Authenticating mobile traffic

A non-transitory computer storage medium encoded with computer program instructions that when executed by one or more computers cause the one or more computers to perform operations comprising:

• receiving, from a client device, a request for access to a processing system;
• authenticating the request by:
• accessing a server strategy file comprising a first strategy, a second strategy, and a third strategy, each strategy defining a different request validation instruction that identifies specific encoded values expected to be in a predetermined header field of valid requests to access the processing system, and a time period that respective strategy is in effect, and wherein a time period of the second strategy predates a time period of the third strategy and a time period of the first strategy predates both the time period of the second strategy and the time period of the third strategy, and wherein at least two strategies among the first strategy, second strategy, and third strategy are in effect simultaneously for at least a portion of their respective time periods;
• and
• determining that an encoded value in a predetermined field of a header of the request matches a particular encoded value specified by any one of the first strategy, the second strategy, or the third strategy, wherein determining that the encoded value in the predetermined field of the header of the request matches the particular encoded value comprises:
• determining that the predetermined field in the header of the request is identified by a name specified by any one of the first strategy, the second strategy, or the third strategy;
• decrypting, in response to determining that the predetermined field in the header is identified by the name, an encrypted value stored in the predetermined field to obtain the encoded value;
• and
• comparing the encoded value with the particular encoded value;
• and
• in response to authenticating the request, forwarding the request to the processing system.

A system, comprising;

• one or more processors;
• and
• non-transitory computer storage storing executable computer instructions which, when executed by the one or more processers, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
• receiving, from a client device, a request for access to a processing system;
• authenticating the request by:
• accessing a server strategy file comprising a first strategy, a second strategy, and a third strategy, each strategy defining a different request validation instruction that identifies specific encoded values expected to be in a predetermined header field of valid requests to access the processing system, and a time period that respective strategy is in effect, and wherein a time period of the second strategy predates a time period of the third strategy and a time period of the first strategy predates both the time period of the second strategy and the time period of the third strategy, and wherein at least two strategies among the first strategy, second strategy, and third strategy are in effect simultaneously for at least a portion of their respective time periods;
• and
• determining that an encoded value in a predetermined field of a header of the request matches a particular encoded value specified by any one of the first strategy, the second strategy, or the third strategy, wherein determining that the encoded value in the predetermined field of the header of the request matches the particular encoded value comprises:
• determining that the predetermined field in the header of the request is identified by a name specified by any one of the first strategy, the second strategy, or the third strategy;
• decrypting, in response to determining that the predetermined field in the header is identified by the name, an encrypted value stored in the predetermined field to obtain the encoded value;
• and
• comparing the encoded value with the particular encoded value;
• and
• in response to authenticating the request, forwarding the request to the processing system.