Shared Session Tokens for Cross-Application MFA Reuse
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing authentication systems require repetitive and time-consuming multifactor authentications, disrupting user productivity and failing to leverage shared authentication across different applications due to inherent distrust between systems.
Innovation Solution
A shared session token system is implemented using an authentication service that generates and manages shared tokens securely, allowing seamless authentication across multiple applications by creating a shared token that is encrypted and managed by a security agent, reducing redundant authentications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional authentication systems are used for each application, then security is maintained through individual authentications, but user productivity decreases due to repeated authentication requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges authentication sessions across multiple applications by implementing a shared session state mechanism. The authentication service maintains a unified session that can be accessed by multiple applications, allowing users to authenticate once and gain access to multiple applications without repeating the authentication process. This combining of authentication states resolves the contradiction by maintaining security through centralized session management while improving productivity by eliminating redundant authentications.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication service implements a universal session token that serves multiple applications simultaneously. Instead of creating separate authentication mechanisms for each application, the system creates a multi-functional session state that can be reused across different applications. This universal approach maintains security through a single authentication service while enabling users to access multiple applications without repeated authentications, thereby resolving the productivity-security contradiction.
2Reliability
If repeated multifactor authentications are required across different applications, then security is strengthened, but user experience deteriorates due to time-consuming processes
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication through a unified authentication service before applications require individual authentications. By establishing the session state in advance through the authentication service, the system prepares authentication credentials that can be reused across applications. This preliminary action maintains security through initial multifactor authentication while improving user experience by eliminating the need for repeated authentication processes across different applications.
Solution Approach 2:
The authentication service acts as an intermediary between users and multiple applications, managing session states centrally. Instead of requiring users to interact with each application's authentication mechanism separately, the intermediary authentication service handles authentication once and manages the shared session state. This intermediary approach maintains security through centralized control while significantly improving user experience by reducing authentication friction across applications.
3Reliability
If individual authentication sessions are maintained for each application, then security isolation is achieved, but system complexity increases due to multiple session states
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts session state management from individual applications and centralizes it in a dedicated authentication service. By taking out the session management functionality from each application and consolidating it in a single authentication service, the system maintains security isolation through centralized control while reducing overall system complexity. Applications no longer need to maintain separate session states, eliminating redundant complexity while preserving security through the authentication service's unified session management.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are systems, apparatuses, methods, computer readable medium, and circuits for sharing multifactor authentication with shared session tokens using an authentication service. According to at least one example, a method includes: in response to receiving a request to check an authentication status from a first application, transmitting a first message to an authentication service including shared information; providing first authentication credentials related to a first authentication to the authentication service; and receiving a message related to a second authentication to bypass the second authentication.