The disclosure relates generally to authentication, and more specifically to one-time graphical pattern authentication.
According to one embodiment of the disclosure, a method includes receiving, from a user, a request to authenticate. The authentication request may include a user id. The method may also include verifying the user id. The method also includes generating a request for a one-time graphical pattern. The method further includes transmitting the request for the one-time graphical pattern to a server and receiving, from the server, the one-time graphical pattern. The method includes transmitting the one-time graphical pattern to the user and prompting the user to input the graphical pattern. The method may also include receiving the inputted graphical pattern from the user and determining whether the inputted graphical pattern matches the transmitted one-time graphical pattern sent to the user. If the inputted graphical pattern matches the transmitted one-time graphical pattern sent to the user, the method may include authenticating the user.
Other features and advantages of the present disclosure are apparent to persons of ordinary skill in the art in view of the following detailed description of the disclosure and the accompanying drawings.
For a more complete understanding of the configurations of the present disclosure, needs satisfied thereby, and the features and advantages thereof, reference now is made to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the present disclosure may be illustrated and described herein in any of a number of patentable classes or context including any new and useful process, machine, manufacture, or composition of matter, or any new and useful improvement thereof. Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure may be implemented entirely in hardware, entirely in software (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or combining software and hardware implementation that may all generally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module,” “component,” or “system.” Furthermore, aspects of the present disclosure may take the form of a computer program product embodied in one or more computer readable media having computer readable program code embodied thereon.
Any combination of one or more computer readable media may be utilized. The computer readable media may be a computer readable signal medium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. More specific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readable storage medium would include the following: a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an appropriate optical fiber with a repeater, a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. In the context of this document, a computer readable storage medium may be any tangible medium that can contain, or store a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device.
A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signal with computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, in baseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may take any of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to, electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. A computer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium that is not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate, propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. Program code embodied on a computer readable signal medium may be transmitted using any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless, wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the foregoing.
Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of the present disclosure may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object oriented programming language, such as JAVA®, SCALA®, SMALLTALK®, EIFFEL®, JADE®, EMERALD®, C++, C#, VB.NET, PYTHON® or the like, conventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C” programming language, VISUAL BASIC®, FORTRAN® 2003, Perl, COBOL 2002, PHP, ABAP®, dynamic programming languages such as PYTHON®, RUBY® and Groovy, or other programming languages. The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider) or in a cloud computing environment or offered as a service such as a Software as a Service (SaaS).
Aspects of the present disclosure are described herein with reference to flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatuses (systems) and computer program products according to aspects of the disclosure. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions may be provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computer or other programmable instruction execution apparatus, create a mechanism for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer readable medium that when executed can direct a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions when stored in the computer readable medium produce an article of manufacture including instructions which when executed, cause a computer to implement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks. The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer, other programmable instruction execution apparatus, or other devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatuses or other devices to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.
Authentication is the process by which a user provides credentials to a system and the system verifies that those credentials allow the user to access the system. Single-factor authentication identifies the user requesting access with just one set of credentials, for example a username and password. Two-factor authentication identifies the user requesting access with two different sets of credentials, for example (i) a username and password and (ii) a code that is sent to the user's mobile phone or email address. Certain security systems use CAPTCHAS (an acronym for “Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart”) in challenge-response form that allows the computer to tell whether the user is human.
Touch screens present certain difficulties for users. For example, it may be significantly easier for a user to swipe a screen than to type on a touch screen. As another example, usernames and passwords may be susceptible to shoulder surfing, or the practice of another party spying (for example, over the user's shoulder) on what the user is typing on their keyboard or electronic device in order to obtain the user's personal access information.
An embodiment of the present invention allows users to draw a one-time graphical pattern on their device, which may add significant benefit in a touch-screen environment. Drawing a pattern is easier for the user and more convenient, and the user need not memorize a sequence of characters or pattern. It avoids the insecure practice of having a user use the same username and password for multiple purposes or choosing a simple password because it is easy to remember. Because the pattern is a one-time pattern, it is more secure. Drawing a graphical pattern also avoids the danger of shoulder surfing. Pattern length can also be configured during runtime on the server side.
