device, thereby enabling the second communication device to engage in authorized communication with the first entity through the third entity, the authorized communications comprising;

receiving a message from the second entity associated with the second communication device requesting a withdrawal of a predetermined sum of money from an account associated with the first entity;

associating the message from the second entity with the authentication information;

transmitting to the first communication device the message from the second entity and the associated authentication information; and

transmitting to the second communication device a link to the site for re-authenticating of the second communication device.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein said processor associates authentication information with the dialog by:

associating a unique identifier with the dialog;

providing user credentials to the first entity;

receiving an authorization token; and

using the unique identifier and the authorization token to execute an authorized dialog between the first and second communication devices.

17. A method of enabling authorized communication between a first communication device associated with a first entity and a second communication device associated with a second entity, comprising:

establishing a dialog session, using at least one dialog based interactive protocol, between the first communication device and the second communication device that is initiated with the first communication device by the second communication device;

the first entity transmitting to the second communication device a link to a site used to authenticate the second communication device;

a third entity receiving a message from the first entity associated with the first communication device containing authentication information for the second communication device;

the third entity using the authentication information associated with the dialog session to enable the second communication device to engage in authorized communication with the first communication device through the third entity, the authorized communications comprising;

receiving a message from the second entity associated with the second communication device requesting a withdrawal of a predetermined sum of money from an account associated with the first entity;

associating the message from the second entity with the authentication information;

transmitting to the first communication device the message from the second entity and the associated authentication information; and

transmitting to the second communication device a link to the site for re-authenticating of the second communication device.