Mutual authentication security system with detection and mitigation of active man-in-the-middle browser attacks, phishing, and malware and other security improvements

A method for a Provider to securely authenticate a User associated with an authentication request, the method comprising:

• requesting from the User associated with the authentication request, one or more personas associated with the User;
• supplying, to the User, one or more authentication requests, wherein the one or more authentication requests includes information identifying the Provider;
• requesting, from the User, one or more responses to the one or more authentication requests;
• and
• using a security token pre-associated with the user to complete the authentication request, wherein the authentication request is completed when the requested one or more responses are matched.

A security token device to securely authenticate a User associated with an authentication request to a Provider, the security token device comprising:

• a first component set, wherein the first component set comprises an assortment of random images selected from a large collection of images, wherein the assortment is selected by an entity associated with the Provider, and wherein each image in the assortment has random codes associated therewith;
• and
• a second component set, wherein the second component set comprises three or more of the following:
• (i) encryption keys;
• (ii) encryption salts;
• (iii) authentication appliance endpoint Uniform Resource Identifiers;
• (iv) serial numbers;
• (v) pairing-assistance Uniform Resource Locators;
• (vi) QR codes;
• (vii) a name of the Provider;
• (viii) a logo of the Provider;
• (ix) support staff information of the Provider;
• (x) notes;
• (xi) policy rules;
• (xii) layout and formatting information.

A security token device to securely authenticate a User associated with an authentication request to a Provider, the security token device comprising:

• one or more serial numbers;
• one or more machine-readable barcodes or QR codes;
• and
• an assortment of random images selected from a large collection of images, wherein the assortment is selected by an issuing entity associated with the Provider, and wherein each image in the assortment has random codes associated therewith.

A method for a Provider to mutually authenticate a first party and a second party associated with a mutual authentication request, the method comprising:

• providing to the first party a set of one or more random images, wherein each of the one or more random images in the set is associated with a random code;
• displaying to the second party, one or more of the random images in the set;
• selecting, by the second party, one or more of the random images in the set;
• displaying, to the first party, the one or more selected random images in the set;
• locating, by the first party, the one or more random codes associated with the one or more selected random images in the set;
• providing, by the first party, to the second party, the one or more located random codes associated with the one or more selected random images;
• and
• determining whether to permit or deny the mutual authentication request based on the provided one or more random codes.