Method for authenticating a user within a multiple website environment to provide secure access

• US 8,490,168 B1
• Filed: 10/12/2005
• Issued: 07/16/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Birkes, Jerry, Holloway, James, Drake, Alton
• Primary Examiner(s): Flynn, Nathan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Vaughan, Michael R
• Application Number:
  US11/248,050
• Time in Patent Office: 2,834 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/8
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations

Abstract

A method and an apparatus with computer readable media for creation of a common token, with at least one associated usage limitation, for authenticating a user within a multiple website environment are disclosed. The methodology employs a secured user authentication mechanism, for example, as a common token representative of the user, to be used in the authentication of a user and for performing secure online network transactions by the authenticated user in a multiple website environment. The common token can be used at a first website to perform a business, financial, or personal transaction for example; and then, the common token can be used again at a second website, a third website, etc. to perform one or more tasks on behalf of the authenticated user and within the token'"'"'s usage or associated limitations.

Claims

1. A computer program product that is configured to authenticate users within a multiple website environment, comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having encoded thereon instructions that, when executed on a processor, cause the processor at least to perform the following:

authenticate a user at a first website via a first interface;

generate a common token representative of the user in response to successful authentication of the user for the first website, wherein the common token includes usage limitations specified directly by the user that place restrictions on how the common token can be used, wherein the user specified limitations include a list of permitted tasks the user is authorized to perform on the first website and on a plurality of websites different from the first website, wherein the user specified limitations include a list of company websites the user is authorized to access, and wherein the common token can be invalidated upon violation of any of the user specified limitations;

insert the common token into a second website operating without a common trust to the first website;

verify that the inserted common token is valid via a second interface; and

allow a task to be performed on the second website on behalf of the user via a third interface in response to verifying that the common token is valid.

2. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the user is authenticated via the first interface by an identification and password associated with the user.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer readable storage medium has encoded thereon instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the processor to modify, add and delete the user specified limitations for the common token during a time period in which the common token can be used.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer readable storage medium has encoded thereon instructions that, when executed on the processor, cause the processor to modify, add and delete the user of the common token during a time period in which the common token can be used.

5. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the common token user specified limitations comprise an expiration date after which the common token can no longer be used.

6. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the common token is characterized as a regenerable common token that can be reloaded to keep the common token from expiring.

7. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the common token is a 32-byte common token comprising 8 bytes of random data and 4 bytes that are offset with respect to an address of a lookup table where an entry for the common token resides.

8. A method of authenticating users within a multiple website environment, comprising:

authenticating a user at a first website via a first interface;

generating a common token representative of the user in response to successful authentication of the user for the first website, wherein the common token includes usage limitations specified directly by the user that place restrictions on how the common token can be used, wherein the user specified limitations include a list of permitted tasks the user is authorized to perform on the first website and on a plurality of websites different from the first website, wherein the user specified limitations include a list of company websites the user is authorized to access, and wherein the common token can be invalidated upon violation of any of the user specified limitations;

inserting the common token into a second website operating without a common trust to the first website;

verifying that the inserted common token is valid via a second interface; and

allowing a task to be performed on the second website on behalf of the user via a third interface in response to verifying that the common token is valid.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the common token is a 32-byte common token comprising 8 bytes of random data and 4 bytes that are offset with respect to an address of a lookup table where an entry for the common token resides.