Event-based data signing via time-based one-time authentication passcodes

• US 9,225,717 B1
• Filed: 03/14/2013
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Emc IP Holding Company LLC (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Original Assignee: EMC Corporation (Dell Technologies Inc.)
• Inventors: Brainard, John, Triandopoulos, Nikolaos, van Dijk, Marten, Juels, Ari
• Primary Examiner(s): Nalven, Andrew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pham, Quy
• Application Number:
  US13/826,924
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0846 using time-dependent-passwords, e.g. periodically changing passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3228 One-time or temporary data, i.e. information which is sent for every authentication or authorization, e.g. one-time-password, one-time-token or one-time-key
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3242 involving keyed hash functions, e.g. message authentication codes [MACs], CBC-MAC or HMAC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3247 involving digital signatures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3297 involving time stamps, e.g. generation of time stamps
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/50 using hash chains, e.g. blockchains or hash trees

Abstract

Methods and apparatus are provided for signing data transactions using one-time authentication passcodes. User authentication passcodes are generated by generating a time-based user authentication passcode based on a forward-secure pseudorandom number, wherein the generated time-based user authentication passcode is used for authentication of the user; and generating an event-based user authentication passcode based on a forward-secure pseudorandom number, wherein the generated event-based user authentication passcode is used to sign one or more data transactions. The generation of an event-based user authentication passcode can be performed on-demand. The generation of the event-based user authentication passcode can optionally be performed substantially simultaneously with the generation of the time-based user authentication passcode.

Claims

1. A method for generating one or more user authentication passcodes, comprising:

generating a time-based user authentication passcode based on a first forward-secure pseudorandom number;

generating an event-based user authentication passcode based on a second forward-secure pseudorandom number, wherein said first forward-secure pseudorandom number is generated using at least one hardware device using a first seed from a first level of a hierarchical forward-secure pseudorandom number tree stored in a memory and wherein said second forward-secure pseudorandom number is generated using said at least one hardware device using a second seed from a different, second level of said hierarchical forward-secure pseudorandom number tree;

providing said generated time-based user authentication passcode for authentication of a user; and

providing said generated event-based user authentication passcode for signing of one or more data transactions of said user during a session of said user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of generating an event-based user authentication passcode is performed on-demand.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said two generating steps can be performed substantially simultaneously.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said method employs said hierarchical forward-secure pseudorandom number tree extended at a hierarchy level L to produce a hash chain of values K₁, K₂, . . . , so that K_i is a pseudorandom seed used for the i-th data transaction that is to be signed within a time interval T_L that corresponds to the level L.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein each seed s in said hierarchical forward-secure pseudorandom number tree corresponding to a particular time unit T_L is split into two new seeds s₁ and s₂ as follows:

s₁=h(s,event), s₂=h(s,time) where h is a collision-resistant and unpredictable one-way hash function.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said step of generating said event-based user authentication passcode further comprises the step of applying a function on T_c∥

D, where is a current time of a token when said transaction signing occurs and a fixed unique encoding of said token, and wherein D is said data to be signed, using as secret key the current value K₁, where K₁ belongs in the sequence corresponding to the time interval T_L,c that T_c belongs in.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said function comprises one or more of a cryptographic hash function and a message authentication code.

8. A non-transitory machine-readable recordable storage medium for generating one or more user authentication passcodes, wherein one or more software programs when executed by one or more processing devices implement the following steps:

generating a time-based user authentication passcode based on a first forward-secure pseudorandom number;

generating an event-based user authentication passcode based on a second forward-secure pseudorandom number, wherein said first forward-secure pseudorandom number is generated using a first seed from a first level of a hierarchical forward-secure pseudorandom number tree stored in a memory and wherein said second forward-secure pseudorandom number is generated using a second seed from a different, second level of said hierarchical forward-secure pseudorandom number tree;

providing said generated time-based user authentication passcode for authentication of a user; and

providing said generated event-based user authentication passcode for signing of one or more data transactions of said user during a session of said user.

