Method and apparatus for enabling authentication of on-line communications
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- associating a message code with a user identifier;
receiving the user identifier from a user, wherein the receiving occurs after the associating the message code with the user identifier;
determining, using a hardware processor, that the user identifier is associated with the message code, wherein the determining occurs after the receiving the user identifier;
presenting the message code to the user based at least partially on the determining that the user identifier is associated with the message code;
receiving a user authentication from the user after presenting the message code to the user;
determining that the received user authentication is associated with the user identifier and the message code; and
providing the user with access to a secured resource based on the determining that the authentication is associated with the user identifier and the message code.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Method and apparatus for enabling authentication of on-line communications. In some embodiments, a message code is embedded in an e-mail, where the message code can be used by the recipient to verify the authenticity of the e-mail or of a Web site. In some embodiments, this code can be created for a particular e-mail message; in other embodiments, the code is created as a watermark for use by a customer or other a specific user or recipient. The message code is associated with both the e-mail message and the recipient. In the case of a message-specific code, a recipient can verify the e-mail message by inputting the code via a Web server to be looked up in the database. Provision is also made for including stenographic information in graphical or other codes as further authentication when accessing a Web site.
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Citations
32 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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associating a message code with a user identifier; receiving the user identifier from a user, wherein the receiving occurs after the associating the message code with the user identifier; determining, using a hardware processor, that the user identifier is associated with the message code, wherein the determining occurs after the receiving the user identifier; presenting the message code to the user based at least partially on the determining that the user identifier is associated with the message code; receiving a user authentication from the user after presenting the message code to the user; determining that the received user authentication is associated with the user identifier and the message code; and providing the user with access to a secured resource based on the determining that the authentication is associated with the user identifier and the message code. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus comprising:
a processing device configured to; associate a message code with a user identifier; receive the user identifier from a user, wherein the receiving occurs after the associating the message code with the user identifier; determine, using a hardware processor, that the user identifier is associated with the message code, wherein the determining occurs after the receiving the user identifier; present the message code to the user based at least partially on the determining that the user identifier is associated with the message code; receive a user authentication from the user after presenting the message code to the user; determine that the authentication is associated with the user identifier and the message code; and provide the user with access to a secured resource based on the determining that the authentication is associated with the user identifier and the message code. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method comprising:
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receiving information indicating that a user has selected a message code; receiving information indicating that the user wishes to access a secure resource; presenting the message code to the user; receiving information indicating that the user has verified that the message code presented to the user matches the message code selected by the user; providing the user with access to the secure resource based at least partially on the receiving the information indicating that the user has verified that the message code presented to the user matches the message code selected by the user; receiving a user authentication from the user after presenting the message code to the user; determining that the received user authentication is associated with the user identifier and the message code; and providing the user with access to a secured resource based on the determining that the authentication is associated with the user identifier and the message code. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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Specification