Methods and systems for secure key entry via communication networks

• US 8,528,045 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2009
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Next Access Technologies LLC
• Original Assignee: Next Access Technologies LLC
• Inventors: Wells, David L., Loop, Jack, Bakes, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): ABYANEH, ALI S
• Application Number:
  US12/507,363
• Publication Number:
  US 20100024022A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,504 Days
• Field of Search: 713/187, 713/182, 713/170, 726/2
• US Class Current: 726/2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0838 using one-time-passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0884 by delegation of authentication, e.g. a proxy authenticates an entity to be authenticated on behalf of this entity vis-à-vis an authentication entity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys

Abstract

According to some embodiments, a member authentication request is received at a security server from a client server. The member authentication request may be associated with, for example, a member attempting to access confidential information from the client server. A secure key associated with the member may be determined and data associated with that key may be transmitted to the member (e.g., via his or her wireless device or computer). Secure key information may be received from the member and validated. Based on the validated secure key information, it may be arranged for the member to receive the confidential information from the client server.

Claims

1. A member authentication method, comprising:

receiving, at a security server from a client server, a member authentication request associated with a member attempting to access confidential information from the client server via a first member device associated with the member;

determining at the security server a secure key associated with the member, wherein the secure key comprises an ordered sequence of symbols including at least one symbol comprising an image of member-generated content;

determining a one-time plurality of symbol sets associate with the secure key, wherein the ordered sequence of symbols is included within the plurality of symbol sets;

transmitting data associated with the secure key from the security server to a second member device associated with the member, wherein the data associated with the secure key comprises a matrix having columns and rows, each column in the matrix representing one of the symbol sets, and further wherein said second member device includes a display and a touch screen keypad on said display, wherein a matrix size of said matrix is selected by the security server based at least in part on a size of said display;

entering, by the member, using the touch screen keypad, secure key information into the second member device, said secure key information comprises one of;

(i) a sequence of matrix row selections entered by the member without including matrix column selections, or (ii) a sequence of matrix column selections entered by the member without including matrix row selections;

receiving, at the security server from the second member device, the secure key information;

validating the secure key information at the security server; and

based on the validated secure key information, authenticating the member;

responsive to said authentication, transmitting, by the client server, the confidential information from the client server to the first member device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the symbols in the one of the symbol sets comprises an advertising image.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said advertising image is selected based at least in part on a preference indicated by said member.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said advertising image is formed as an animated image, said animating image displaying a plurality of different images.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein said advertising image is associated with an advertising message, said advertising message displayed to said member if said member selects said advertising image.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said first member device comprises at least one of:

(i) a computer;

(ii) a Personal Digital Assistant, (iii) a mobile telephone, or (iv) an automated teller device.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from said member, a selection of said secure key information;

wherein said selection is received from said member prior to said receiving said member authentication request.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said selection of said secure key information includes a selection of at least one brand preference.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the secure key information received from the member comprises an ordered list of column identifiers and said validating the secure key information comprises:

comparing the ordered list of columns identifiers, the symbol sets associated with those columns, and the ordered sequence of symbols representing the secure key.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the first member device communicates with the client server via a first communication band and the second member device communicates with the security server via a second communication band different than the first communication band.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first member device comprises a personal computer executing a web browser application, the first communication band comprises the Internet, the second member device comprises a wireless telephone, and the second communication band comprises a wireless telephone network.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising prior to said receiving of the member authentication request:

transmitting, from a member device associated with the member to the client server, a primary key; and

validating the primary key at the client server.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

enabling a highlight feature for at least one symbol.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving is associated with a security application display and further comprising:

associating a user-selected background with the security application display.

15. A non-transient computer-readable medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to perform a method, said method comprising:

receiving, at a security server from a client server, a member authentication request associated with a member attempting to access confidential information from the client server via a first member device associated with the member;

determining at the security server a secure key associated with the member;

transmitting matrix data associated with the secure key from the security server to a second member device associated with the member, the second member device including a display and a touch screen, the matrix data being associated with a matrix having columns and rows of symbols, wherein at least one symbol comprises an image of member-generated content and a matrix size of said matrix is selected by the security server based at least in part based on a size of said display;

receiving from the second member device one of;

(i) an ordered list of column identifiers associated with the matrix data entered by the member via the touch screen without receiving any row identifiers, or (ii) an ordered list of row identifiers associated with the matrix data without receiving any column identifiers;

validating the ordered list of identifiers at the security server; and

based on the validated ordered list of identifiers, authenticating the member;

responsive to said authentication, transmitting, by the client server, the confidential information from the client server to the first member device.