# US 2020/0396221 A1 · Providing access control and persona validation for interactions

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- Number: US 2020/0396221 A1
- Document ID: US20200396221A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/005,491
- Filed: 2020-08-28
- Published: 2020-12-17
- Earliest claimed: 2018-12-04
- Assignees: Journey.ai
- Applicants: Journey.ai
- Inventors: Shmuel Shaffer; Yolanda Schwartz; Alexander John Shockley; Moni Manor; James M. Behmke
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20200396221A1

## CPC

- H04L 63/0884: {by delegation of authentication, e.g. a proxy authenticates an entity to be authenticated on behalf of this entity vis-à-vis an authentication entity}
- H04L 63/0876: {based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint}
- H04L 63/0892: {by using authentication-authorization-accounting [AAA] servers or protocols}
- H04L 63/102: {Entity profiles}
- H04L 63/105: {Multiple levels of security}
- H04L 63/08: {for authentication of entities (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32)}
- H04L 63/108: {when the policy decisions are valid for a limited amount of time}
- H04L 63/1466: {Active attacks involving interception, injection, modification, spoofing of data unit addresses, e.g. hijacking, packet injection or TCP sequence number attacks}
- H04L 2463/082: applying multi-factor authentication
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

The techniques herein are directed generally to providing access control and persona validation for interactions. In one embodiment, a method for a first device comprises: interacting with a second device on a communication channel; determining, over a verification channel with a verification service, that an identity of a user communicating on the second device is a verified identity according to the verification service; determining a persona of the user; querying a third-party entity to make a determination whether the persona is validated and to correspondingly determine a current privilege level; and managing interaction with the second device according to the determination whether the persona is validated and the corresponding current privilege level. Another embodiment comprises a verification server's perspective of facilitating the interaction between the first and second devices, where the verification server queries the third-party entity to validate the persona.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method, comprising:
interacting, by a first device, with a second device on a communication channel;
determining, by the first device over a verification channel with a verification service, that an identity of a user interacting on the second device is a verified identity according to the verification service;
determining, by the first device, a persona of the user;
querying, by the first device, a third-party entity to make a determination whether the persona is validated and to correspondingly determine a current privilege level; and
managing, by the first device, interaction with the second device according to the determination whether the persona is validated and the corresponding current privilege level.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein determining the persona of the user is based on one or more of: the communication channel, an indication of the persona received from the user over the communication channel; and an indication of the persona of the user received over the verification channel.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein determining the persona of the user is based on first determining a persona type of the persona of the user.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein querying the third-party entity comprises:
querying a persona database.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The method as in claim 4, wherein the persona database is local to the first device, the method further comprising:
receiving updates to the persona database from the third-party entity.

### Claim 6 (depends on 4)

The method as in claim 4, wherein the persona database is remote from the first device and is managed by one of either the third-party entity or the verification service which receives updates to the persona database from the third-party entity.

### Claim 7 (depends on 4)

The method as in claim 4, further comprising:
determining which persona database to query based on one or more of: the communication channel corresponding to a particular third-party entity; an indication received from the user regarding a particular third-party entity; and an indication of the persona of the user.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein querying the third-party entity comprises:
querying a device of a controlling user of the persona.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The method as in claim 8, wherein querying the device of the controlling user of the persona is one of either a direct query from the first device or a query via the verification service.

### Claim 10 (depends on 8)

The method as in claim 8, further comprising:
determining a particular controlling user for the persona to query based on querying a persona database.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein querying the third-party entity comprises:
determining a particular controlling user for the persona; and
determining, based on a previous entry in a database, that the controlling user proactively indicated that the persona is validated for the user.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein the persona is a validated persona and the current privilege level corresponds to the persona being validated and associated privileges for a corresponding role for the validated persona.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein the persona is disapproved and the current privilege level corresponds to the persona being disapproved and limited privileged access.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

The method as in claim 13, further comprising, in response to the persona being disapproved, one or both of either:
removing the user from association with the third-party entity; or
marking the disapproved persona of the user as a security risk.

### Claim 15 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, further comprising:
initiating a timer in response to the querying; and
determining, in response to expiration of the timer without a response to the querying, that the current privilege level corresponds to no privileged access.

### Claim 16 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, further comprising, in response to the identity of the user being unverified:
managing the interaction with the second device according to the identity being unverified.

### Claim 17 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, further comprising:
managing the interaction with the second device according to the identity of the user being a verified identity; and
wherein determining the persona of the user occurs in response to a trigger during the interaction.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, further comprising:
initiating determination of whether the identity of the user is a verified identity during the interaction.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method as in claim 18, wherein initiating determination of whether the identity of the user is a verified identity during the interaction comprises:
invoking a verification service client application on the second device to obtain verification of the identity of the user.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein determining that the identity of the user is verified by the verification service is based on a verification service client application on the second device verifying the identity.

