Trusted Identity Verification Using Community Vouching and Proximity
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing online authentication systems are vulnerable to cybersecurity threats, particularly for users who need assistance with their accounts, such as the elderly or intellectually challenged, and are susceptible to phishing schemes and social engineering attacks, as deep fake AI can circumvent current authentication procedures.
Innovation Solution
Implement a system where users register trusted friends and family as vouching users, who verify the user's identity through real-time methods like livestreams, video calls, or proximity-based token exchanges, enhancing security during multifactor authentication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional authentication procedures are used, then ease of operation is maintained, but reliability deteriorates due to vulnerability to deep fake AI and phishing attacks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces trusted friends or family members as intermediary verifiers who physically meet the user and confirm identity through a verification application. This intermediary human element adds reliability against deep fake AI and phishing attacks while maintaining ease of operation through a simple verification process that doesn't require technical expertise from the user.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary verification by requiring trusted individuals to confirm the user's identity before account access is granted. This preliminary human verification step prevents unauthorized access from compromised credentials while keeping the overall process simple for legitimate users.
2Reliability
If proximity-based verification with multiple vouching users is implemented, then reliability improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The verification application automatically manages the complexity of coordinating multiple vouching users, tracking their proximity via GPS, and processing verification requests. The system self-services the complex coordination tasks, presenting a simple interface to users while maintaining high reliability through automated multi-user verification protocols.
Solution Approach 2:
The verification application serves multiple functions within a single platform: it coordinates multiple vouching users, tracks geographic proximity, manages verification requests, and integrates with existing account systems. This multi-functionality consolidates complexity into a universal platform rather than requiring separate systems for each verification task.
3Reliability
If real-time verification through livestreams or video calls is used, then reliability improves, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows verification to be completed with partial participation - a threshold number of vouching users must verify the user's identity, but not all registered vouching users need to participate. This reduces verification time while maintaining reliability through the threshold mechanism that provides sufficient confidence without requiring exhaustive verification from all possible verifiers.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods of verifying a user's identity using trusted members of the user's community are provided. Users may request trusted friends and family members register as vouching users. If a user needs to confirm the user's identity, such as during a multifactor authentication verification or in the event of a forgotten credential, vouching users may be called upon to verify user identity. Vouching users may confirm a user's identity via a group communication session or by proving physical proximity to the user. Physical proximity may be proven by tapping a token, such as an electronic device or a transaction card, to either the user's device and/or the vouching user's device. Using trusted friends and family members to verify a user's identity safeguards online accounts from deep fake AI creations and protects susceptible online users from phishing schemes and social engineering attacks.