Wireless Device Location Profile Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Cellular fraud, including SIM swapping, cloning, and subscriber fraud, remains a significant issue due to the inability of existing technologies to effectively verify the authenticity of user account authentication requests in wireless networks, allowing scammers to manipulate phone numbers and steal personal data.
Innovation Solution
An authentication engine that maintains a location profile for wireless user devices by tracking their Cell ID and Location Area Code (LAC) over time, comparing new authentication requests against this profile to determine if they satisfy a threshold, thereby approving, denying, or requiring additional authentication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional authentication methods are used for user account verification, then the authentication process is simple and fast, but the system is vulnerable to cellular fraud such as SIM swapping, cloning, and subscriber fraud
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by establishing a location profile for each user device before authentication is needed. The profile contains historical location data (Cell ID and LAC) that is collected and stored in advance. When an authentication request is received, the system compares the current location against this pre-established profile to verify authenticity, preventing fraud before it can succeed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary authentication mechanism that acts as a mediator between the user device and the network. This intermediary system uses location profile comparison as an additional verification layer, independent of traditional SIM-based authentication. The intermediary checks whether the device's current location matches its historical location pattern, adding security without completely replacing existing authentication methods.
2Reliability
If location profile comparison is implemented for authentication verification, then fraud detection capability is improved, but the authentication process time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Location profile data is collected and stored in advance during normal network operations, before authentication is required. The system continuously updates the location profile with Cell ID and LAC information as the device moves through the network. This preliminary data collection eliminates the need for real-time location tracking during authentication, reducing processing time while maintaining fraud detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex real-time location verification mechanisms with a simpler comparison against pre-stored location profiles. Instead of performing complex geometric or temporal analysis during authentication, the system substitutes this with a straightforward match-check between current location data and historical profile data, significantly reducing computational overhead and processing time.
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods are provided approving or denying a request for user account authentication for a mobile network operator (MNO). The method includes receiving a location of a wireless user device associated with a request for user account authentication for an MNO. The location of the wireless user device for the request for user account authentication is compared with known locations of the wireless user device over time to determine whether to approve or deny the authentication request.