### Claim 21 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein managing the interaction with the second device according to the determination whether the persona is validated and the corresponding current privilege level comprises one or more approved-privilege-based actions selected from a group consisting of:
sharing secure information associated with the third-party entity over the interaction;
allowing transaction requests associated with the third-party entity received over the interaction;
modifying information associated with the third-party entity; and
continuing the interaction.

### Claim 22 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein managing the interaction with the second device according to the current privilege level comprises one or more disapproved-privilege-based actions selected from a group consisting of:
preventing sharing secure information associated with the third-party entity over the interaction;
preventing transaction requests associated with the third-party entity received over the interaction;
preventing sharing of information associated with the third-party entity;
preventing requests for modification of information associated with the third-party entity;
instructing against sharing secure information associated with the third-party entity over the interaction;
instructing against performing transaction requests associated with the third-party entity received over the interaction;
is instructing against sharing of information associated with the third-party entity;
instructing against modification of information associated with the third-party entity;
treating the interaction with a disapproved persona;
triggering a security alert; and
discontinuing the interaction.

### Claim 23 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein the interaction is one of either an inbound communication initiated by the second device or an outbound communication initiated by the first device.

### Claim 24 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein the identity of the user is verified without the first device accessing personally identifying information (PII) of the user.

### Claim 25 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein the identity of the user is verified based on one or more authentication factors selected from a group consisting of: facial recognition; fingerprint recognition; social security number input; federal identification number input; password input; pin input; security question input; hardware authentication device input; and credit card code input.

### Claim 26 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein verifying the identity of the user is based on one or more authentication factors input at the second device, and wherein determining whether the identity of the user is verified by the verification service occurs without access by the first device to any authentication factors input at the second device.

### Claim 27 (depends on 1)

The method as in claim 1, wherein the interaction is selected from a group consisting of: a voice communication; a video communication; a text communication; an email communication; and a data communication.

### Claim 28

An apparatus, comprising:
one or more network interfaces to communicate on a communication channel;
one or more network interfaces to communicate on a verification channel;
a processor adapted to execute one or more processes; and
a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed operable to perform a method comprising:
interacting, as a first device, with a second device on a communication channel;
determining, over the verification channel with a verification service, that an identity of a user interacting on the second device is a verified identity according to the verification service;
determining a persona of the user;
querying a third-party entity to make a determination whether the persona is validated and to correspondingly determine a current privilege level; and
managing interaction with the second device according to the determination whether the persona is validated and the corresponding current privilege level.

### Claim 29

A method, comprising:
receiving, at a server over a verification channel, a notification of an interaction on a communication channel between a first device and a second device;
determining, by the server, that an identity of a user interacting on the second device is a verified identity;
determining, by the server, a persona of the user;
querying, by the server, a third-party entity to validate the persona; and
informing, from the server to the first device over the verification channel, whether the identity of the user interacting on the second device is a verified identity and whether the persona is validated, wherein the first device is caused to manage interaction with the second device according to the identity verification, persona validation, and a current privilege level associated with the persona validation.

### Claim 30 (depends on 29)

The method as in claim 29, wherein determining the persona of the user is based on one or more of: the communication channel, an indication of the persona received from the user over the verification channel; and an indication of the persona of the user received from the first device over the verification channel.

### Claim 31 (depends on 29)

The method as in claim 29, wherein determining the persona of the user is based on first determining a persona type of the persona of the user.

### Claim 32 (depends on 29)

The method as in claim 29, wherein querying the third-party entity comprises:
querying a persona database.

### Claim 33 (depends on 32)

The method as in claim 32, wherein the persona database is local to the server, the method further comprising:
receiving updates to the persona database from the third-party entity.

### Claim 34 (depends on 32)

The method as in claim 32, wherein the persona database is remote from the server and is managed by the third-party entity.

### Claim 35 (depends on 32)

The method as in claim 32, further comprising:
determining which persona database to query based on one or more of: the communication channel corresponding to a particular third-party entity; an indication received from the user regarding a particular third-party entity; an indication received from the first device regarding a particular third-party entity; and an indication of the persona of the user.

### Claim 36 (depends on 29)

The method as in claim 29, wherein querying the third-party entity comprises:
querying a device of a controlling user of the persona.

### Claim 37 (depends on 36)

The method as in claim 36, further comprising:
determining a particular controlling user for the persona to query based on querying a persona database.

### Claim 38 (depends on 29)

The method as in claim 29, wherein querying the third-party entity comprises:
determining a particular controlling user for the persona; and
determining, based on a previous entry in a database, that the controlling user proactively indicated that the persona is validated for the user.

