Dynamic multi-factor authentication
AssigneeSophos Limited
InventorsJoseph H. Levy, Andrew J. Thomas, Daniel Salvatore Schiappa, Kenneth D. Ray
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An authentication model dynamically adjusts authentication factors required for access to a remote resource based on changes to a risk score for a user, a device, or some combination of these. For example, the authentication model may conditionally specify the number and type of authentication factors required by a user/device pair, and may dynamically alter authentication requirements based on changes to a current risk assessment for the user/device while the remote resource is in use.
Claims21
A computer program product comprising computer executable code embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium that, when executing on one or more computing devices, performs the steps of:
- receiving a request for a remote resource from a compute instance in an enterprise network, the remote resource requiring authentication;
- calculating a first risk score for a user of the compute instance based on global information for the user from a threat management facility for the enterprise network and a second risk score for a device associated with the compute instance based on a risk assessment for the compute instance by a local security agent executing on the device;
- selecting an authentication model from a number of authentication models for access to the remote resource by the user and the device, the authentication model specifying one or more requirements for authentication to the remote resource, wherein all of the authentication models include a user name and a password, and at least one of the authentication models including at least one other authentication factor;
- and
- authenticating the user to the remote resource according to the authentication model.
A method comprising:
- receiving a request for a remote resource from a compute instance in an enterprise network, the remote resource requiring authentication;
- calculating a first risk score for a user of the compute instance and a second risk score for a device associated with the compute instance;
- selecting an authentication model for access to the remote resource by the user and the device based on the first risk score and the second risk score, the authentication model specifying one or more requirements for authentication to the remote resource;
- and
- authenticating the user to the remote resource according to the authentication model.
A system comprising:
- a compute instance on an enterprise network;
- a remote resource accessible to the compute instance;
- a memory storing a plurality of authentication models, each of the plurality of authentication models specifying a number of authentication models each containing authentication factors for use when a user accesses the remote resource from the compute instance;
- and
- a threat management facility configured to assess a risk of the compute instance and the user, to select one of the plurality of authentication models from the memory for use in authenticating the user of the compute instance to the remote resource based on the risk, and to control authentication of the user to the remote resources with the compute instance based on the one of the plurality of authentication models.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.