Temporary Enterprise Network Access via Proximity Authentication
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Enterprises face challenges in providing secure and convenient access to their internal networks for customers, as customers may not have the opportunity to sign up for accounts before visiting the store, and existing methods for providing temporary access are not efficient or secure.
Innovation Solution
A method that detects a customer's processing device within an enterprise's facility, authenticates the customer, and provides a temporary credential for access to select resources of the enterprise network, with customizable access rights and automatic termination of the session based on specific actions or geographic proximity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If enterprises provide access to their internal networks for customers, then customer convenience and experience are improved, but security risks and competitive concerns increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication and credential generation before the customer actually accesses the network. When a customer's device is detected entering the facility, the system proactively authenticates them and provides temporary credentials, so that when access is needed, it is already securely established.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces temporary credentials as an intermediary between the customer and the enterprise network. These credentials act as a mediator that allows controlled access without exposing the actual network infrastructure or sensitive resources directly to the customer's device.
2Reliability
If enterprises require customers to sign up for accounts before visiting, then security control is improved, but customer convenience and time efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs authentication in advance by detecting the customer's device upon entry and automatically generating temporary credentials, eliminating the need for customers to sign up beforehand or wait during their visit.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically detects customer devices, authenticates them, and provides credentials without requiring customer interaction with staff or completion of signup forms, making the process self-service and time-efficient.
3Ease of operation
If enterprises provide open network access like ISPs, then customer convenience is improved, but access to confidential network resources deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Temporary credentials serve as an intermediary that enables convenient network access while maintaining security. These credentials allow customers to connect to the network infrastructure but restrict access to confidential resources, acting as a controlled gateway.
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different access qualities to different parts of the network. Temporary credentials provide full access to general network resources (Internet, store Wi-Fi) while maintaining restricted access to confidential internal resources, creating localized access permissions.
4Reliability
If enterprises use controlled account-based access, then security is improved, but system complexity and implementation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system automatically detects customer devices using existing facility detection infrastructure, performs authentication, and generates credentials without requiring complex account management systems or manual intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The temporary credential system serves multiple functions: it provides network authentication, enables resource access control, and facilitates customer identification, replacing the need for separate complex account management systems.
Data Source
AI summary
Techniques for temporary access to enterprise networks are provided. Devices of customers are detected and authenticated for temporary enterprise network access to a facility of an enterprise when the customers are in a configurable geographic distance to that facility. Temporary access credentials for accessing select resources of the facility or enterprise network are pushed to the processing device upon successful authentication. When one or more terminating actions are detected, the temporary access credentials are revoked and access to the enterprise network ceases.