System and method for secure message reply

• US 8,756,676 B1
• Filed: 10/01/2010
• Issued: 06/17/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citicorp Credit Services Incorporated (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Citicorp Development Center Incorporated (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lan, Sikun, Huang, Yong K., Frazier, Kent, Sykes, Roy, Zusman, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Cervetti, David Garcia
• Application Number:
  US12/896,457
• Time in Patent Office: 1,355 Days
• Field of Search: 713/169, 713/170, 713/176, 713/189, 713/155, 713/182, 726/7, 726/4, 726/6
• US Class Current: 726/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/168 above the transport layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215

Abstract

A system and method whereby an unregistered, anonymous user at an organization'"'"'s website makes a submission/inquiry and is able to access a secure response containing private information without pre-registering or establishing an account with the organization. A response to the user is made via an unsecured e-mail notification that provides the user with an HTTPS link to an authentication page. The user then enters his/her user identification, for example, the user email address and password which was associated with the original submission/inquiry. Once the email address and password is authenticated, the secure response message is displayed on the user'"'"'s web browser in SSL. Each response is provided on a per-submission basis.

Claims

1. A system for providing a secure response to a first party, comprising:

a receiving component, executed by a server, for receiving a first submission from the unauthenticated first party and a response thereto by a second party, wherein the first submission is directed to the second party and includes an identifier associated with the first submission, and wherein the first party is not authenticated or registered with the second party when the first submission is received;

a data storage medium for storing the response by the second party for later retrieval by the first party or the second party;

a transmitting component, executed by a server, for sending a notification to the unauthenticated first party, wherein the notification provides information for securely accessing the response; and

an authentication component, executed by a server, for correlating a second submission from the unauthenticated first party to the identifier provided in the first submission and permitting the first party to securely access the response from the second party upon authentication of the first party,

wherein the first party cannot access the stored response until the first party is authenticated via the notification to the first party.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the submission by the first party is made from a client system via a communications network.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifier is a password.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the identifier comprises a user name or an email address.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the user is an unregistered prospect.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first party pre-registered with the second party prior to the submission by the first party.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the submission from the first party is forms-based.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the submission from the first party contains private information about the first party.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the submission from the first party is received through a secure system.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein the second party includes a customer service representative.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the response to the submission contains private information about the first party.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the notification is an unsecured email notification.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein if the notification is bounced, the first submission is located and marked to indicate that the notification was bounced.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the information for securely accessing the response comprises a secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol link to an authentication page.

15. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a processing component, executed the server, for recording the attempts to access the response.

16. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a security component for preventing access to the response after a predetermined time period.

17. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a security component for preventing access to the response after a predetermined number of failed attempts.

18. A system for providing a secure response to a first party, comprising:

means for receiving a first submission from the unauthenticated first party and a response thereto by a second party, wherein the first submission is directed to the second party and includes an identifier associated with the first submission, and wherein the first party is not authenticated or registered with the second party when the first submission is received;

means for storing the response by the second party for later retrieval by the first party or the second party;

means for sending a notification message to the unauthenticated first party, wherein the notification message provides information for securely accessing the response; and

means for correlating a second submission from the unauthenticated first party to the identifier provided in the first submission and permitting the first party to securely access the response from the second party upon authentication of the first party,

wherein the first party cannot access the stored response until the first party is authenticated via the notification to the first party.

19. A method comprising:

presenting, by a computer, a form to a computer of an unauthenticated user;

receiving, by a computer, a submission by the unauthenticated user including information for the form;

presenting, by a computer, a link to an authentication page to the unauthenticated user;

receiving, by a computer, identification information of the unauthenticated user;

authenticating, by a computer, the user based on the identification information; and

presenting, by a computer, a response to the submission to the authenticated user.

20. The method according to claim 19, further comprising:

sending, by a computer, a message to the user comprising instructions for accessing the response using a web browser.