Systems and methods for online third-party authentication of credentials

A system for online authentication of online attributes, the system including:

• a data storage device that stores instructions system for online authentication of online attributes;
• and
• a processor configured to execute the instructions to perform a method including:
• receiving, over an electronic network, an authentication request from a relying party, the authentication request including identity information to be authenticated and credential information to be authenticated;
• determining whether a user account is associated with the received identity information by accessing an internal database storing the user account;
• determining a required assurance level associated with the authentication request based on the authentication request and the relying party;
• determining an assurance level stored in the internal database and associated with a user, the user associated with the user account stored in the internal database;
• comparing the determined assurance level stored in the internal database and associated with the user to the required assurance level associated with the authentication request;
• as a result of determining, based on the comparing, that the determined assurance level stored in the internal database and associated with the user falls below the required assurance level associated with the authentication request, transmitting, over the electronic network to the user associated with the user account stored in the internal database, a request for authentication data;
• receiving, over the electronic network, authentication data associated with the user associated with the user account stored in the internal database;
• transmitting, over the electronic network to a verification data source server, the received authentication data associated with the user associated with the user account stored in the internal database;
• receiving, over the electronic network, an authentication result from the verification data source server for the received authentication data associated with the user associated with the user account stored in the internal database and based on the transmitted authentication data;
• determining an updated assurance level associated with the user associated with the user account stored in the internal database, at least based on the received authentication result;
• and
• storing, in the internal database, (i) the updated assurance level as the assurance level associated with the user associated with the user account stored in the internal database, (ii) the verification data source server used, and (iii) a time/date stamp.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method for online authentication of online attributes, the method including:

• receiving, at a server over an electronic network, an authentication request from a relying party, the authentication request including identity information to be authenticated and credential information to be authenticated;
• determining, by the server, whether a user account is associated with the received identity information by accessing an internal database storing the user account;
• determining, by the server, a required assurance level associated with the authentication request based on the authentication request and the relying party;
• determining, by the server, an assurance level stored in the internal database and associated with a user, the user associated with the user account stored in the internal database;
• comparing, by the server, the determined assurance level stored in the internal database and associated with the user to the required assurance level associated with the authentication request;
• as a result of determining, based on the comparing, that the determined assurance level stored in the internal database and associated with the user falls below the required assurance level associated with the authentication request, transmitting, by the server over the electronic network to the user associated with the user account stored in the internal database, a request for authentication data;
• receiving, at the server over the electronic network, authentication data associated with the user associated with the user account stored in the internal database;
• transmitting, by the server over the electronic network to a verification data source server, the received authentication data associated with the user associated with the user account stored in the internal database;
• receiving, at the server over the electronic network, an authentication result from the verification data source server for the received authentication data associated with the user associated with the user account stored in the internal database and based on the transmitted authentication data;
• determining, by the server, an updated assurance level associated with the user associated with the user account stored in the internal database, at least based on the received authentication result;
• and
• storing, by the server in the internal database, (i) the updated assurance level as the assurance level associated with the user associated with the user account stored in the internal database, (ii) the verification data source server used, and (iii) a time/date stamp.