Interactive, performance based authentication

A method for any of establishing authorized users of system resources and for changing an authentication process for an existing user, comprising the steps of:

• obtaining user identification for an authorized user;
• once an authorized user is identified, beginning a training process by initializing an interactive procedure;
• reconfiguring features of said initial procedure to increase the complexity of said interactive procedure;
• based on said reconfigured features of said interactive procedure, determining appropriate requisite interactive performance measures;
• wherein said requisite interactive performance measures, if achieved by said user, are sufficient to provide user authentication;
• conducting said interactive procedure;
• obtaining actual interactive performance measures;
• comparing said actual interactive performance measures with said requisite performance measures;
• wherein if said actual interactive performance measures compare favorably with said requisite interactive performance measures, a training user is judged to have successfully mastered said interactive procedure at its current level of complexity;
• and
• wherein if actual interactive performance measures do not compare favorably with said requisite interactive performance measures, said interactive procedure is repeated until mastery is obtained;
• and
• once mastered, analyzing said interactive procedure to determine if it is sufficiently complex;
• wherein if said interactive procedure is not sufficiently complex, said interactive procedure is reconfigured for greater complexity, and said mastery process is repeated;
• and
• wherein if said interactive procedure is determined to be of sufficient complexity, said user identification is stored and said requisite interactive performance measures associated with a final interactive procedure are stored.

An authentication method, comprising the steps of:

• obtaining identification from a candidate user;
• recalling a final interactive procedure and at least one corresponding requisite interactive performance measure;
• conducting an interactive procedure;
• obtaining actual interactive performance measures;
• comparing said actual interactive performance measures with said at least one requisite interactive performance measure;
• wherein if said actual performance measures compare favorably with said at least one requisite interactive performance measure, a candidate user is authenticated as an authorized user, and access to an associated system is enabled;
• and
• wherein if said actual performance measures do not compare favorably with said at least one requisite interactive performance measure, a delay ensues and a counter is incremented.

An authentication apparatus, comprising:

• at least one interactive performance measure that is developed via a training process that ensures that an authorized user is the only individual who can properly provide said performance measure;
• and
• means for assessing a user's performance of said at least one performance measure using an interactive procedure having at least one feature to determine if said user is an authorized user;
• wherein the complexity of said performance measure ensures that an authorized user cannot precisely identify performance characteristics that constitute successfully performing said performance measure;
• and
• wherein an authorized user cannot relate information about said performance characteristics that constitute successfully performing said performance measure to unauthorized users.

An apparatus for any of establishing new authorized users of system resources and for changing an authentication process for an existing user, comprising:

• means for obtaining user identification for an authorized user;
• a training process which is begun by initializing an interactive procedure, once an authorized user is identified;
• means for reconfiguring features of said initial procedure to increase the complexity of said interactive procedure;
• means for determining appropriate requisite interactive performance measures, based on said reconfigured features of said interactive procedure;
• wherein said requisite performance measures, if achieved by said user, are sufficient to provide user authentication;
• means for conducting said interactive procedure;
• means for obtaining actual performance measures;
• means for comparing said actual performance measures with said requisite performance measures;
• wherein if said actual performance measures compare favorably with said requisite performance measures, a training user is judged to have successfully mastered said interactive procedure at its current level of complexity;
• and
• wherein if actual performance measures do not compare favorably with said requisite performance measures, said interactive procedure is repeated until mastery is obtained;
• and
• means for analyzing said interactive procedure to determine if it is sufficiently complex, once it is mastered;
• wherein if said interactive procedure is not sufficiently complex, said interactive procedure is reconfigured for greater complexity, and said mastery process is repeated;
• and
• wherein if said interactive procedure is determined to be of sufficient complexity, an obtained user identification is stored and said requisite interactive performance measures associated with a final iterative procedure are stored.

An authentication apparatus, comprising:

• means for obtaining identification from a candidate user;
• a final interactive procedure and at least one corresponding requisite interactive performance measure;
• an interactive procedure;
• means for obtaining actual interactive performance measures;
• means for comparing actual performance measures with said at least one requisite interactive performance measure;
• wherein if said actual performance measures compare favorably with said at least one requisite performance measure, a candidate user is authenticated as an authorized user, and access to an associated system is enabled;
• and
• wherein if said actual performance measures do not compare favorably with said at least one requisite interactive performance measure, a delay ensues and a counter is incremented.