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At 311, the user details are provided to middleware 330 by the user through browser 310. For example, the user's username or email address may be provided. A password may also be provided. The following steps can be performed with or without middleware. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, middleware is used. Middleware 330 sends the user an activation code at 312. The activation code may be, for example, out of the box (OOTB). At 313, the user sends the activation code for verification (for example, for two-factor authentication). Middleware 330 validates the activation code at 331. If the validation fails at 314, then access will be denied and the user may be prompted again to enter an appropriate authentication code. If validation is successful at 332, then authentication server 340 may create a user credential at 341. The user credential may take the form of a grid of any size, for example M×N. M and N may represent any number, including the same number. The user credential may also take a less structured form or a form that is not grid-like in appearance. For example, the user credential may be circular in nature or free-flowing in any shape or form. For simplicity, “grid” will be used from here forward to include all shapes and forms discussed above. Once the grid is created, at 333, authentication server 340 may transmit a credential creation success status to middleware 330, which may, in response, show the credential provisioning steps to the user at 315. The process described above may be known as user registration. A user typically must register the first time it uses the system, but need not register each time it uses the system. In certain embodiments, it may be useful for the user to perform one or more steps associated with registration more than once or every time it uses the system.
At 321, the user, for example through mobile device 320, creates a credential provisioning request and transmits the request to middleware 330. At 334, that credential provisioning request is sent by middleware 330 to authentication server 340. At 342, authentication server 340 provides the user credential, for example an M×N grid user credential and transmits the credential at 335 to middleware 330. Middleware 330 transmits a credential provisioning response at 322 to the user. At 323, the user may store credentials on their device in storage, for example protected storage. For example, the credential may be protected using any encryption algorithm, such as public key infrastructure (PKI) or a user factor.
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Any algorithm, including a randomizing algorithm, may be used to generate the pattern sent to the user. For example, with reference to
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The method may further comprise determining that the user is a first-time user. In this instance, the method may prompt the user to register. In response to determining that the user is a first-time user, the method may transmit an activation code to the user. The method may prompt the user to input the activation code through one of many methods, for example typing. The method may also receive the authentication code from the user. The method may, in response to receiving the authentication code from the user, validate the authentication code. The user registration may be saved on the authentication server or other platform so that when the user authenticates the next time, the user may not be prompted to register again.
The method may further comprise, in response to receiving the authentication code from the user, requesting a grid from the server and receiving the grid from the server. The grid may be unique to the user. In alternate embodiments, the grid may not be unique to the user, but the password derived from the pattern and the grid may be unique to the user. The method may also comprise generating a unique one-time password from the inputted graphical pattern and the grid. The method may also include using the unique one-time password to authenticate the user.
The method may deny a user if its identification is not verified. For example, the method may include receiving from a second user a second request to authenticate, the second authentication request comprising a second user id. If the second user id is not verified, the method may include formatting for display to the second user a denial message. In another example, the method may include receiving from a second user a second request to authenticate, the second authentication request comprising a second user id or other identification. The method may comprise verifying the second user id or other identification, generating a second question for a second one-time graphical pattern using the processor, and transmitting the second request for the second one-time graphical pattern to the server. The method may comprise receiving, from the server, the second one-time graphical pattern, transmitting the second one-time graphical pattern to the second user, and prompting the second user to input the second graphical pattern. The method may further comprise receiving the inputted second graphical pattern from the second user and determining whether the inputted second graphical pattern matches the transmitted second one-time graphical pattern sent to the user. If the patterns do match, the second user may be authenticated. If the inputted second graphical pattern does not match the transmitted second one-time graphical pattern sent to the user, the method may include formatting for display to the second user a denial message.
The method may comprise deleting the one-time graphical pattern after the user is authenticated. The length of the one-time graphical pattern may vary between users or may be the same length for every user. The graphical pattern may be inputted by a user via a touch screen, conventional keyboard or mouse, or any other input device. The graphical pattern may take any form or shape, including but not limited to a line, curved or straight, square, rectangle, rhombus, circle, bubble, polygon, or combination of images.
The flowchart and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods and computer program products according to various aspects of the present disclosure. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.
The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only and is not intended to be limiting of the disclosure. As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of any means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any disclosed structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the disclosure in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the disclosure. The aspects of the disclosure herein were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the disclosure and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the disclosure with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.