User authentication using a companion device

A system, comprising:

• a first computing device, including:
• a processing circuit:
• a secure memory connected to the processing circuit, the secure memory storing a personal identification code, the personal identification code being registered with a user authentication service that comprises one or more user authentication servers;
• a memory connected to the processing circuit, the memory storing computer program instructions, the computer program instructions being executable by the processing circuit to cause the processing circuit to:
• receive a user authentication request from the user authentication service to which the first computing device is connected;
• transmit the user authentication request to a second computing device to which the first computing device is wirelessly connected:
• receive an approval of the user authentication request from the second computing device;
• and
• subsequent to receiving the approval of the user authentication request from the second computing device, read the personal identification code from the secure memory and transmit it to the user authentication service, the personal identification code being usable by the user authentication service to determine that the user authentication request is to be granted.

A method in a first computing device that stores a signing key pair that includes a private key and a public key, the public key being registered with a user authentication service that comprises one or more user authentication servers, the method comprising:

• receiving, via a second computing device, a user authentication request from the user authentication service, the second computing device being connected to the user authentication service and wirelessly connected to the first computing device;
• displaying information related to the user authentication request;
• receiving an approval of the user authentication request;
• transmitting the approval of the user authentication request to the second computing device;
• receiving a token from the second computing device, the token comprising a value that was obtained by the second computing device from the user authentication service in response to receiving the approval of the user authentication request;
• signing the token with the private key to generate a signed token;
• and
• providing the signed token to the second computing device for subsequent transmission to the user authentication service, the signed token and the public key being usable by the user authentication service to determine that the user authentication request is to be granted.