Authentication through secure sharing of digital secrets previously established between devices

A client device that authenticates with a security server via a wide area network, the client device comprising:

• a processor;
• a network interface to communicate via a local area network;
• and
• a memory that stores computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the processor, performs an automated process comprising:
• generating a digital secret;
• transmitting the digital secret from the client device to a trusted home device via the local area network, wherein the trusted home device is in secure communication with the security server and that has previously established a trusted relationship with the security server to thereby permit the trusted home device to securely forward the digital secret created by the client device to the security server via the wide area network for storage of the digital secret by the security server;
• subsequently providing the digital secret from the client device to the security server via the wide area network in a request to authenticate the computer system;
• and
• in response to the security server successfully comparing the digital secret subsequently provided from the client device to the digital secret previously received from the trusted home device, the client device receiving an authentication message that provides access to a network service.

A data processing system comprising:

• a backend security server coupled to a wide area network;
• a trusted device having a processor, a memory and an interface to communicate on a local area network, wherein the trusted device maintains a secure data connection with the backend security server via the wide area network so that the home device is trusted by the backend security server;
• and
• a security module that is stored in a memory of a client device having a client processor and a client interface to the local area network, wherein the security module comprises instructions that, when executed by the client processor, cause the processor:
• to generate a digital secret;
• to transmit the digital secret to the trusted device via the local area network to thereby permit the trusted home device to securely forward the digital secret created by the client device to the security server via the wide area network for storage of the digital secret by the security server;
• to subsequently provide the digital secret from the client device to the security server via the wide area network in a request to authenticate the computer system;
• and, in response to the security server successfully comparing the digital secret subsequently provided from the client device to the digital secret previously received from the trusted home device, to receive an authentication message that provides access to a network service on the wide area network.