Token security on a communication device

• US 9,942,043 B2
• Filed: 04/23/2015
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Palanisamy, Karthikeyan
• Primary Examiner(s): Waliullah, Mohammed
• Application Number:
  US14/694,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20150312038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/33 using certificates
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/44 Program or device authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3213 using tickets or tokens, e.g. Kerberos network architectures or network communication protocols for entities authentication using tickets in a packet data network H04L63/0807
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3242 involving keyed hash functions, e.g. message authentication codes [MACs], CBC-MAC or HMAC

Abstract

Techniques for enhancing the security of storing sensitive information or a token on a communication device may include sending a request for the sensitive information or token. The communication device may receive a session key encrypted with a hash value derived from user authentication data that authenticates the user of the communication device, and the sensitive information or token encrypted with the session key. The session key encrypted with the hash value, and the sensitive information or token encrypted with the session key can be stored in a memory of the communication device.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

a processor; and

a non-transitory computer readable medium coupled to the processor and implementing an application that performs operations for enhancing security of storing a token on the communication device, the operations including;

sending, to a token request computer, a request for the token, wherein the token is a substitute for an account identifier associated with an account of the user, and the account identifier is not computationally derivable from the token;

receiving from the token requester computer;

a session key encrypted with a hash value derived from user authentication data that authenticates a user of the communication device; and

the token encrypted with the session key;

storing the session key encrypted with the hash value and the token encrypted with the session key in a memory of the communication device, wherein the encrypted session key and the encrypted token are automatically deleted from the communication device when power to the communication device is interrupted; and

subsequent to storing the encrypted session key and the encrypted token on the communication device;

receiving user authentication data on a user interface of the communication device to initiate a transaction via the application;

computing the hash value from the received user authentication data;

decrypting the encrypted session key using the hash value;

decrypting the encrypted token using the decrypted session key;

temporarily storing the decrypted token on the communication device;

initiating the transaction using the decrypted token instead of the account identifier; and

removing the decrypted token from the communication device, wherein the decrypted token is removed from the communication device upon detecting that the application is no longer active.

2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the application is detected as being no longer active when:

the user logs off the application;

the application is suspended into a background operating environment of the communication device;

or

the application is closed or exited.

3. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the session key is generated and provided to the token request computer by a token server in response to the token server processing the request for the token.

4. The communication device of claim 3, wherein the token server maintains a mapping of the account identifier to the token.

5. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the operations further include:

detecting that the communication device has rebooted; and

sending, to the token request computer, a new request for a new token.

6. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the token is a format preserving token that has the same format as the account identifier.

7. A method for enhancing security of storing a token on a communication device comprising:

receiving, by a token request computer, a request for a token from the communication device, wherein the token is a substitute for an account identifier associated with an account of a user, and the account identifier is not computationally derivable from the token;

sending, by the token request computer, the request to a token server;

receiving, from the token server, a session key associated with the request, and the token encrypted with the session key;

encrypting the session key with a hash value derived from user authentication data for authenticating a user of the communication device; and

sending the session key encrypted with the hash value, and the token encrypted with the session key to the communication device,

wherein the session key encrypted with the hash value and the token encrypted with the session key are stored in a memory of the communication device, wherein the encrypted session key and the encrypted token are automatically deleted from the communication device when power to the communication device is interrupted, and

wherein subsequent to storing the encrypted session key and the encrypted token on the communication device, the communication device receives user authentication data on a user interface of the communication device to initiate a transaction, computes the hash value from the received user authentication data, decrypts the encrypted session key using the hash value, decrypts the encrypted token using the decrypted session key, temporarily stores the decrypted token on the communication device, initiates the transaction using the decrypted token instead of the account identifier, and removes the decrypted token from the communication device upon detecting that the application is no longer active.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprises:

sending an account identifier of an account associated with the user of the communication device and a token requestor identifier associated with the token request computer to the token server.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the token server maintains a mapping of the account identifier to the token.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the token is associated with a token expiration date and a token assurance level.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the token is a format preserving token that has the same format as the account identifier.

12. A method for enhancing security of storing a token on a communication device, the method comprising:

sending, to a token request computer, a request for the token, wherein the token is a substitute for an account identifier associated with an account of a user, and the account identifier is not computationally derivable from the token;

receiving from the token requester computer;

a session key encrypted with a hash value derived from user authentication data for authenticating the user of the communication device; and

the token encrypted with the session key; and

storing the session key encrypted with the hash value and the token encrypted with the session key in a memory of the communication device, wherein the encrypted session key and the encrypted token are automatically deleted from the communication device when power to the communication device is interrupted;

subsequent to storing the encrypted session key and the encrypted token on the communication device;

receiving user authentication data on a user interface of the communication device to initiate a transaction via the application;

computing the hash value from the received user authentication data;

decrypting the encrypted session key using the hash value;

decrypting the encrypted token using the decrypted session key;

temporarily storing the decrypted token on the communication device;

initiating the transaction using the decrypted token instead of the account identifier; and

removing the decrypted token from the communication device, wherein the decrypted token is removed from the communication device upon detecting that the application is no longer active.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the application is detected as being no longer active when:

the user logs off the application;

the application is suspended into a background operating environment of the communication device;

or

the application is closed or exited.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the session key is generated and provided to the token request computer by a token server in response to the token server processing the request for the token.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the memory is not part of a secure element.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

detecting that the communication device has rebooted; and

sending, to the token request computer, a new request for a new token.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the token server maintains a mapping of the account identifier to the token.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the token is a format preserving token that has the same format as the account identifier.