Contactless Card Attack Signaling With One-Time Passwords

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing contactless cards face vulnerabilities in data security, authentication, and verification, with issues such as susceptibility to hacking, reliance on insecure login credentials, and inefficient activation processes, necessitating improved cryptographic authentication and attack signaling.

Innovation Solution

A contactless card system that includes a substrate, processors, and memory, capable of generating a one-time password upon detecting a potential attack, and communicating with servers to perform protective actions, while utilizing key diversification to enhance security.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If traditional authentication methods (email, SMS, log-in credentials) are used for contactless card verification, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to susceptibility to hacking and unauthorized access

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthentication convenienceVSAvoidsecurity vulnerability

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces traditional mechanical authentication systems (email verification, SMS codes, username/password logins) with a cryptographic authentication system using contactless cards. The card contains cryptographic keys and generates one-time passwords through cryptographic operations, eliminating the need for vulnerable external communication channels while maintaining user convenience.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The contactless card acts as an intermediary device between the user and the authentication server. Instead of directly communicating credentials over vulnerable channels (email, SMS), the card mediates the authentication process by generating and transmitting one-time passwords through secure contactless communication, protecting the authentication flow from external attacks.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Reliability

If card activation requires manual verification processes (calling telephone numbers, visiting websites), then reliability is improved by confirming cardholder identity, but loss of time increases due to the time-consuming nature of these processes

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveidentity verification securityVSAvoidactivation time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements preliminary cryptographic setup during card issuance, where cryptographic keys are pre-loaded into the contactless card. This preliminary action eliminates the need for time-consuming manual verification during activation, as the card is already cryptographically configured and can be activated immediately through secure one-time password generation and verification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentEP3861468B1Systems and methods for signaling a potential attack on contactless cards

Publication Date: 2026.04.01 CAPITAL ONE SERVICES LLC

Figure 1A
Figure 1B
Figure 2

AI summary

Example embodiments of systems and methods for data transmission between transmitting and receiving devices are provided. In an embodiment, the transmitting device can signal an attack or potential attack through a counter value. The attack signaling can further include information relating to the attack or potential attack.