Token-Based Auto-Authentication via Network Location
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Solution Overview
Problem
The use of alphanumeric log-in/password combinations for network service access is vulnerable to attacks and tedious for users, due to issues like password reuse, weak passwords, and credentials being exchanged in the clear, and requires frequent user authentication.
Innovation Solution
A token and location-based auto-authentication system that generates a token including a client device's network address, user ID, and timestamp, which is encrypted and stored, allowing for automatic authentication when accessed from a registered location without requiring users to provide credentials.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If alphanumeric log-in/password combinations are used for authentication, then user credentials can verify identity, but the system becomes vulnerable to attacks and requires frequent manual authentication
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary authentication by generating and storing a token during an enrollment process. This token, combined with location data, enables automatic authentication without requiring users to manually enter credentials each time they access the network service, thus resolving the contradiction between security and convenience.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a token as an intermediary element that mediates between the user's identity and the authentication system. Instead of directly using passwords, the token serves as a secure intermediary that can be automatically presented with location information, eliminating the need for frequent manual credential entry while maintaining security.
2Ease of operation
If tokens are generated and stored for automatic authentication, then user convenience is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication system is segmented into distinct functional components: token generation, token storage, location detection, and authentication verification. This segmentation allows each component to be independently managed and implemented, reducing overall system complexity while enabling automatic authentication.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service automatic authentication by storing tokens locally on user devices and using automatic location detection. The device itself performs much of the authentication work by automatically presenting the token and location data without requiring user intervention, thereby improving convenience without proportionally increasing system complexity.
3Speed
If location-based automatic authentication is implemented, then access speed is improved, but security vulnerability may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple authentication factors into a single automatic process: the stored token provides cryptographic verification of user identity, while location data provides contextual verification. This combination of token-based authentication and location verification maintains security while enabling fast automatic authentication without requiring manual credential entry.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary security verification by validating the token and location data before granting access. This preliminary action ensures that automatic authentication maintains security standards while providing fast access speed, as the verification process is automated and does not require user interaction.
Data Source
AI summary
A network device receives credentials of a user of a client device, and receives an enrollment request from the client device, wherein the enrollment request includes a network address of the client device. The network device generates a token comprising the network address and an identifier of the user, encrypts the token, and sends the encrypted token to the client device. The network device receives, when the client device attempts to access a protected resource or a network service, the encrypted token from the client device for authenticating the client device without further requiring the credentials of the user.