Methods of authenticating a user for data exchange

A server for facilitating the exchange of data between a user having a computing device, and a remote entity, wherein a first connection has been established between the user and the remote entity, and wherein the user has associated data exchange information with an application on the computing device, the data exchange information defining properties of the data to be exchanged between the user and the remote entity, the server comprising an authentication processor operable to:

• establish a second connection to the application;
• enable the retrieval, from a user database storing the data exchange information, of a user authentication attribute associated with the data exchange information, and a device authentication attribute associated with the data exchange information;
• enable the authentication of the user using the user authentication attribute;
• and
• enable the authentication of the computing device using the device authentication attribute, wherein data may be exchanged between the computing device and the remote entity in accordance with the data exchange information following authentication of the user and the computing device.

A method of facilitating the exchange of data between a user having a computing device, and a remote entity, wherein a first connection has been established between the user and the remote entity, and wherein an application is associated with the computing device, the method comprising:

• establishing, by the application, a second connection to a server;
• sending data exchange information to the server, the data exchange information defining properties of the data to be exchanged between the user and the remote entity;
• sending a user authentication attribute associated with the data exchange information to the server;
• sending a device authentication attribute associated with the data exchange information to the server;
• and
• exchanging data with the remote entity in accordance with the data exchange information following authentication of the user using the user authentication attribute being enabled by the server, and authentication of the computing device using the device authentication attribute being enabled by the server.

An application associated with a computing device and comprising a computer program, the application facilitating the exchange of data between the computing device and a remote entity, wherein a first connection has been established between a user of the computing device and the remote entity, the computer program comprising instructions for enabling the computing device to:

• establish a second connection to a server;
• send data exchange information to the server, the data exchange information defining properties of the data to be exchanged between the user and the remote entity;
• send a user authentication attribute associated with the data exchange information to the server;
• send a device authentication attribute associated with the data exchange information to the server;
• and
• exchange data with the remote entity following authentication of the user using the user authentication attribute being enabled by the server and authentication of the computing device using the device authentication attribute being enabled by the server.