Systems and methods of sharing information through a tagless device consortium

• US 9,390,384 B2
• Filed: 07/01/2009
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/01/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The 41st Parameter, Inc. (Experian plc)
• Original Assignee: The 41st Parameter, Inc. (Experian plc)
• Inventors: Eisen, Ori
• Primary Examiner(s): OUELLETTE, JONATHAN P
• Application Number:
  US12/496,572
• Publication Number:
  US 20100004965A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,568 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1.1, 705/318, 705/500, 70/11, 703/18, 705/00
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

The invention provides one or more consortia of networks that identify and share information about users and/or user devices interacting with the consortia. User devices may be identified, at least in part, by a delta of time parameter between a user device used and a reference time. Other parameters may be analyzed to identify a computer user and/or device and noteworthy transactions. The invention may be used for identity-based applications such as network security, the detection of fraudulent transactions, identity theft, ratings-based communities and law enforcement.

Claims

1. A system for providing real-time fraud alert detection across a plurality of online companies within a consortium using device fingerprints, the system comprising:

a consortium device, database comprising a physical data store configured to store a plurality of device fingerprints, from at least two different online companies and to store corresponding indications of fraud risk;

an authentication repository server system configured to electronically communicate with the consortium device database and comprising a processor configured with processor-executable instructions to perform operations comprising;

transmitting a script to a first online company server associated with a first online company that allows push notification of data from a first connected user device and that has a first online connection with the first connected user device related to an in-process first online transaction;

receiving first device identification data from the first online company server, the first device identification data including;

a first non-personal device characteristic parameter that represents a first characteristic of the first connected user device, a first delta of time parameter calculated based on a difference in time between a first local time associated with a first computer clock of the first connected user device and a first, reference time of the first online company server, and a first device fingerprint for identifying the first connected user device based on at least the first delta of time parameter and the first non-personal device characteristic parameter;

storing the first non-personal device characteristic parameter, the first delta of time parameter, and the first device fingerprint in the consortium device database;

associating the first device fingerprint with the first delta of time parameter and the first non-personal device characteristic parameter;

receiving a first report that the first device fingerprint is connected to a first fraudulent transaction as to the first online transaction with the first online company server;

updating the consortium device database to indicate that the first device fingerprint with a fraud risk;

transmitting a script to a second online company server associated with a second online company that allows push notification of data from a second connected user device and that has a second online connection with the second connected user device related to an in-process second online transaction;

receiving second device identification data from the second online company server, the second device identification data including;

a second non-personal device characteristic parameter that represents a second characteristic of the second connected user device, a second delta of time parameter calculated based on a difference in time between a second local time associated with a second computer clock of the second connected user device and a second reference time of the second online company server, and a second device fingerprint for identifying the second connected user device based on at least the second delta of time parameter and the second non-personal device characteristic parameter;

storing the second non-personal device characteristic parameter, the second delta of time parameter, and the second device fingerprint in the consortium device database;

associating the second device fingerprint with the second delta of time parameter and the second non-personal device characteristic parameter;

searching the consortium device database for data related to the second device fingerprint;

determining that the second device fingerprint is at least a near match to the first device fingerprint;

generating an electronic fraud alert package, for transmission to the second online company server, indicating that the second device fingerprint is associated with a high fraud risk level based on the first fraud report related to the first online company server; and

transmitting the electronic fraud alert package to the second online company server, wherein the second online company server analyzes the electronic fraud alert package to execute instructions to terminate an in-process online transaction by the second connected user device.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the first device identification data further includes personal identification information and the first device fingerprint is further based on the personal identification information.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first reference time and the second reference time are based on a same clock.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the script is configured to operate in a tagless manner and does not require a program to be downloaded to the first connected user device or the second connected user device.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the personal identification information includes one or more of the following:

user name, address, billing information, shipping information, telephone number, or email address.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the non-personal device characteristic parameter includes at least one of the following:

IP address, or Browser ID.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first reference time is based on Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first delta of time parameter is expressed in increments of hours, minutes, seconds, or milliseconds.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the high fraud risk level is further based on a second online company rule set comprising rules selected by the second online company indicating behavior patterns of user devices that indicate the high fraud risk, level.

10. A computer-implemented method for generating real-time fraud alerts in across online company servers within a consortium, the computer-implemented method comprising:

transmitting, by one or more computers of an authentication repository server system, a script to a first online company server associated with a first online company that allows push notification of data from a first connected user device and that has a first online connection with the first connected user device related to an in-process first online transaction;

receiving, by the one or more computers of the authentication repository server system, first device identification data from the first online company server, the first device identification data including;

a first non-personal device characteristic parameter that represents a first characteristic of the first connected user device, a first delta of time parameter calculated based on a difference in time between a first local time associated with a first computer clock of the first connected user device and a first reference time of the first online company server, and a first device fingerprint for identifying the first connected user device based on at least the first delta of time parameter and the first non-personal device characteristic parameter;

storing, by the one or more computers of the authentication repository server system, the first non-personal device characteristic parameter, the first delta of time parameter, and the first device fingerprint in a consortium device database comprising a physical data store configured to store a plurality of device fingerprints from at least two different online companies and to store corresponding indications of fraud risk;

