Method and Apparatus for Authenticating Users of An Emergency Communication Network

A method of providing access to a communication service, the method comprising:

• collecting multiple elements of authentication information associated with a prospective user of the communication service, no single element of authentication information being sufficient to secure access to the communication service for the user;
• applying a weighted authentication process to the multiple elements of authentication information;
• and
• determining, from the weighted authentication process, a level of access to the communication service to provide to the user.

A method of providing access to a communication service, the method comprising:

• collecting authentication information associated with a first prospective user of the communication service;
• authenticating the first prospective user based on the collected information;
• receiving from a second prospective user of the communication service a request to communicate with the first prospective user;
• and
• enabling the second prospective user to communicate with the first prospective user using the communication service without requiring the second prospective user to authenticate with the communication service.

A method of providing access to a communication service, the method comprising:

• establishing a group association for a group of prospective users of the communication service;
• authenticating the first prospective user;
• and
• using information received from the authenticated first prospective user in authenticating other prospective users of the group of prospective users.

An authentication server for providing access to a communication service, the server comprising:

• a processor, a storage medium connected to the processor storing authentication instructions for execution by the processor and a network interface connected to the processor and operable to connect the processor to a communication network providing at least part of the communication service, the authentication instructions comprising instructions executable by the processor:
• to collect multiple elements of authentication information associated with a prospective user of the communication service, no single element of authentication information being sufficient to secure access to the communication service for the user;
• to apply a weighted authentication process to the multiple elements of authentication information;
• and
• to determine, from the weighted authentication process, a level of access to the communication service to provide to the user.

An authentication server for providing access to a communication service, the server comprising:

• a processor, a storage medium connected to the processor storing authentication instructions for execution by the processor and a network interface connected to the processor and operable to connect the processor to a communication network providing at least part of the communication service, the authentication instructions comprising instructions executable by the processor:
• to collect authentication information associated with a first prospective user of the communication service;
• to authenticate the first prospective user of the communication service based on the collected authentication information;
• to receive from a second prospective user of the communication service a request to communicate with the first prospective user;
• and
• to enable the second prospective user to communicate with the first prospective user using the communication service without requiring the second prospective user to authenticate with the communication service.

An authentication server for providing access to a communication service, the server comprising:

• a processor, a storage medium connected to the processor storing authentication instructions for execution by the processor and a network interface connected to the processor and operable to connect the processor to a communication network providing at least part of the communication service, the authentication software comprising instructions executable by the processor:
• to establish a group association for a group of prospective users of the communication service;
• to authenticate the first prospective user;
• and
• to use information received from the authenticated first prospective user in authenticating other prospective users of the group of prospective users.