Service Authentication via Delegated Remote Provider
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Solution Overview
Problem
Computer-facilitated services face challenges in implementing superior authentication methods that are available through alternative services and devices used by users, which can be costly and difficult to integrate.
Innovation Solution
A system where a computer-facilitated service selects and utilizes authentication methods performed by a user's computing device or other service, evaluating the authentication decision to ensure secure access to resources while maintaining hierarchical control over the authentication process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If computer-facilitated services implement alternative authentication methods from user devices or services, then authentication security is improved, but implementation cost and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an authentication module as an intermediary component within the service provider's system. This module receives authentication decisions from user devices or external services, evaluates their security strength, and determines whether to grant access. The intermediary handles the complexity of integrating multiple authentication sources without requiring the main service system to directly implement or manage each authentication method, thus improving security while managing implementation complexity.
2Reliability
If computer-facilitated services implement alternative authentication methods from user devices or services, then authentication security is improved, but implementation cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables user devices and external services to perform authentication independently and provide authentication decisions back to the service provider. The user's computing device or third-party service executes the authentication methods using their own resources, rather than requiring the service provider to deploy and maintain authentication infrastructure. This self-service approach improves authentication security by leveraging capable external systems while avoiding the high implementation and operational costs that would result from the service provider building equivalent authentication capabilities in-house.
Data Source
AI summary
A computer-facilitated service receives a request from a user to access resources provided by the computer-facilitated service. In response to the request, the computer-facilitated service selects an authentication method that can be performed by a remote authentication provider. The computer-facilitated service causes the remote authentication provider to perform the authentication method. In response to an authentication decision provided by the remote authentication provider, the computer-facilitated service determines whether the user has been authenticated by the remote authentication provider. If so, the computer-facilitated service fulfills the request from the user to access the resources.