Performing authentication

• US 8,844,003 B1
• Filed: 06/23/2008
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: RavenWhite Security, Inc. (Bjorn Markus Jakobsson)
• Original Assignee: RavenWhite Security, Inc. (Bjorn Markus Jakobsson)
• Inventors: Jakobsson, Bjorn Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): Barron, Jr., Gilberto
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, David
• Application Number:
  US12/215,048
• Time in Patent Office: 2,283 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 726/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/00 Security arrangements for protecting computers, components thereof, programs or data against unauthorised activity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/552 involving long-term monitoring or reporting
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2131 Lost password, e.g. recovery of lost or forgotten passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 1/00 Secret communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/56 Financial cryptography, e.g. electronic payment or e-cash
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/605 Copy protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/805 Lightweight hardware, e.g. radio-frequency identification [RFID] or sensor
• 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 63/107 wherein the security policies are location-dependent, e.g. entities privileges depend on current location or allowing specific operations only from locally connected terminals
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1483 service impersonation, e.g. phishing, pharming or web spoofing detection of rogue wireless access points H04W12/12
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0891 Revocation or update of secret information, e.g. encryption key update or rekeying
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information

Abstract

Preference data is received. The received preference data is compared to stored preference data associated with a user with which the received preference data is associated. A determination is made whether to authorize an action based at least on the comparison. The preference data is received as a selection.

Claims

1. An authentication system, comprising:

an interface configured to receive, in response to a request presented to a first user, preference data; and

a processor configured to;

compare the received preference data to stored preference data associated with an enrolled user, wherein the stored preference data was captured in conjunction with a previous request for preference data presented to the enrolled user, wherein the stored preference data includes an indication of a type of preference with respect to an item associated with the previous request, wherein the indicated type of preference corresponds to one of a positive preference, a negative preference, and a neutral preference for the item; and

determine that an action should be authorized based at least in part by computing a score based at least in part on the comparison and determining whether the score exceeds a threshold.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the action includes a password reset request.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the action includes receiving access to a service.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the interface includes a graphical user interface.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the interface is configured to receive at least some of the received preference data acoustically.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the received data and stored data are of different types.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the threshold is determined based at least in part on an entropy score.

8. The system of claim 1 further comprising an enrollment interface configured to capture at least a portion of the stored preference data.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the enrollment interface is configured to display a plurality of categories.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the enrollment interface is configured to receive a selection of a category and in response display an item associated with the category.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein at least one preference captured by the enrollment interface is a preference for the item.

12. The system of claim 8 wherein the enrollment interface is further configured to provide an audio sample.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the received preference data includes a preference for at least one of a food, an activity, a television show, and a style of music.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein the received preference data includes a negative preference.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein the received preference data includes a neutral preference.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein the interface is further configured to present the user with a set of candidate items and wherein the user is asked to perform at least one of the following actions with respect to at least some of the candidate items:

make a selection;

make a classification;

or make a combination thereof.

16. A method, comprising:

receiving, in response to a request presented to a first user, preference data;

comparing the received preference data to stored preference data associated with an enrolled user, wherein the stored preference data was captured in conjunction with a previous request for preference data presented to the enrolled user, wherein the stored preference data includes an indication of a type of preference with respect to an item associated with the previous request, wherein the indicated type of preference corresponds to one of a positive preference, a negative preference, and a neutral preference for the item; and

determining, by a microprocessor, that an action should be authorized based at least in part by computing a score based at least in part on the comparison and determining whether the score exceeds a threshold;

wherein the preference data is received as a selection.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the action includes a password reset request.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising capturing preference data during an enrollment.

19. A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for:

receiving, in response to a request presented to a first user, preference data;

comparing the received preference data to stored preference data associated with an enrolled user, wherein the stored preference data was captured in conjunction with a previous request for preference data presented to the enrolled user, wherein the stored preference data includes an indication of a type of preference with respect to an item associated with the previous request, wherein the indicated type of preference corresponds to one of a positive preference, a negative preference, and a neutral preference for the item; and

determining that an action should be authorized based at least in part by computing a score based at least in part on the comparison and determining whether the score exceeds a threshold;

wherein the preference data is received as a selection.