9. A time-based authentication token, comprising:

a passcode generation function for generating a time-based user authentication passcode based on a first forward-secure pseudorandom number;

a transaction passcode generation function for generating an event-based user authentication passcode based on a second forward-secure pseudorandom number, wherein said first forward-secure pseudorandom number is generated using a first seed from a first level of a hierarchical forward-secure pseudorandom number tree stored in a memory and wherein said second forward-secure pseudorandom number is generated using a second seed from a different, second level of said hierarchical forward-secure pseudorandom number tree;

wherein said time-based authentication token provides said generated time-based user authentication passcode for authentication of a user and provides said generated event-based user authentication passcode for signing of one or more data transactions of said user during a session of said user.

10. The time-based authentication token of claim 9, wherein said generation of an event-based user authentication passcode is performed on-demand.

11. The time-based authentication token of claim 9, wherein said two generation functions can be employed substantially simultaneously.

12. The time-based authentication token of claim 9, wherein said token employs said hierarchical forward-secure pseudorandom number tree extended at a hierarchy level L to produce a hash chain of values K₁, K₂, . . . , so that K₁ is a pseudorandom seed used for the i-th data transaction that is to be signed within a time interval T_L that corresponds to the level L.

13. The time-based authentication token of claim 12, wherein each seed s in said hierarchical forward-secure pseudorandom number tree corresponding to a particular time unit T_L is split into two new seeds s₁ and s₂ as follows:

s₁=h(s,event), s₂=h(s,time) where h is a collision-resistant and unpredictable one-way hash function.

14. The time-based authentication token of claim 12, wherein said generation of said event-based user authentication passcode applies a function on T_c∥

D, where T_c is a current time of said token when said transaction signing occurs and a fixed unique encoding of said token, and wherein D is said data to be signed, using as secret key the current value K₁, where K₁ belongs in the sequence corresponding to the time interval T_L,c that T_c belongs in.

15. The time-based authentication token of claim 14, wherein said function comprises one or more of a cryptographic hash function and a message authentication code.

16. An apparatus for generating one or more user authentication passcodes, the apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

at least one hardware device, coupled to the memory, operative to implement the following steps;

generating a time-based user authentication passcode based on a first forward-secure pseudorandom number,

generating an event-based user authentication passcode based on a second forward-secure pseudorandom number, wherein said first forward-secure pseudorandom number is generated using a first seed from a first level of a hierarchical forward-secure pseudorandom number tree stored in a memory and wherein said second forward-secure pseudorandom number is generated using a second seed from a different, second level of said hierarchical forward-secure pseudorandom number tree;

providing said generated time-based user authentication passcode for authentication of a user; and

providing said generated event-based user authentication passcode for signing of one or more data transactions of said user during a session of said user.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said of generation of an event-based user authentication passcode is performed on-demand.

18. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said two generating steps can be performed substantially simultaneously.

19. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein one or more of said two generating steps employ said hierarchical forward-secure pseudorandom number tree extended at a hierarchy level L to produce a hash chain of values K₁, K₂, . . . , so that K_i is a pseudorandom seed used for the i-th data transaction that is to be signed within a time interval T_L that corresponds to the level L.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein each seed s in said hierarchical forward-secure pseudorandom number tree corresponding to a particular time unit T_L is split into two new seeds s₁ and s₂ as follows:

s₁=h(s,event), s₂=h(s,time) where h is a collision-resistant and unpredictable one-way hash function.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein said step of generating said event-based user authentication passcode further comprises the step of applying a function on T_c∥

D, where T_c is a current time of a token when said transaction signing occurs and a fixed unique encoding of said token, and wherein D is said data to be signed, using as secret key the current value K₁, where K_i belongs in the sequence corresponding to the time interval T_L,c that T_c belong in.

22. The apparatus of claim 21, wherein said function comprises one or more of a cryptographic hash function and a message authentication code.