System, method, apparatus and computer program product for facilitating digital communications

• US 20050081045A1
• Filed: 08/16/2004
• Published: 04/14/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: Fiberlink Communications Corporation (International Business Machines Corporation)
• Inventors: Pappano, Joseph E., Bluestone, Derek, Adams, Clinton, Pressman, Howard M., Nicodemus, Blair Gaver
• Application Number:
  US10/918,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20050081045A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/182
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2898 Subscriber equipments DSL modems H04M11/062; cable modems H04L12/2801
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0272 Virtual private networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0414 during transmission, i.e. party's identity is protected against eavesdropping, e.g. by using temporary identifiers, but is known to the other party or parties involved in the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/16 Implementation or adaptation of Internet protocol [IP], of transmission control protocol [TCP] or of user datagram protocol [UDP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/168 specially adapted for link layer protocols, e.g. asynchronous transfer mode [ATM], synchronous optical network [SONET] or point-to-point protocol [PPP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3226 using a predetermined code, e.g. password, passphrase or PIN network architectures or network communication protocols for supporting authentication of entities using passwords in a packet data network H04L63/083
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 74/00 Wireless channel access

Abstract

A computer-implemented method and apparatus authenticates a user of a remote computer over a network. In one aspect of the present invention, an authentication challenge is received at said remote computer an authentication challenge message from an authentication server over a network, at least a portion of the network including an Internet communication link. A passcode is received at the remote computer. A response message to the authentication challenge is created, the response message including the passcode. The response message is transmitted from the remote computer to the authentication server over the network. The remote computer receives a verification message from the authentication server that the response message is verified.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for authenticating a user of a remote computer over a network comprising:

receiving at said remote computer an authentication challenge message from an authentication server over said network, at least a portion of said network including an Internet communication link;

receiving a passcode at said remote computer;

creating a response message to said authentication challenge, said response message including said passcode;

transmitting said response message from said remote computer to said authentication server over said network; and

receiving at said remote computer a verification message from said authentication server that said response message is verified.

2. The method recited in claim 1, wherein said receiving a passcode at said remote computer step includes receiving said passcode including a personal identification number and a pseudo-random number generated by a pseudo-random number generator.

3. The method recited in claim 1, wherein said receiving a passcode at said remote computer step includes receiving said passcode including a personal identification number.

4. The method recited in claim 1, wherein said receiving a passcode at said remote computer step includes receiving said passcode including a pseudo-random number generated by a pseudo-random number generator.

5. The method recited in claim 2, wherein said receiving a passcode at said remote computer step includes receiving a pseudo-random number generated by a SECUREID.

6. The method recited in claim 1, wherein said receiving at said remote computer an authentication challenge message from an authentication server over said network step includes receiving said authentication challenge message from an ACESERVER.

7. The method recited in claim 1, wherein said transmitting step includes transmitting said response message over said Internet communication link using SSL, CHAP, or PAP.

8. The method recited in claim 1, wherein said transmitting step includes transmitting said response message over said Internet communication link including at least one of:

dial-up, a local area network, Wi-Fi, wired roaming broadband, telecommuter broadband, 2.5G/3G wireless, GPRS, and PHS networks.

9. A computer-implemented method for providing an authentication challenge message to a client securely accessing a computer over a network comprising:

transmitting said authentication challenge message to said client over said network, at least a portion of said network including an Internet communication link;

receiving a response message from said client over said network, said response message including a passcode;

verifying said passcode; and

transmitting a verification message to said client if said passcode is verified by an authentication server.

10. The method recited in claim 9, wherein said receiving step includes receiving a response message including a passcode including a personal identification number and a pseudo-random number generated by a pseudo-random number generator.

11. The method recited in claim 10, wherein said receiving step includes receiving a response message including a passcode including a pseudo-random number generated by a SECUREID.

12. The method recited in claim 9, wherein said verifying step includes verifying said passcode by an ACESERVER.

13. The method recited in claim 9, wherein said transmitting step includes transmitting said response message over said Internet communication link using SSL, CHAP, or PAP.