associating, by the one or more computers of the authentication repository server system, the first device fingerprint with the first delta of time parameter and the first non-personal device characteristic parameter;

receiving, by the one or more computers of the authentication repository server system, a first report that the first device fingerprint is connected to a first fraudulent transaction as to the first online transaction with the first online company server;

updating, by the one or more computers of the authentication repository server system, the consortium device database to indicate that the first device fingerprint is associated with a fraud risk;

transmitting, by the one or more computers of the authentication repository server system, a script to a second online company server associated with a second online company that allows push notification of data from a second connected user device and that has a second online connection with the second connected user device related to an in-process second online transaction;

receiving, by the one or more computers of the authentication repository server system, second device identification data from the second online company server, the second device identification data including;

a second non-personal device characteristic parameter that represents a second characteristic of the second connected user device, a second delta of time parameter calculated based on a difference in time between a second local time associated with a second computer clock of the second connected user device and a second reference time of the second online company server, and a second device fingerprint for identifying the second connected user device based on at least the second delta of time parameter and the second non-personal device characteristic parameter;

storing, by the one or more computers of the authentication repository server system, the second non-personal device characteristic parameter, the second delta of time parameter, and the second device fingerprint in the consortium device database;

associating, by the one or more computers of the authentication repository server system, the second device fingerprint with the second delta of time parameter and the second non-personal device characteristic parameter;

searching, by the one or more computers of the authentication repository server system, the consortium device database for data related to the second device fingerprint;

determining, by the one or more computers of the authentication repository server system, that the second device fingerprint is at least a near match to the first device fingerprint;

generating, by the one or more computers of the authentication repository server system, an electronic fraud alert package, for transmission to the second online company server, indicating that the second device fingerprint is associated with a high fraud risk level based on the first fraud report related to the first online company server; and

transmitting, by the one or more computers of the authentication repository server system, the electronic fraud alert package to the second online company server, wherein the second online company server analyzes the electronic fraud alert package to execute instructions to terminate an in-process online transaction by the second connected user device.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the first device identification data further includes personal identification information and the first device fingerprint is further based on the personal identification information.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, the first reference time and the second reference time are based on a same clock.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the script is configured to operate in a tagless manner and does not require a program to be downloaded to the first connected user device or the second connected user device.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12, wherein the personal identification information includes one or more of the following:

user name, address, billing information, shipping information, telephone number, or email address.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the non-personal device characteristic parameter includes at least one of the following:

IP address, or Browser ID.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the first reference time is based on Coordinated Universal Time (UTC).

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the first delta of time parameter is expressed in increments of hours, minutes, seconds, or milliseconds.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the high fraud risk level is further based on a second online company rule set comprising rules selected by the second online company indicating behavior patterns of user devices that indicate the high fraud risk level.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a computing system, instructs the computer system to perform operations comprising:

transmitting a script to a first online company server associated with a first online company that allows push notification of data from a first connected user device and that has a first online connection with the first connected user device related to an in-process first online transaction;

receiving first device identification data from the first online company server, the first device identification data including;

a first non-personal device characteristic parameter that represents a first characteristic of the first connected user device, a first delta of time parameter calculated based on a difference in time between a first local time associated with a first computer clock of the first connected user device and a first reference time of the first online company server, and a first device fingerprint for identifying the first connected user device based on at least the first delta of time parameter and the first non-personal device characteristic parameter;

storing the first non-personal device characteristic parameter, the first delta of time parameter, and the first device fingerprint in a consortium device database comprising a physical data store configured to store a plurality of device fingerprints from at least two different online companies and to store corresponding indications of fraud risk;

associating the first device fingerprint with the first delta of time parameter and the first non-personal device characteristic parameter;

receiving a first report that the first device fingerprint is connected to a first fraudulent transaction as to the first online transaction with the first online company server;

updating the consortium device database to indicate that the first device fingerprint is associated with a fraud risk;

transmitting a script to a second online company server associated with a second online company that allows push notification of data from a second connected user device and that has a second online connection with the second connected user device related to an in-process second online transaction;

receiving second device identification data from the second online company server, the second device identification data including;

a second non-personal device characteristic parameter that represents a second characteristic of the second connected user device, a second delta of time parameter calculated based on a difference in time between a second local time associated with a second computer clock of the second connected user device and a second reference time of the second online company server, and a second device fingerprint for identifying the second connected user device based on at least the second delta of time parameter and the second non-personal device characteristic parameter;

storing the second non-personal device characteristic parameter, the second delta of time parameter, and the second device fingerprint in the consortium device database;

associating the second device fingerprint with the second delta of time parameter and the second non-personal device characteristic parameter;

searching the consortium device database for data related to the second device fingerprint;

determining that the second device fingerprint is at least a near match to the first device fingerprint;

generating an electronic fraud alert package, for transmission to the second online company server, indicating that the second device fingerprint is associated with a high fraud risk level based on the first fraud report related to the first online company server; and

transmitting the electronic fraud alert package to the second online company server, wherein the second online company server analyzes the electronic fraud alert package to execute instructions to terminate an in-process online transaction by the second connected user device.

20. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 19, wherein the high fraud risk level is further based on a second online company rule set comprising rules selected by the second online company indicating behavior patterns of user devices that indicate the high fraud risk level.