### Claim 39 (depends on 29)

The method as in claim 29, wherein the persona is a validated persona and the current privilege level corresponds to the persona being validated and associated privileges for a corresponding role for the validated persona.

### Claim 40 (depends on 29)

The method as in claim 29, wherein the persona is disapproved and the current privilege level corresponds to the persona being disapproved and limited privileged access.

### Claim 41 (depends on 40)

The method as in claim 40, further comprising, in response to the persona being disapproved, one or both of either:
removing the user from association with the third-party entity; or
marking the disapproved persona of the user as a security risk.

### Claim 42 (depends on 29)

The method as in claim 29, further comprising:
determining, by the server, the current privilege level associated with a validated persona; and
informing, from the server to the first device over the verification channel, the current privilege level.

### Claim 43 (depends on 29)

The method as in claim 29, wherein the first device determines the current privilege level associated with a validated persona.

### Claim 44 (depends on 29)

The method as in claim 29, further comprising:
initiating a timer in response to the querying; and
determining, in response to expiration of the timer without a response to the querying, that the persona is not validated.

### Claim 45 (depends on 29)

The method as in claim 29, wherein the interaction is managed by the first device according to the identity of the user being a verified identity, and wherein determining the persona of the user occurs in response to a trigger during the interaction.

### Claim 46 (depends on 29)

The method as in claim 29, wherein the determining that the identity of the user occurs at the second device prior to receiving the notification of the interaction.

### Claim 47 (depends on 29)

The method as in claim 29, wherein the interaction commences only after informing the first device that the identity of the user interacting on the second device is a verified identity and the persona is a validated persona.

### Claim 48 (depends on 29)

The method as in claim 29, wherein determining that the identity of the user is a verified identity occurs in response to receiving the notification of the interaction.

### Claim 49 (depends on 29)

The method as in claim 29, further comprising:
receiving a verification of the identity from a verification service client application on the second device over the verification channel; and
wherein informing the first device over the verification channel whether the identity of the user is verified comprises relaying verification of the identity.

### Claim 50 (depends on 29)

The method as in claim 29, further comprising:
performing verification of the identity with the first device over the verification channel; and
wherein informing the first device over the verification channel whether the identity of the user is verified comprises relaying a result of the performed verification.

### Claim 51 (depends on 29)

The method as in claim 29, wherein determining whether the identity of the user is verified comprises:
invoking a verification service client application on the second device to obtain verification.

### Claim 52 (depends on 29)

The method as in claim 29, wherein the interaction is selected from a group consisting of: a voice communication; a video communication; a text communication; an email communication; and a data communication.

### Claim 53 (depends on 29)

The method as in claim 29, wherein the identity of the user is verified based on one or more authentication factors selected from a group consisting of: facial recognition; fingerprint recognition; iris recognition; device location information; social security number input; federal identification number input; password input; pin input; security question input; hardware authentication device input; and credit card code input.

### Claim 54 (depends on 29)

The method as in claim 29, wherein the identity of the user is verified based on one or more authentication factors input at the second device, and wherein the first device has no access to the one or more authentication factors input at the second device.

### Claim 55 (depends on 29)

The method as in claim 29, wherein the interaction is one of either an inbound communication initiated by the second device or an outbound communication initiated by the first device.

### Claim 56 (depends on 29)

The method as in claim 29, wherein the notification of the interaction on the communication channel between the first device and the second device is received from one of either the second device or the first device.

### Claim 57 (depends on 29)

The method as in claim 29, wherein receiving the notification of the interaction comprises receiving an intention of either the first device or the second device as an initiating device to initiate the interaction prior to the interaction being established.

### Claim 58 (depends on 57)

The method as in claim 57, wherein the intention comprises a particular time of initiating the interaction.

### Claim 59 (depends on 57)

The method as in claim 57, further comprising:
forwarding the intention to either of the first device or the second device as a receiving device.

### Claim 60

An apparatus, comprising:
one or more network interfaces to communicate with a computer network on at least a verification channel;
a processor coupled to the network interfaces and adapted to execute one or more processes; and
a memory configured to store a process executable by the processor, the process when executed operable to perform a method comprising:
receiving, over the verification channel, a notification of an interaction on a communication channel between a first device and a second device;
determining that an identity of a user interacting on the second device is a verified identity;
determining a persona of the user;
querying a third-party entity to validate the persona; and
informing, to the first device over the verification channel, whether the identity of the user interacting on the second device is a verified identity and whether the persona is validated, wherein the first device is caused to manage interaction with the second device according to the identity verification, persona validation, and a current privilege level associated with the persona validation.