Method and apparatus for providing authentication

• US 8,839,386 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2007
• Issued: 09/16/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Workday Incorporated
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gilboy, Christopher P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cervetti, David Garcia
• Application Number:
  US11/949,452
• Publication Number:
  US 20090144810A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,479 Days
• Field of Search: 726/7, 726/3, 726/5
• US Class Current: 726/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/951 Indexing; Web crawling techniques
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6245 Protecting personal data, e.g. for financial or medical purposes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4016 involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing
• 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 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/062 Pre-authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/068 using credential vaults, e.g. password manager applications or one time password [OTP] applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/088 using filters or firewalls
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/14 Short messaging services, e.g. short message services [SMS] or unstructured supplementary service data [USSD]

Abstract

A method and apparatus for providing authentication are disclosed. For example, the method receives a request from a customer to access a service via a first user endpoint device, and sends a first authentication request to the customer for first authentication information. The method then sends a second authentication request to the customer for second authentication information via a second user endpoint device if the first authentication information is received, wherein the first user endpoint device is different from the second user endpoint device. The method then enables the customer to proceed with accessing the service if the second authentication information is received.

Claims

1. A method for providing authentication, comprising:

receiving, via a processor, a request from a customer to access a service via a first user endpoint device;

sending, via the processor, a first authentication request to the customer for a first authentication information;

receiving, via the processor, the first authentication information;

determining, via the processor, a type of authentication for a second authentication request to be sent to a second user endpoint device;

launching, via the processor, the second authentication request to the customer for a second authentication information to the second user endpoint device that is triggered when the first authentication information is received from the first user endpoint device via a first access network, wherein the first user endpoint device is different from the second user endpoint device; and

enabling, via the processor, the customer to proceed with accessing the service when the second authentication information is received from the second user endpoint device via a second access network, wherein the first access network and the second access network are different.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first authentication information comprises an identification.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the second authentication information comprises an identification.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the second authentication information is previously defined by the customer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the second authentication request comprises a string of characters.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second authentication information comprises the string of characters.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user endpoint device is a wireless user endpoint device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein a format of the second authentication request is defined by the customer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the format of the second authentication request comprises a telephone call.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein a type of the second user endpoint device is defined by the customer.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

notifying the customer when the second authentication information is not received.

12. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform a method operations for authentication, the operations comprising:

receiving a request from a customer to access a service via a first user endpoint device;

sending a first authentication request to the customer for a first authentication information;

receiving the first authentication information;

determining a type of authentication for a second authentication request to be sent to a second user endpoint device;

launching the second authentication request to the customer for a second authentication information to the second user endpoint device that is triggered when the first authentication information is received from the first user endpoint device via a first access network, wherein the first user endpoint device is different from the second user endpoint device; and

enabling the customer to proceed with accessing the service when the second authentication information is received from the second user endpoint device via a second access network, wherein the first access network and the second access network are different.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12,

wherein the first authentication information comprises an identification;

and

wherein the second authentication information comprises an identification.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the second authentication information is previously defined by the customer.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the second authentication request comprises a string of characters.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the second authentication information comprises the string of characters.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein a format of the second authentication request is defined by the customer.

18. An apparatus for providing authentication, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer-readable medium storing a plurality of instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising;

receiving a request from a customer to access a service via a first user endpoint device;

sending a first authentication request to the customer for a first authentication information;

receiving the first authentication information;

determining a type of authentication for a second authentication request to be sent to a second user endpoint device;

launching the second authentication request to the customer for a second authentication information to the second user endpoint device that is triggered when the first authentication information is received from the first user endpoint device via a first access network, wherein the first user endpoint device is different from the second user endpoint device; and

enabling the customer to proceed with accessing the service when the second authentication information is received from the second user endpoint device via a second access network, wherein the first access network and the second access network are different.