Apparatus and methods for continuous real-time authentication

An apparatus for continuous real-time authentication using Internet-of-things (“IoT”) devices, the apparatus comprising:

• one or more IoT devices, each IoT device comprising:
• a communication link;
• a processor;
• one or more biometric sensors;
• a non-transitory memory configured to store at least:
• a device operating system;
• and
• a monitoring engine that runs on the processor and is configured to:
• measure one or more biometric attributes of a first user with the one or more biometric sensors at a pre-determined time interval;
• transmit the measured biometric attributes of the first user to a server;
• wait for a transaction instruction from the first user;
• transmit the transaction instruction to the server;
• receive confirmation that the transaction was completed;
• inform the first user that the transaction was completed;
• the server, the server comprising:
• a communication link;
• a processor;
• a non-transitory memory configured to store at least:
• a server operating system;
• authentication data of the first user;
• and
• an authentication engine that runs on the processor and is configured to:
• receive the measured biometric attributes from the IoT devices;
• store the measured biometric attributes;
• compare the measured biometric attributes to the authentication data of the first user;
• authenticate the first user;
• receive the transaction instructions;
• process the transaction instructions;
• transmit a confirmation of a completed transaction to the IoT devices;
• determine when the measured biometric attributes indicate that the first user is a second user;
• and
• when the measured biometric attributes indicate that the first user is the second user:
• attempt to authenticate the second user;
• and
• ignore any transaction instruction from the second user until the second user is authenticated;
• wherein:
• the authentication engine determines the first user is the second user by comparing the measured biometric attributes with the authentication data of the first user.

A method for continuous real-time authentication using Internet-of-things (“IoT”) devices, the method comprising:

• storing, at a centralized database at a server, one or more encrypted biometric attributes of a user;
• receiving, at an authentication engine at the server, a request to authenticate the user from an IoT device;
• performing an authentication process, the authentication process comprising:
• capturing, by one or more biometric sensors on the IoT device, one or more biometric attributes of the user;
• transmitting the captured one or more biometric attributes of the user to the authentication engine;
• receiving, at the authentication engine, the captured one or more biometric attributes of the user;
• comparing, at the authentication engine, the captured one or more biometric attributes of the user to the one or more encrypted biometric attributes of the user;
• authenticating the user;
• repeating the authentication process at a pre-determined time interval;
• and
• when the authentication engine is unable to authenticate the user, invalidating authentication of the user.