Offline 2FA Authentication Across Shared Trusted Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional authentication methods rely on internet connectivity for two-factor authentication (2FA), which is inconvenient and less secure in environments with unreliable internet access, and they lack robust offline authentication mechanisms.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for offline authentication using a 2FA code shared among multiple devices within a secure computing environment, where a user's authentication attempt is validated offline after a threshold number of successful attempts, ensuring security and convenience without continuous online connectivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If online connectivity is required for two-factor authentication (2FA), then security is improved, but reliability in environments with unreliable internet access deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions by establishing secure offline authentication capabilities in advance. Multiple authentication devices are pre-configured with the ability to validate credentials without online connectivity, allowing authentication to proceed even when internet access is unavailable. This preliminary setup ensures reliability while reducing dependence on continuous online connectivity.
2Ease of operation
If multiple devices share 2FA codes in a controlled environment, then ease of offline authentication is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple authentication devices are configured with identical offline validation capabilities, making each device universally functional for authentication purposes. This multi-functionality allows any authorized device to perform authentication without requiring complex coordination or specialized configurations, thereby improving ease of offline authentication while managing device complexity through standardization.
3Reliability
If a threshold number of successful authentication attempts is required before sharing 2FA codes, then security is improved, but time for authentication setup increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication attempts to establish trust before enabling full offline capabilities. By requiring a threshold number of successful online authentication attempts initially, the system pre-validates user credentials and device legitimacy. This preliminary action ensures security while the time investment is made only once during setup, after which offline authentication can proceed without further delays.
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a computer storage device, system, and method for secure offline authentications. An authentication device receives an authentication attempt from a user mobile device, decrypts an encrypted user identifier, and receives a two-factor authentication (2FA) code from a user. The device validates the authentication attempt based on the decrypted user identifier and the received 2FA code offline. The device tracks the number of validated authentication attempts and compares it to a threshold. When the number of validated authentication attempts exceeds the threshold, the 2FA code is automatically shared with a second computer storage device, allowing the user to validate an authentication attempt with both devices without inputting the 2FA code. The same entity controls both the computer storage device and the second computer storage device.