Communication Authentication Using Pre-Shared Session Identifiers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users lack a reliable mechanism to verify the authenticity of communications from third parties, such as banks, making them vulnerable to fraudulent attempts.
Innovation Solution
An authentication system and method that utilizes an authentication server to generate and distribute a communications identifier to both the user device and the third party device, allowing the user to confirm the authenticity of the communication session by matching identifiers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If users rely on traditional authentication methods (asking for password characters or personal information), then the trusted organisation can verify user identity, but users cannot determine if incoming communications are from the trusted organisation or a fraudster
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication by sending a notification to the user device before the third party initiates the communication session. This advance notification includes authentication data that the user can verify before accepting the incoming call or message, allowing the user to confirm the communication is genuine before engaging.
Solution Approach 2:
The system introduces an intermediary authentication notification mechanism between the user and the third party communication. The notification server acts as a mediator that provides authentication data to the user device, enabling the user to verify the identity of the incoming communication without directly interacting with the third party first.
2Reliability
If users are advised to terminate communications and initiate new sessions via the trusted organisation's website, then security is improved, but user convenience and productivity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of requiring users to terminate and restart communications, the system performs preliminary authentication by notifying the user in advance of incoming communications. This allows legitimate communications to proceed without interruption while maintaining security through pre-verification.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables users to self-verify incoming communications using authentication data provided in the notification. Users can independently confirm the legitimacy of incoming calls or messages without needing to initiate new sessions or contact customer service, maintaining both security and communication flow.
3Reliability
If the system sends notifications to user devices before communications sessions, then users can verify authenticity, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The notification server performs multiple functions: it receives notifications from third parties, generates authentication data, sends notifications to user devices, and manages communication sessions. By consolidating these functions in a single server, the system achieves reliable authentication verification without proportionally increasing overall system complexity.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method of authenticating, at an authentication server, a communications session between a user device and a third party device, the method comprising: receiving a connection notification from the third party device, the connection notification indicating the intention of the third party device to initiate a communications session with the user device, the connection notification comprising a user identifier and identification of a communications channel that will be used for the communications session; retrieving a user profile in dependence on the received user identifier, the user profile comprising a user device identifier; generating a communications identifier; sending, to the user device, a communications notification, the communications notification comprising data relating to the communications channel that the third party device will use to connect to the user device, third party identification data and the communications identifier; sending, to the third party device, the communications identifier such that the third party device can include the communications identifier when initiating the communications session with the user device in order to indicate that the communications session is genuine.