System and method for facilitating operator authentication

Abstract

A system includes at least one resource, such as a computer, and a high-security authentication device, the at least one resource being selectively utilizable by an operator. The high-security authentication device is configured to perform an authentication operation in connection with a prospective operator and generate a credential for the prospective operator if it authenticates the prospective operator. The at least one resource is configured to, in response to the prospective operator attempting to utilize the resource, initiate an operator authentication verification operation using the credential to attempt to verify the authentication of the operator, and allow the prospective operator to utilize the at least one resource in response to the operator authentication verification operation. Since the system may include a number of such resources, a single, relatively expensive high-security authentication device can be used to provide authentication services for prospective operators for one or more resources. It will be appreciated that, since the high-security authentication device gives the credentials to the prospective operator, they can be compromised; however, since the duration during which the credentials may be valid can be limited to a relatively short period of time, the likelihood of compromise and the duration that the credentials may be comprised are reduced.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.