Generating authentication challenges based on preferences of a user's contacts

• US 9,276,923 B1
• Filed: 07/14/2014
• Issued: 03/01/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Staddon, Jessica
• Primary Examiner(s): Armouche, Hadi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Holmes, Angela
• Application Number:
  US14/331,108
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 726/7, 726/10, 726/21, 705/319, 455/410, 713/183
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/9535 Search customisation based on user profiles and personalisation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/31 User authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/55 Detecting local intrusion or implementing counter-measures
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/606 by securing the transmission between two devices or processes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/102 Entity profiles

Abstract

Generating user authentication challenges based in part on preferences of one or more contacts of a user includes receiving an authentication request from a user. One or more contacts of the user associated with the authentication request are determined. One or more preferences of the close contact or contacts are determined. An authentication challenge based on the one or more preferences of one or more of the user'"'"'s contacts is generated. The authentication request is allowed or denied based on the completion on the authentication challenge.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, with one or more processors, a user authentication request from a user device of a user, the user authentication request includes primary authentication information associated with the user and secondary authentication information associated with the user device of the user;

detecting, with the one or more processors, a potentially fraudulent authentication attempt based on the primary authentication information and the secondary authentication information associated with the user device of the user;

in response to detecting the potentially fraudulent authentication attempt, identifying, with the one or more processors, a contact of the user based on statistically weighted factors associated with the contact, the statistically weighted factors reflecting recent interaction between the contact and the user;

determining, with the one or more processors, a preference of the contact of the user, the preference includes information associated with the contact and is determined from data associated with the contact and identifiable by the user;

generating, with the one or more processors, an authentication challenge based on the preference of the contact of the user; and

sending, with the one or more processors, the authentication challenge for display to the user on the user device.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a response from the user and assessing completion of the authentication challenge based on the response from the user.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the contact of the user is identified at least in part by the frequency of interaction between the user and the contact.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the contact of the user is identified at least in part by how recently the contact and the account owner interacted.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the contact of the user is identified at least in part by the type or number of commonalties between the account owner and the contact alone or in combination.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the contact of the user is identified at least in part by the duration of the contact or relationship between the account owner and the contact.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the contact of the user is identified at least in part by the contact'"'"'s affiliation with the account owner.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the contact of the user is identified by statistically weighing a plurality of factors.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the preference of the contact of the user is determined explicitly from the data of the one or more contacts.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the preference of the contact of the user is determined implicitly from the data of the one or more contacts.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the preference of the contact of the user is determined inferentially from the data of the one or more contacts.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein inferential determination includes determining preferences based on data collected from contacts playing an online game.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the potentially fraudulent authentication attempt includes a failed authentication attempt.

14. A system for generating user authentication challenges, the system comprising:

one or more processors;

one or more memories storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the system to;

an authentication receiver for receiving a user authentication request from a user device of a user, the user authentication request includes primary authentication information associated with the user and secondary authentication information associated with the user device of the user;

a fraudulent authentication detection engine for detecting a potentially fraudulent authentication attempt based on the primary authentication information and the secondary authentication information associated with the user device of the user;

a close contact identifier engine for identifying with the one or more processors, a contact of the user based on statistically weighted factors associated with the contact, the statistically weighted factors reflecting recent interaction between the contact and the user;

a contact preference engine for determining a preference of the contact of the user, the preference includes information associated with the contact and is determined from data associated with the contact and identifiable by the user; and

a challenge generation engine for generating an authentication challenge based on the preference of the contact of the user and for sending the authentication challenge for display to the user on the user device.

15. The system of claim 14, further comprising:

a challenge assessment engine for receiving a response from the user and assessing completion of the authentication challenge based on the response from the user.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the contact of the user is identified at least in part by the frequency of interaction between the user and the contact.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the contact of the user is identified at least in part by how recently the contact and the account owner interacted.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the contact of the user is identified at least in part by the type or number of commonalties between the account owner and the contact alone or in combination.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the contact of the user is identified at least in part by the duration of the contact or relationship between the account owner and the contact.

20. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer usable storage medium including a computer readable program, the computer readable program when executed by a processor causes the processor to:

receive a user authentication request from a user device of a user, the user authentication request includes primary authentication information associated with the user and secondary authentication information associated with the user device of the user;

detect a potentially fraudulent authentication attempt based on the primary authentication information and the secondary authentication information associated with the user device of the user;

in response to detecting the potentially fraudulent authentication attempt, identify a contact of the user based on statistically weighted factors associated with the contact, the statistically weighted factors reflecting recent interaction between the contact and the user;

determine a preference of the contact of the user, the preference includes information associated with the contact and is determined from data associated with the contact and identifiable by the user;

generate an authentication challenge based on the preference of the contact of the user; and

send the authentication challenge for display to the user on the user device.