Communication authentication using multiple communication media

• US 9,628,297 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2009
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Borenstein, Nathaniel S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Siddiqi, Mohammad A
• Application Number:
  US12/428,649
• Publication Number:
  US 20100275245A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,917 Days
• Field of Search: 709206, 726 4- 6
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/212 using filtering or selective blocking

Abstract

The invention provides a method, system, and program product for authenticating a first individual for communication with a second individual. In one embodiment, the invention includes receiving a first communication from the first individual via a first communication medium, rejecting the first communication, providing the first individual with information for communicating with the second individual via a second communication medium, receiving a second communication from the first individual via the second communication medium, and authenticating the first individual for communication with the second individual via at least one of the first and second communication medium.

Claims

1. A method of authenticating a first individual for communication with a second individual, the method comprising:

receiving, on a first communication device, a first communication from the first individual via a first communication medium;

rejecting the first communication;

after rejecting the first communication, providing the first individual with information for communicating with the second individual via a second communication medium;

receiving, on the first communication device or a second communication device, a second communication from the first individual via the second communication medium; and

authenticating the first individual for communication with the second individual via at least one of the first and second communication medium.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second communication media are selected from a group consisting of:

electronic mail, telephony, voice-over-Internet-protocol (VOIP) telephony, instant messaging (IM), and social network messaging.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first communication medium is electronic mail and the second communication medium is either telephony or VOIP telephony.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first communication medium is either telephony or VOIP telephony and the second communication medium is electronic mail.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

authenticating the first individual for communication with the second individual via at least one additional communication medium.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein authenticating the first individual for communication with the second individual requires that the second communication be received within a pre-determined period of the first individual being provided with the information for communicating with the second individual via the second communication medium.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the information for communicating with the second individual via a second communication medium includes a reverse Turing test.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the reverse Turing test is a Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA).

9. A system comprising:

at least one computing device configured for authenticating a first individual for communication with a second individual by performing a method comprising;

receiving a first communication from the first individual via a first communication medium;

rejecting the first communication;

after rejecting the first communication, providing the first individual with information for communicating with the second individual via a second communication medium;

receiving a second communication from the first individual via the second communication medium; and

authenticating the first individual for communication with the second individual via at least one of the first and second communication medium.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether, based on either or both of the identity of the first individual or the content of the first communication, the first individual should not be authenticated for communication with the second individual.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

determining whether, based on either or both of the identity of the first individual or the content of the first communication, the first individual should be authenticated for communication with the second individual.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the first and second communication media are selected from a group consisting of:

electronic mail, telephony, voice-over-Internet-protocol (VOIP) telephony, instant messaging (IM), and social network messaging.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the information for communicating with the second individual via a second communication medium includes a reverse Turing test.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the reverse Turing test is a Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA).

15. A program product stored on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which when executed, is operable to authenticate a first individual for communication with a second individual by performing a method comprising:

receiving a first communication from the first individual via a first communication medium;

rejecting the first communication;

after rejecting the first communication, providing the first individual with information for communicating with the second individual via a second communication medium;

receiving a second communication from the first individual via the second communication medium; and

authenticating the first individual for communication with the second individual via at least one of the first and second communication medium.

16. The program product of claim 15, wherein the first and second communication media are selected from a group consisting of:

electronic mail, telephony, voice-over-Internet-protocol (VOIP) telephony, instant messaging (IM), and social network messaging.

17. The program product of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises:

authenticating the first individual for communication with the second individual via at least one additional communication medium.

18. The program product of claim 15, wherein the information for communicating with the second individual via a second communication medium includes a reverse Turing test.

19. The program product of claim 18, wherein the reverse Turing test is a Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart (CAPTCHA).

20. A method for deploying an application for authenticating a first individual for communication with a second individual, comprising:

providing a computer infrastructure being operable to;

receive a first communication from the first individual via a first communication medium;

reject the first communication;

after the first communication is rejected, provide the first individual with information for communicating with the second individual via a second communication medium;

receive a second communication from the first individual via the second communication medium; and

authenticate the first individual for communication with the second individual via at least one of the first and second communication medium.