Methods and systems for secured authentication of applications on a network

• US 9,282,086 B2
• Filed: 05/29/2013
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Klein, Philippe, Mendel, Jacob, Markel, Shlomo
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAW, PETER C
• Application Number:
  US13/904,426
• Publication Number:
  US 20140325594A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,014 Days
• Field of Search: 726/2
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/082 applying multi-factor authentication cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements including means for verifying the identity or authority of a user of the system or for message authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/34 involving the movement of software or configuration parameters network booting or remote initial program loading [RIPL] G06F9/4416
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/30 Security of mobile devices; Security of mobile applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/67 Risk-dependent, e.g. selecting a security level depending on risk profiles

Abstract

A secured communication network can include a server including an authentication backend, the authentication backend configured to communicate with an authentication front end of a communication device. A server applet can be associated with the authentication backend. The server applet can authenticate an access right associated with the communication device and establish a security level for the communication with the communication device based on information received from the authentication front end.

Claims

1. A secured communication network, comprising:

a server including an authentication backend, the authentication backend configured to communicate with an authentication front end of a communication device; and

a server applet associated with the authentication backend, where the server applet authenticates an access right associated with the communication device and establishes a security level for the communication with the communication device based on comparison of a location of the communication device to location information of a target device associated with the access right, the location of the communication device received from the authentication front end;

where the server applet establishes the security level as a different security level based on an external authentication element received from the communication device, wherein the external authentication element comprises at least one of a new location of the communication device with respect to the location information of the target device associated with the access right, or biometric information of a user of the communication device.

2. The secured communication network of claim 1, where the communication comprises communication through a network port.

3. The secured communication network of claim 1, where communication device comprises a mobile device.

4. The secured communication network of claim 1, where the security level is based on a current communication protocol of the communication device.

5. The secured communication network of claim 4, where the communication protocol comprises at least one of near field communication, BLUETOOTH™

, Wireless Fidelity, or cellular, and the established security level changes to the different security level in accordance with the respective communication protocol.

6. The secured communication network of claim 1, where the external authentication element comprises environmental information.

7. The secured communication network of claim 1, where the server applet is configured with hardware.

8. The secured communication network of claim 1, wherein the server applet establishes concurrently the security level for an application and the different security level for a different application, respectively.

9. The secured communication network of claim 1, wherein the server applet changes the security level for an application to the different security level for the application based on the external authentication element received from the communication device.

10. The secured communication network of claim 1, wherein the information received from the authentication front end to authenticate the access right includes environment information of an application executed on the communication device.

11. A method for securing a communication network, comprising:

receiving a request from a communication device to connect to a server;

authenticating a user of the communication device;

establishing a security level for the communication device if the user is authenticated;

where the security level is established based on comparison of a location of the communication device to location information of a target device, the location of the communication device received from the authentication front end;

receiving an external authentication element from the communication device after establishment of the security level, the external authentication element comprising at least one of biometric information of the user of the communication device or environment information, the environment information indicative of a new relative location of the communication device with respect to the location information of the target device; and

changing the security level to a different security level in response to receipt of the external authentication element.

12. The method of claim 11, where the security level is determined based on a location of the communication device, and the external authentication element comprises another location of the communication device.

13. The method of claim 12, where the request to connect to the server is received through a network port.

14. The method of claim 11, where the security level is based on a current communication means of the communication device.

15. A communication device, comprising:

a network port;

an applet to provide a secured connection with a communication network through the network port; and

an authentication front end connected with the applet, the authentication front end to send a location of the communication device to an authentication backend of a server for comparison with location information of a target device, the comparison to establish a first security level for the secured connection with the server over the communication network, and the authentication front end to subsequently send an external authentication to the authentication backend of the server to change the established first security level to a second security level for the secured connection with the server over the communication network, the second security level being different from the first security level, and the external authentication element being at least one of biometric information of a user of the communication device or a new location of the communication device with respect to the location information of the target device.

16. The communication device of claim 15, where the information comprises a location of a user of the communication device, and the external authentication comprises the biometric information of the user.

17. The communication device of claim 15, further including a secured zone of the applet, the secured zone comprising hardware.