Method and system for enhancing user security and session persistence

• US 20060294388A1
• Filed: 06/22/2005
• Published: 12/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Thomas, Mathews, Abraham, Subil M., Gonzalez, Jason A., Cao, Tam M., Nemati, Adam A.
• Application Number:
  US11/158,609
• Publication Number:
  US 20060294388A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/182
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/305 by remotely controlling device operation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2111 Location-sensitive, e.g. geographical location, GPS
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2149 Restricted operating environment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0492 by using a location-limited connection, e.g. near-field communication or limited proximity of entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3215 using a plurality of channels network architectures or network communication protocols using different networks H04L63/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3271 using challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/64 using geofenced areas

Abstract

A system (10) and method (100) for enhancing security and session persistence can include the steps of authenticating (102) a user within a proximity of a first client device (19), sending (104) authentication data from a wireless scanning device (14) to a security server (16), and initiating (108) a client session at the first client device. Note, authentication data will be sent (106) from the security server to the application server. The method can further automatically log off (110) the user upon leaving the proximity and save the client session at an application server and further automatically authenticate and log-on (114) the user to the client session when entering a proximity of at least one among the first or a second client device. The method can detect (112) the presence of the user using an RFID scanner that detects an RFID tag from a badge held by the user.

Claims

1. A method enhancing security and session persistence on a networked computing system having at least two client devices, comprising the steps of:

authenticating a user within a proximity of a first client device using a wireless scanning device;

sending authentication data from the wireless scanning device to a security server on the networked computing system;

initiating a client session at the first client device;

automatically logging off the first client device upon leaving the proximity of the first client device and saving the client session at an application server; and

automatically authenticating and logging on the user to the client session when entering a proximity of at least one among the first client device and a second client device, wherein the second client uses a wireless scanning device to send authentication data to the security server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of detecting the presence of the user and wherein the wireless scanning device is a radio frequency identification scanner that detects an RFID tag from a badge held by the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of sending authentication data from the security server to the application server.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the further comprises the step of retrieving the client session and a user profile to determine information to be displayed to the user once the user is within proximity of a client device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises the step of detecting the absence of a user after a predetermined time of no input received at the client device.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the scanning device at the client device notifies the security server that the user is no longer at the client device and the security server notifies the application server to store the client session.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the method further comprises the step of the security server sending a logoff page to a browser on the client device to prevent access by another user using a previous user'"'"'s credentials.

8. A networked computing system having enhanced security and session persistence, comprising:

a radio frequency identification device containing an RFID tag carried by an authorized user of the networked computing system;

a radio frequency scanner for detecting the RFID tag within a predetermined proximity of the radio frequency scanner;

a security server coupled to the radio frequency scanner, wherein the radio frequency scanner sends a user'"'"'s information to the security server for authentication once the RFID tag is detected within the predetermined proximity and sends a request to close a client session once the RFID tag is no longer detected within the predetermined proximity;

a client device coupled to the security server and programmed to function in accordance with access instructions from the security server; and

an application server coupled to the security server, wherein the application server provides for rendering an appropriate page at the client device based on a user profile and a user location while maintaining, closing, storing and retrieving the client session as the RFID tag moves from one client device to another within the networked computing system.

9. The networked computing system of claim 8, wherein the system automatically authenticates the authorized user within the predetermined proximity of the radio frequency scanner by sending authentication data from the radio, frequency scanner to the security server on the networked computing system and initiates a client session at a first client device.

10. The networked computing system of claim 9, wherein system automatically logs off the first client device upon leaving the proximity of the first client device and saves the client session at the application server.

11. The networked computing system of claim 8, wherein the system automatically authenticates and logs on the user to the client session when entering a proximity of at least one among the first client device and a second client device, wherein the second client uses another radio frequency scanner to send authentication data to the security server.

12. The networked computing system of claim 8, wherein the system is further programmed to send authentication data from the security server to the application server.

13. The networked computing system of claim 8, wherein the client device further comprises a browser application for interacting with applications from the application server.

14. The networked computing system of claim 8, wherein the system is further programmed to retrieve the client session and a user profile to determine information to be displayed to the user once the user is within proximity of a client device.

15. The networked computing system of claim 8, wherein the system is further programmed to detect the absence of a user after a predetermined time of no input received at the client device.

16. The networked computing system of claim 15, wherein the radio frequency scanner at the client device is programmed to notify the security server that the user is no longer at the client device and the security server notifies the application server to store the client session.

17. The networked computing system of claim 16, wherein the security server is further programmed to send a logoff page to a browser on the client device to prevent access by another user using a previous user'"'"'s credentials.

18. A machine-readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the steps of:

authenticating a user within a proximity of a first client device using a wireless scanning device;

sending authentication data from the wireless scanning device to a security server on the networked computing system;

initiating a client session at the first client device;

automatically logging off the first client device upon leaving the proximity of the first client device and saving the client session at an application server; and

automatically authenticating and logging on the user to the client session when entering a proximity of at least one among the first client device and a second client device, wherein the second client uses a wireless scanning device to send authentication data to the security server.

19. The machine readable storage of claim 18, wherein the computer program further comprises code sections for detecting the presence of the user by detecting an RFID tag from a badge held by the user.

20. The machine readable storage of claim 18, wherein the computer program further comprises code sections for detecting the absence of a user after a predetermined time of no input received at the client device, notifying the security server by the wireless scanning device that the user is no longer at the client device, notifying the application server by the security server to store the client session, and sending a logoff page by the security server to a browser on the client device to prevent access by another user using a previous user'"'"'s credentials.