Residence Beacon Digital Identity Authentication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional authentication methods face challenges in balancing security and convenience, particularly due to the patchwork approach of security measures across different online services, which can lead to vulnerabilities in user personal information and identity theft.
Innovation Solution
A cloud-based system with dedicated, always-on beacons at users' residences manages user accounts and provides strong authentication by combining traditional authentication factors, using a beacon's unique cryptographic identity to verify users and enable seamless access to third-party services, replacing multiple passwords with dynamic credentials and leveraging the user's residence address for enhanced security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional authentication methods (passwords, security tokens) are used, then security can be strengthened, but user convenience and ease of use deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a beacon device as an intermediary between the user and online services. The beacon is a cryptographically secure device that remains at the user's residence and communicates with service providers to authenticate the user's identity, eliminating the need for users to manually manage passwords or security tokens while maintaining strong cryptographic security
Solution Approach 2:
The beacon device automatically performs authentication operations without requiring user intervention. The beacon self-manages cryptographic credentials and automatically communicates with service providers to verify the user's identity, making the authentication process seamless and convenient for users
2Reliability
If security measures are architected around individual services, then each service can implement its own security, but system complexity and privacy vulnerabilities increase
Solution Approach 1:
The beacon device serves as a universal authentication mechanism that works across multiple online services and platforms. Instead of each service requiring its own authentication infrastructure, the single beacon device provides cryptographic verification for numerous services, simplifying the overall system architecture while maintaining service-level security requirements
3Adaptability or versatility
If users store personal information with multiple providers, then service functionality is enhanced, but privacy and security risks are exacerbated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the critical authentication function from the service providers and places it in the user's own beacon device. The beacon holds the user's cryptographic identity and communicates with services on the user's behalf, allowing users to maintain relationships with multiple services while keeping their personal information and identity control localized in their own device rather than distributed across multiple provider systems
Data Source
AI summary
A system and associated methods provide digital identity and strong authentication management services for Internet users. The system includes a central, cloud-based, online service, referred to as a central service, which can manage user accounts. The system also includes dedicated, always-on, always-connected, cryptographically unique devices, referred to as beacons, located within the physical residences of its users. The central service associates each beacon with the residence address of its user by physically sending a unique address verification code by postal mail to the user's residence. The user presents the unique code to the beacon, and the beacon cryptographically confirms its identity and the unique code sent to the residence address back to the central service. The beacons can attest to users' identities and provide seamless strong authentication to third-party online service providers on behalf of those users.