Risk Authentication Using Cell Tower Corroboration
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional risk-based authentication systems fail to accurately reflect transaction risk due to the potential for false location data from infected GPS units, leading to incorrect risk scoring and potential fraudulent activities.
Innovation Solution
The improved technique corroborates previous transaction data using independent information sources, such as cell towers, to verify the accuracy of location data, assigning a higher risk score if the data does not match, thus enhancing the authenticity process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If location data from GPS unit is used for authentication, then authentication speed is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates due to potential false data from infected GPS units
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces cell tower location data as an intermediary verification source. Instead of directly trusting GPS unit data, the system uses cell tower information as a mediator to corroborate or refute the GPS-provided location, thereby resolving the contradiction between fast authentication and accurate location verification
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by comparing GPS location data against cell tower location data. When the two sources disagree, the system receives feedback indicating potential GPS compromise and adjusts authentication accordingly, maintaining both speed and accuracy
2Reliability
If multiple independent information sources are used to corroborate transaction data, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by selectively using corroboration based on risk assessment. Not all transactions require full corroboration - the system performs partial verification when risk is low and more extensive verification when risk is high, improving reliability without always incurring maximum complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication system is segmented into modular components: GPS data collection, cell tower data collection, corroboration logic, and risk assessment. This segmentation allows the system to manage complexity by enabling/disabling specific modules based on transaction risk levels
Data Source
AI summary
An improved technique authenticates a user based on an ability to corroborate previous transaction data sent by a user device. Along these lines, the improved technique makes use of an independent information source for verifying the accuracy of previous transaction data obtained by a given collector. For example, when a collector of location data is a GPS unit of a cell phone, an independent information source may be a cell tower closest to the cell phone at the time of the transaction. While location data provided by the cell tower may not be as precise as that provided by the GPS unit, such data is useful for corroborating the location data from the GPS unit. In this scenario, if the data provided by the cell tower fails to corroborate that provided by the GPS unit, then the GPS unit adds significant risk to authenticating the user.