US 2020/0004982 A1 · USE OF AKA METHODS AND PROCEDURES FOR AUTHENTICATION OF SUBSCRIBERS WITHOUT ACCESS TO SIM CREDENTIALS

Abstract

Systems and methods which enable an authentication procedure to be used within the standard network security architecture to authenticate third party applications that are forbidden access to a particular secret key are disclosed. Third party smartphone applications that are unable to use SIM-based authentication due to being forbidden access to a SIM-based key are provided an alternate secret key for use in an EAP-AKA or EAP-SIM type procedure according to embodiments. An authentication server or other backend authentication infrastructure of embodiments requests authentication vectors from a backend system sharing the alternative secret key. Accordingly, the backend authentication platform of embodiments is adapted to know or detect that an application is using an alternative secret key (e.g., a secret key other than the SIM-based secret key) and to perform the appropriate procedure for the key type.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method comprising:

storing a first instance of an alternate secret key, used in authentication of a third party application accessing a service over an access network, in a secure network in association with a user device hosting the third party application, wherein an instance of a particular secret key to which the third party application is forbidden access to is also stored in the secure network in association with the user device;
receiving, at an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server located in the secure network, an authentication request from the user device via the access network;
determining, by the AAA server, whether an authentication process implemented in response to the authentication request is to use the alternate secret key or the particular secret key based on information contained in the authentication request;
and
when the AAA server determines that the alternate secret key is to be used performing, by the AAA server, authentication processing using the first instance of the alternate secret key.

2 more elements

A system comprising:

a first storage device located in a secure network in which a first instance of an alternate secret key, used in authentication of a third party application accessing a service over an access network, is stored in association with a user device hosting the third party application;
a second storage device located in the secure network in which an instance of a particular secret key to which the third party application is forbidden access to is stored in association with the user device;
an authentication, authorization, and accounting (AAA) server located in the secure network that is adapted to receive an authentication request from the user device via the access network;
and
wherein said AAA server is further adapted to determine whether an authentication process implemented in response to the received authentication request is to use the alternate secret key or the particular secret key based on information contained in the authentication request and when the AAA server determines that the alternate secret key is to be used performing, by the AAA server, authentication processing using the first instance of the alternate secret key.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Use of aka methods and procedures for authentication of subscribers without access to sim credentials

Life of this patent

Use of aka methods and procedures for authentication of subscribers without access to sim credentials

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20