Systems and methods for authenticating online users

A computer-implemented method for authenticating an online user, the method implemented on an authentication platform comprising i) a risk based authentication (RBA) enabled directory server communicatively coupled to a) an authentication request message source computing device, b) an access control server (ACS), and c) an issuer computing device, ii) an RBA engine communicatively coupled to the RBA enabled directory server, the RBA enabled directory server and the RBA engine implemented using at least one processor, and iii) a memory device communicatively coupled to the RBA enabled directory server and the RBA engine, wherein the method comprises:

• receiving, at the RBA enabled directory server from the issuer computing device, and storing in the memory device an authentication profile including routing rules indicating where RBA result data should be routed;
• receiving, at the RBA enabled directory server from the authentication request message source computing device, an authentication request message associated with an unauthenticated data transmission, the authentication request message including authentication data;
• extracting, at the RBA enabled directory server, the authentication data from the authentication request message;
• generating, at the RBA engine, based at least in part on the extracted authentication data, RBA result data including a risk score, wherein generating the RBA result data comprises:
• building a machine learning model that utilizes a neural network;
• training the machine learning model on historical authentication data to improve an ability of the machine learning model to determine risk levels associated with transactions;
• and
• applying the trained machine learning model to the extracted authentication data to generate the RBA result data including the risk score;
• generating, at the RBA enabled directory server, an authentication decision based on the RBA result data and the authentication profile;
• and
• routing, from the RBA enabled directory server, the RBA result data based on the routing rules included in the authentication profile and the RBA result data by:
• determining, from the routing rules, whether the RBA result data should be routed to the authentication request message source computing device, the issuer computing device, or the ACS, wherein the routing rules include i) a first set of criteria specifying when the RBA result data should be routed to the authentication request message source computing device, ii) a second set of criteria specifying when the RBA result data should be routed to the issuer computing device, and iii) a third set of criteria specifying when the RBA result data should be routed to the ACS;
• generating, at the RBA enabled directory server, an RBA result data message;
• formatting, at the RBA enabled directory server, the RBA result data message according to a set of proprietary communications standards promulgated by a computer network for processing electronic payment transactions;
• appending, at the RBA enabled directory server, the RBA result data to the formatted RBA result data message as an extensible markup language (XML) extension;
• and
• routing, via the computer network, the formatted RBA result data message including the appended RBA result data from the RBA enabled directory server to the authentication request message source computing device, the issuer computing device, or the ACS, wherein, when routing the formatted RBA result data message to the authentication request message source computing device, the routing further comprises appending a denial data element to the formatted RBA result data message such that the formatted RBA result data message overrides further processing of the unauthenticated data transmission.

At least one non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for authenticating an online user, wherein when executed by at least one processor of an authentication platform including i) a risk based authentication (RBA) enabled directory server communicatively coupled to a) an authentication request message source computing device, b) an access control server (ACS), and c) an issuer computing device, ii) an RBA engine communicatively coupled to the RBA enabled directory server, the RBA enabled directory server and the RBA engine implemented using at least one processor, and iii) a memory device communicatively coupled to the RBA enabled directory server and the RBA engine, the computer-executable instructions cause the at least one processor to:

• receive, at the RBA enabled directory server from issuer computing device, and store, in the memory device, an authentication profile including routing rules indicating where RBA result data should be routed;
• receive, at the RBA enabled directory server from the authentication request message source computing device, an authentication request message associated with an unauthenticated data transmission, the authentication request message including authentication data;
• extract, at the RBA enabled directory server, the authentication data from the authentication request message;
• generate, at the RBA engine, based at least in part on the extracted authentication data, RBA result data including a risk score, wherein the RBA result data is generated by:
• building a machine learning model that utilizes a neural network;
• training the machine learning model on historical authentication data to improve an ability of the machine learning model to determine risk levels associated with transactions;
• and
• applying the trained machine learning model to the extracted authentication data to generate the RBA result data including the risk score;
• generate, at the RBA enabled directory server, an authentication decision based on the RBA result data and the authentication profile;
• and
• route, from the RBA enabled directory server, the RBA result data based on the routing rules included in the authentication profile and the RBA result data by:
• determining, from the routing rules, whether the RBA result data should be routed to the authentication request message source computing device, the issuer computing device, or the ACS, wherein the routing rules include i) a first set of criteria specifying when the RBA result data should be routed to the authentication request message source computing device, ii) a second set of criteria specifying when the RBA result data should be routed to the issuer computing device, and iii) a third set of criteria specifying when the RBA result data should be routed to the ACS;
• generating, at the RBA enabled directory server, an RBA result data message;
• formatting, at the RBA enabled directory server, the RBA result data message according to a set of proprietary communications standards promulgated by a computer network for processing electronic payment transactions;
• appending, at the RBA enabled directory server, the RBA result data to the formatted RBA result data message as an extensible markup language (XML) extension;
• and
• routing, via the computer network, the formatted RBA result data message including the appended RBA result data from the RBA enabled directory server to the authentication request message source computing device, the issuer computing device, or the ACS, wherein, when routing the formatted RBA result data message to the authentication request message source computing device, the computer-executable instructions further cause the at least one processor to append a denial data element to the formatted RBA result data message such that the formatted RBA result data message overrides further processing of the unauthenticated data transmission.