Dynamic User Prompts for Secure Transaction Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Authentication systems relying on static questions and answers are vulnerable to unauthorized access due to their static nature.
Innovation Solution
Dynamically generate authentication questions based on recent user activity data, such as location and purchase history, and compare user responses to these questions in real-time to authenticate users.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If static authentication questions are used, then the authentication process is simple and fast, but the system becomes vulnerable to unauthorized access
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic authentication questions that change based on user behavior patterns, device information, and contextual factors. Instead of static questions, the system generates unique questions for each authentication attempt, making it difficult for unauthorized actors to predict or reuse answers. This dynamic approach directly addresses the security vulnerability while maintaining operational simplicity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes multiple parameters including question content, question type, and authentication criteria based on user profile data, device characteristics, and transaction context. By dynamically adjusting these parameters, the system enhances security without requiring complex manual configuration, resolving the contradiction between security improvement and system complexity.
2Reliability
If user data is stored long-term for authentication, then authentication accuracy is improved, but data storage risks increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary analysis of user data to extract authentication features and patterns before the actual authentication event. User behavior patterns, device fingerprints, and contextual information are pre-processed and stored in a simplified format, enabling accurate authentication without retaining raw sensitive data long-term. This preliminary action reduces storage risks while maintaining authentication accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts only the necessary authentication-related information from user data, separating it from sensitive personal information. By taking out only the features needed for authentication (such as behavior patterns and device characteristics) and discarding or anonymizing the rest, the system achieves accurate authentication with minimal data retention, thereby reducing storage risks.
3Reliability
If dynamically generated questions are used, then security against unauthorized access is improved, but the authentication process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically generating authentication questions based on pre-analyzed user patterns and contextual information without requiring manual intervention. The question generation is automated through algorithms that process user behavior data and create relevant questions instantly, maintaining high speed while enhancing security through dynamic content generation.
Data Source
AI summary
Arrangements for providing dynamic user authentication are provided. In some aspects, a user may initiate a transaction at a merchant point-of-sale (POS) system, via a merchant website, or the like. In response, user data from one or more pre-registered user devices may be retrieved. The data may be analyzed to identify one or more data points for use as a correct answer to an authentication question. An authentication question may be dynamically generated and transmitted to the merchant system for display and the user may provide authentication response data. The authentication response data may be received and compared to the data points providing the basis for the authentication question. If the data matches, the user may be authenticated and the transaction may be processed. If not, additional user authentication data may be requested. The system may then delete the received user data.