Biometric Authentication Infrastructure for Secure Online Transactions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current online authentication methods for accessing financial information and e-commerce transactions lack sufficient security, as single-factor authentication is inadequate for high-risk transactions, and existing systems are vulnerable to fraud, necessitating a more robust and reliable multi-factor authentication solution.
Innovation Solution
A third-party maintained authentication infrastructure utilizing a biometric device for multifactor authentication, where users log in securely through a biometric sensor connected to their personal computer, providing an additional layer of security beyond traditional username and password methods, and enabling secure payment transactions via electronic wallets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If single-factor authentication (username and password) is used, then ease of operation is improved, but security reliability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication system is segmented into multiple independent factors: something the user knows (password), something the user has (biometric device), and something the user is (biometric characteristics). This segmentation allows the system to maintain ease of operation through familiar interfaces while dramatically improving security reliability by requiring multiple factors to be satisfied simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
A third-party maintained authentication infrastructure acts as an intermediary between the user and the online service provider. This intermediary handles the complex biometric verification process, allowing users to authenticate securely without directly managing the complexity of multi-factor authentication, thus maintaining ease of operation while improving security.
2Reliability
If multi-factor authentication is implemented, then security reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The third-party authentication infrastructure serves as an intermediary that manages the complexity of multi-factor authentication. The biometric device communicates with this intermediary, which handles template matching, template generation, and verification logic. This allows the authentication system to achieve high security reliability while keeping the user-facing interface and device complexity manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs self-service mechanisms where the biometric device automatically performs template generation and matching against stored templates in the third-party infrastructure. This automation reduces the operational complexity for users and administrators, allowing multi-factor authentication to be implemented with minimal manual intervention while maintaining high security reliability.
3Reliability
If biometric templates are stored centrally, then security reliability is improved through non-repudiation, but loss of information risk increases if centralized storage is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates a secure, controlled environment for storing biometric templates by using a third-party maintained authentication infrastructure with specialized security measures. This 'inert environment' protects the templates from unauthorized access and manipulation, enabling non-repudiation while minimizing the risk of information loss even if the centralized storage is compromised, as the templates are protected by multiple security layers including encryption and access controls.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for securely authenticating a user for the purpose of accessing information, such as private financial or personal information, in an online environment are disclosed. In addition, a system and method for allowing consumers to make secure payments from an electronic wallet with biometric authentication are disclosed.