Automated security token administrative services

• US 8,065,717 B2
• Filed: 11/27/2002
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Assa Abloy AB
• Original Assignee: ActivCard Co.
• Inventors: Band, Jamie Angus
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad; Edan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tolentino; Roderick
• Application Number:
  US10/304,958
• Publication Number:
  US 20040103324A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,282 Days
• Field of Search: 726/20, 726/27, 726/9, 713/201, 713172-174, 380/229, 705 65- 69
• US Class Current: 726/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/34 involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/445 by mutual authentication, e.g. between devices or programs
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/45 Structures or tools for the administration of authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/604 Tools and structures for managing or administering access control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2101 Auditing as a secondary aspect
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2103 Challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2119 Authenticating web pages, e.g. with suspicious links
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2153 Using hardware token as a secondary aspect
• 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 20/355 Personalisation of cards for use
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3672 initialising or reloading thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3676 Balancing accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3678 e-cash details, e.g. blinded, divisible or detecting double spending
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4097 using mutual authentication between devices and transaction partners
• 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: H04L 63/08 : for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• 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 63/102 : Entity profiles

Abstract

This invention provides a system, method and computer program product to allow a user to access administrative security features associated with the use of a security token. The administrative security features provide the user the ability to unlock a locked security token, diagnose a security token, activate and deactivate a security token, request a replacement security token or temporary password or report the loss of a security token. The invention comprises a client application which integrates into the standard user login dialog associated with an operating system. A portion of the user dialog is linked to a remote server to access the administrative services.

Claims

1. A system allowing a security token user to perform at least one administrative security function on his security token, whereby said user does not need to login in an operating system, the system comprising:

at least one credential associated with said user;

an authenticating computer system;

a local client in processing communications with an authenticating computer system including;

one or more functionally connected user input devices;

a user interface for handling input from and output to said user;

an access request generator that generates and sends an administrative access request to said authenticating computer system to perform said at least one administrative security function, wherein said administrative access request includes said at least one credential; and

a mediating section that mediates said at least one administrative security function between said authenticating computer system, said client and said user; and

wherein said authenticating computer system includes;

a security section that is responsive to said administrative access request for performing said at least one administrative security function, wherein said at least one administrative security function includes an authenticating section that authenticates said user to said authenticating computer system using said at least one credential and an access section that allows access to system resources and services, without logging said user on to an operating environment associated with said local client, wherein;

if said user is authenticated, said at least one administrative security function is retrieved and sent to said local client for routing into said security token and said at least one administrative function is performed on the security token, and

if said user authentication fails, the attempt to perform said at least one administrative function on the security token is ended.

2. The system according to claim 1 wherein said authenticating computer system is a remote server.

3. The system according to claim 1 wherein said authenticating computer system is a locally connected security token.

4. The system according to claim 3 wherein said security section is a security token application.

6. The system according to claim 2 or 5 further including a mutual authentication section.

7. The system according to claim 6 wherein said server is authenticated to said client using a public key infrastructure methodology.

8. The system according to claim 6 wherein said at least one administrative security function further includes an unlocking section that unlocks said security token.

9. The system according to claim 6 wherein said at least one administrative security function further includes a diagnostic section that performs diagnostics on said security token.

10. The system according to claim 6 wherein said at least one administrative security function further includes a reactivating/deactivating section that reactivates or deactivates said security token.

11. The system according to claim 6 wherein said at least one administrative security function further includes a requesting section that requests a replacement security token.

12. The system according to claim 6 wherein said at least one administrative security function further includes an enabling section that enables a temporary password.

14. The system according to claim 6 wherein said at least one administrative security function further includes a reporting section that reports that said security token has been lost, damaged or stolen.

15. The system according to claim 6 wherein said processing communications includes a secure communications protocol.

16. The system according to claim 15 wherein said secure communications protocol includes SSL, SSH, TLS, WAP or IPSEC.

17. The system according to claim 7 wherein said public key infrastructure methodology includes challenge/response authentication or digital certificate exchange.

18. The system according to claim 6 wherein said at least one credential includes a passphrase, password, PIN, biometric scan, question and answer session or a combination thereof.

5. A system allowing a security token user to perform at least one administrative security function on his security token, whereby said user does not need to login in an operating system, the system comprising:

at least one credential associated with said user;

a security token functionally connected to a local client including a user authentication mechanism, wherein said user authentication mechanism includes a changeable security state,

said changeable security state operative to mediate access to system resources and services;

said local client in processing communications with a server including;

one or more functionally connected user input devices;

a user interface for handling input from and output to said user;

an access request generator that generates and sends an administrative access request to said server to perform said at least one administrative security function, wherein said administrative access request includes said at least one credential;

a mediating section that mediates at least one administrative security function between said server, said client and said security token; and

said server including;

a security section that is responsive to said administrative access request for performing said at least one administrative security function, wherein said at least one administrative security function includes an authenticating section that authenticates said user to said server using said at least one credential and a security state altering section that alters changeable security state, without logging said user on to an operating environment associated with said local client, wherein;

if said user is authenticated, said at least one administrative security function is retrieved and sent to said local client for routing into said security token and said at least one administrative function is performed on the security token, and

if said user authentication fails, the attempt to perform said at least one administrative function on the security token is ended.

13. The system according to claim 5 wherein said at least one administrative security function further includes an access section that automatically allows said user access to said system resources and services.

19. A method allowing a security token user to perform at least one administrative security function on his security token, whereby said user does not need to login in an operating system, the method comprising the steps of:

displaying said at least one administrative security function on a user interface display,

receiving a credential from a user interface input device without logging on to an operating environment associated with said local client,

causing a request for said at least one administrative security function to be sent to an authenticating computer system, wherein said request includes said credential,

attempting to authenticate said user using said credential,

if said user is authenticated, retrieving said at least one administrative security function, sending said at least one administrative security function to said local client for routing into said security token, and performing said at least one administrative function on the security token, and

ending the attempt to perform said at least one administrative function on the security token if said user authentication fails.

20. The method according to claim 19 further including the step of authenticating said authenticating computer system to said client.

21. The method according to claim 19 wherein said authenticating computer system is a locally connected security token.

22. The method according to claim 19 wherein said authenticating computer system is a server.

23. The method according to claim 19 wherein said at least one administrative function is performed on a security token associated with said user.

24. A computer program product embodied in a tangible form readable by a computer system having executable instructions stored thereon for causing the computer system to allow a security token user to perform at least one administrative security function on his security token, whereby said user does not need to login in an operating system, said executable instructions comprising the actions of:

causing a client application to display said at least one administrative security function on a user interface display associated with said local client,

causing said client application to receive said user'"'"'s request for said at least one administrative security function from a user input device,

causing a credential input by said user in combination with said user'"'"'s request to transmit said at least one administrative security function over a network to a remote server,

causing a server application to receive said request and said credential from said network,

causing said server application to authenticate said user using said credential against a stored reference, and

if said user is authenticated, causing retrieval of said at least one administrative security function, causing said at least one administrative security function to be sent to said local client for routing into said security token, and causing the performance of said at least one administrative function on the security token, and

ending the attempt to perform said at least one administrative function on the security token if said user authentication fails, wherein

said actions are executed without logging said user on to an operating environment associated with said local client.