Method, apparatus, and system for sending credentials securely

• US 9,219,725 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2014
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Chhabra, Jasmeet
• Primary Examiner(s): Song, Hosuk
• Application Number:
  US14/480,554
• Publication Number:
  US 20140380447A1
• Time in Patent Office: 470 Days
• Field of Search: 726 2- 6, 713168-170, 713182-186, 709/225, 709228-229
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/32 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voiceprints
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/83 input devices, e.g. keyboards, mice or controllers thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44526 Plug-ins; Add-ons
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/356 Aspects of software for card payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3567 Software being in the reader
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/35765 Access rights to memory zones
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/208 Use of an ATM as a switch or hub
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1483 service impersonation, e.g. phishing, pharming or web spoofing detection of rogue wireless access points H04W12/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/166 at the transport layer

Abstract

A software application executing in a first local operating environment may be used to connect to a remote server that requires a credential of a user to complete a transaction. In a second local operating environment that operates external to the first local environment, a user may be authenticated based on a user input received in the second local operating environment. The credential of the user may be securely communicated to the remote server from the second local operating environment. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

connecting to a remote server using a software application executing in a first local operating environment to initiate a transaction;

requesting from the first local operating environment that a second local operating environment authenticate a user credential to the remote server;

authenticating the user credential with the second local operating environment in a secure input mode not visible to the first local operating environment;

communicating the user credential to the remote server from the second local operating environment to initiate a secure session; and

the first local operating environment communicating with the remote server via the secure session.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user credential is accessible only in the second local operating environment.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the software application comprises a plugin to communicate with the second local operating environment.

4. The method of claim 1 comprising:

the software application connecting to a database server executing in the first local operating environment; and

the second local operating environment receiving a command request string from the database server for completing the transaction.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the transaction is a login transaction.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second local operating environment comprises a manageability engine.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising encrypting the credential in the second local operating environment before the credential is communicated to the remote server.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first local operating environment and the second local operating environment are executed by a processing hardware device.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a computing platform including;

a first local operating environment to execute a first software application to initiate a transaction;

a remote server to connect to the first local operating environment and communicate with the first local operating environment via a secure session; and

a second local operating environment to execute a second software application to authenticate a user credential to the remote server in a secure input mode not visible to the first local operating environment and to communicate the user credential with the remote server to initiate the secure session; and

an input device to collect user input for reception in the second local operating environment.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the user credential is accessible only in the second local operating environment.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first software application comprises a plugin to communicate with the second local operating environment.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a database server.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first software application connects to the database server and the second software application receives a data string from the database server to complete the transaction.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the transaction is a login transaction.

15. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second local operating environment is a manageability engine.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first local operating environment and the second local operating environment are executed by a processing hardware device.

17. A non-transitory processor-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

connecting to a remote server using a software application executing in a first local operating environment to initiate a transaction;

requesting from the first local operating environment that a second local operating environment authenticate a user credential to the remote server;

authenticating the user credential with the second local operating environment in a secure input mode not visible to the first local operating environment;

communicating the user credential to the remote server from the second local operating environment to initiate a secure session; and

the first local operating environment communicating with the remote server via the secure session.

18. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the user credential is accessible only in the second local operating environment.

19. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 18, wherein the software application comprises a plugin to communicate with the second local operating environment.

20. The non-transitory processor-readable storage medium of claim 17 having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, further cause the processor to perform operations:

the software application connecting to a database server executing in the first local operating environment; and

the second local operating environment receiving a command request string from the database server for completing the transaction.