Secure Mobile Credential Transfer via Intermediary Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for a secure and convenient method to transfer payment credentials from an old mobile device to a new one, ensuring that only the legitimate user can access the credentials to prevent unauthorized use.
Innovation Solution
A separate authentication device is used to generate a cryptogram that is verified by both the mobile device and a credentials back-up computer, allowing secure download of credentials to the new device, with the authentication device being stored securely and used only during the transfer process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If strong authentication is implemented to prevent unauthorized access to credentials, then security is improved, but the complexity of the transfer process increases
Solution Approach 1:
A separate authentication device is introduced as an intermediary between the mobile device and the credentials back-up computer. This authentication device generates and verifies cryptograms, enabling strong authentication without requiring the credentials back-up computer to directly handle complex authentication logic, thus distributing system complexity across multiple components.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication system is segmented into distinct components: the authentication device that generates cryptograms, the mobile device that provides user credentials, and the credentials back-up computer that verifies authentication. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in specific authentication tasks, improving overall security while making the system more manageable.
2Reliability
If a separate authentication device is used to generate cryptograms, then security is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication device serves as a dedicated intermediary component that specializes in cryptogram generation and verification. By isolating authentication functions in a separate device, the system achieves stronger security without requiring the mobile device or credentials back-up computer to become more complex.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication device can be a standalone component that replicates authentication capabilities across multiple users or devices. Each authentication device contains the necessary cryptographic functions to generate and verify cryptograms independently, allowing the system to scale without increasing the complexity of individual components.
Data Source
AI summary
Back-up credentials data is stored for a user. A communication channel is established with a mobile device. A cryptogram is received from the mobile device, such that the cryptogram is relayed by the mobile device from an authentication device that interacted with the mobile device. The authentication device is associated with the user. The cryptogram is verified. In response to the verification of the cryptogram, the stored back-up credentials data is made accessible to the mobile device.