Variable-step authentication for communications in controlled environment

A server for performing variable-step authentication, comprising:

• a memory;
• and
• a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to:
• a processor coupled to the memory, the processor configured to:
• receive, from a communication device, a request for a communication involving the communication device in a controlled environment;
• determine a trust level associated with a participant of the communication device, wherein the trust level indicates a number of authentication steps to be successfully verified in order for the participant to participate in the communication;
• establish an authentication procedure for the communication based on the trust level associated with the participant, wherein the authentication procedure includes the number of authentication steps indicated by the trust level;
• transmit, by the server to the communication device, the authentication procedure prior to initiating the communication;
• receive, from the communication device, responses to the authentication procedure;
• establish the communication upon successful verification of the responses;
• and
• update the trust level based on the responses to the authentication procedure, wherein updating the trust level comprises adding another authentication step to the authentication procedure in response to unsuccessful verification of the responses or removing at least one authentication step from the authentication procedure in response to the successful verification of the responses.

A method for variable-step authentication at a communication device, comprising:

• transmitting, by the communication device to a server, a request for a communication involving a participant associated with the communication device in a controlled environment, wherein the participant is associated with a trust level maintained at the server and wherein the trust level indicates a number of authentication steps to be successfully verified in order for the participant to participate in the communication;
• receiving, from the server, an authentication procedure for the communication based on the trust level associated with the participant, wherein the authentication procedure includes a first authentication step, a second authentication step, and the number of authentication steps indicated by the trust level;
• presenting, by the communication device, the first authentication step included in the authentication procedure;
• transmitting, to the server, a first response to the first authentication step, wherein the first response is configured to cause an update to the trust level by increasing the number of authentication steps to be successfully verified in response to an unsuccessful verification of the first response;
• receiving, from the server and based on the update to the trust level, a verification response indicating whether the second authentication step is to be presented by the communication device;
• and
• presenting, by the communication device and based on the verification response, the second authentication step included in the authentication procedure.