14. The method recited in claim 9, wherein said transmitting step includes transmitting a response message over said Internet communication link including at least one of:

dial-up, a local area network, Wi-Fi, wired roaming broadband, telecommuter broadband, 2.5G/3G wireless, GPRS, and PHS networks.

15. A computer program product including a computer storage medium and a computer program code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium for authenticating a user of a remote computer over a network, the computer code mechanism comprising:

a computer code device configured to receive at said remote computer an authentication challenge message from an authentication server over said network, at least a portion of said network including an Internet communication link;

a computer code device configured to receive a passcode at said remote computer;

a computer code device configured to create a response message to said authentication challenge, said response message including said passcode;

a computer code device configured to transmit said response message from said remote computer to said authentication server over said network; and

a computer code device configured to receive at said remote computer a verification message from said authentication server that said response message is verified.

16. A computer program product including a computer storage medium and a computer program code mechanism embedded in the computer storage medium for providing an authentication challenge message to a client securely accessing a computer over a network, the computer code mechanism comprising:

a computer code device configured to transmit said authentication challenge message to said client over said network, at least a portion of said network including an Internet communication link;

a computer code device configured to receive a response message from said client over said network, said response message including a passcode;

a computer code device configured to verify said passcode; and

a computer code device configured to transmit a verification message to said client if said passcode is verified by an authentication server.

17. An apparatus for authenticating a user of a remote computer over a network comprising:

means for receiving at said remote computer an authentication challenge message from an authentication server over said network, at least a portion of said network including an Internet communication link;

means for receiving a passcode at said remote computer;

means for creating a response message to said authentication challenge, said response message including said passcode;

means for transmitting said response message from said remote computer to said authentication server over said network; and

means for receiving at said remote computer a verification message from said authentication server that said response message is verified.

18. An apparatus for providing an authentication challenge message to a client securely accessing a computer over a network comprising:

means for transmitting said authentication challenge message to said client over said network, at least a portion of said network including an Internet communication link;

means for receiving a response message from said client over said network, said response message including a passcode;

means for verifying said passcode; and

means for transmitting a verification message to said client if said passcode is verified by an authentication server.

19. An apparatus for authenticating a user of a remote computer over a network comprising:

an input/output device configured to receive at said remote computer an authentication challenge message from an authentication server over said network, at least a portion of said network including an Internet communication link, said input/output device configured to receive a passcode at said remote computer; and

a processor including a response message generation mechanism configured to create a response message to said authentication challenge, said response message including said passcode,

wherein said input/output device is configured to transmit said response message from said remote computer to said authentication server over said network and receive at said remote computer a verification message from said authentication server that said response message is verified.

20. The apparatus recited in claim 19, wherein said input/output device is configured to receive a passcode including a personal identification number and a pseudo-random number generated by a pseudo-random number generator.

21. The apparatus recited in claim 19, further comprising:

a pseudo-random number generator.

22. The apparatus recited in claim 21, wherein said pseudo-random number generator is a SECUREID.

23. The apparatus recited in claim 19, wherein said input/output device is configured to receive an authentication challenge message from an ACESERVER.

24. An apparatus for providing an authentication challenge message to a client securely accessing a computer over a network comprising:

an input/output device configured to transmit said authentication challenge message to said client over said network, at least a portion of said network including an Internet communication link, said input/output device configured to receive a response message from said client over said network, said response message including a passcode; and

a processor including a verification mechanism configured to verify said passcode,

wherein said an input/output device is configured to transmit a verification message to said client if said passcode is verified by said verification mechanism.

25. The apparatus recited in claim 24, wherein said passcode includes a personal identification number and a pseudo-random number generated by a pseudo-random number generator.

26. The apparatus recited in claim 25, wherein said pseudo-random number generator is a SECUREID.

27. The apparatus recited in claim 24, wherein said verification mechanism verifies said passcode using an authentication server.

28. The apparatus recited in claim 27, wherein said authentication server is an ACESERVER.