Digital-to-Agent Authentication Transfer with Timestamp Validation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems face inefficiencies and resource consumption when transferring authentication from a digital channel to an agent channel, particularly in call centers, due to the need for redundant authentication procedures and the vulnerability to malicious actors impersonating users.
Innovation Solution
A system that transfers an authentication state from a digital channel to an agent channel by storing an event with a timestamp in a database, allowing the authentication state to be validated based on the time elapsed since the event, thereby enabling secure and efficient access without requiring a full authentication procedure over the agent channel.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If redundant authentication procedures are performed when transferring from digital channel to agent channel, then security is improved, but processing time and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs authentication in advance during the digital channel interaction and stores the authentication state with a timestamp in the database. When the user transitions to the agent channel, the pre-performed authentication is validated by checking if the timestamp falls within the threshold period, eliminating the need for redundant authentication procedures and reducing processing time while maintaining security
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication state obtained from the digital channel is copied and stored in the database with a timestamp. This copied authentication state is then referenced and validated during the agent channel interaction, avoiding the need to repeat the full authentication process and reducing both time and computational resources
2Reliability
If full authentication procedure is required for each agent channel call, then security against impersonation is improved, but system complexity and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
Authentication is performed in advance during the digital channel session, and the authentication state is stored with a timestamp. The system later validates this pre-performed authentication by checking whether the timestamp is within the threshold period, thereby preventing impersonation without requiring complex real-time authentication procedures during each agent channel call
Solution Approach 2:
The database acts as an intermediary that stores and validates authentication states with timestamps. This intermediary mechanism enables secure verification of user identity across different channels without requiring direct complex authentication logic in each channel, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining security
3Productivity
If authentication state is transferred without time validation, then processing speed is improved, but security and reliability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs authentication in advance and stores the timestamp of authentication. During agent channel interaction, it validates whether the time elapsed since authentication is within the threshold period. This time-based validation is performed efficiently without complex computations, maintaining high processing speed while ensuring authentication reliability by preventing use of stale or stolen credentials
Data Source
AI summary
In some implementations, a server device may obtain an indication of an incoming call, associated with a user device, to the call center service. The server device may perform a lookup in a database for information associated with the user device, wherein the information indicates the authentication status of a user that is established via the user device. The server device may determine whether an amount of time that the information has been stored in the database is less than or equal to a time threshold. The server device may generate an authentication token for the incoming call based on the authentication status and based on the amount of time being less than or equal to the time threshold.