Methods and systems for verifying the authenticity of a remote service

A system for verifying authenticity of a remote service, the system comprising:

• a first authentication terminal comprising a first processor and a first memory, the first memory storing executable instructions which, when executed by the first processor cause the first authentication terminal to send a request to the remote service and receive a response from the remote service which comprises authentication data generated at the remote service using a private key of a private/public key pair, and verify authenticity of the authentication data;
• a second authentication terminal comprising a second processor and a second memory, the second memory storing executable instructions which, when executed by the second processor cause the second authentication terminal to receive the authentication data from the first authentication terminal, verify authenticity of the authentication data, and output a first authenticity indicator to a user when the first authentication terminal verifies that the authentication data is authentic, the first authenticity indicator indicating whether or not the second authentication terminal determines that the authentication data is authentic;
• a third authentication terminal comprising a third processor and a third memory, the third memory storing executable instructions which, when executed by the third processor cause the third authentication terminal to receive the authentication data from the first authentication terminal when the first authentication terminal verifies that the authentication data is authentic, verify authenticity of the authentication data, and output a second authenticity indicator to the user, the second authenticity indicator indicating whether or not the third authentication terminal determines that the authentication data is authentic;
• at least one further authentication terminal configured to receive the authentication data from the first authentication terminal, verify authenticity of the authentication data, and output a further authenticity indicator to the first authentication terminal, the further authenticity indicator indicating whether or not the at least one further authentication terminal determines that the authentication data provided by the remote service is authentic;
• and
• a decision device comprising a fourth processor and a fourth memory, the fourth memory storing executable instructions which, when executed by the fourth processor cause the decision device to determine authenticity of the response from the remote service based on at least one of the first authenticity indicator or the second authenticity indicator;
• wherein when at least one of the first authentication terminal, the second authentication terminal, the third authentication terminal, or the at least one further authentication terminal verifies that the authentication data is not authentic:
• the system provides an indication to the user that the remote service is not authentic and cannot be trusted.

A non-transitory computer readable medium storing executable instructions which, when executed by a computing system, cause the computing system to perform a method for verifying authenticity of a remote service, comprising:

• sending a request from a first authentication terminal to the remote service;
• receiving, at the first authentication terminal, a response from the remote service which comprises authentication data generated at the remote service using a private key of a private/public key pair;
• verifying authenticity of the authentication data at the first authentication terminal;
• wherein when the first authentication terminal verifies that the authentication data is authentic:
• sending the authentication data from the first authentication terminal to a second authentication terminal;
• verifying authenticity of the authentication data at the second authentication terminal;
• wherein when the second authentication terminal verifies that the authentication data is authentic:
• outputting a first authenticity indicator from the second authentication terminal to a user, the first authenticity indicator indicating whether or not the second authentication terminal determines that the authentication data is authentic;
• sending the authentication data from the first authentication terminal to at least one further authentication terminal;
• verifying authenticity of the authentication data at the at least one further authentication terminal;
• outputting a further authenticity indicator from each further authentication terminal of the at least one further authentication terminal to the first authentication terminal, the further authenticity indicator indicating whether or not the further authentication terminal determines that the authentication data provided by the remote service is authentic;
• sending the authentication data from the first authentication terminal to a third authentication terminal;
• verifying authenticity of the authentication data at the third authentication terminal;
• wherein when the third authentication terminal verifies that the authentication data is authentic:
• outputting a second authenticity indicator from the third authentication terminal to the user, the second authenticity indicator indicating whether or not the third authentication terminal determines that the authentication data is authentic;
• and
• determining authenticity of the response from the remote service based on at least one of the first authenticity indicator or the second authenticity indicator;
• and
• wherein when at least one of the first authentication terminal, the second authentication terminal, the third authentication terminal, or the at least one further authentication terminal verifies that the authentication data is not authentic, the method comprises:
• providing an indication to the user that the remote service is not authentic and cannot be trusted.