Accessing a secure resource using certificates bound with authentication information

A method for use in a secure server, comprising:

• receiving a certificate for a user and a request for access for the user to the secure server;
• sending an authentication query regarding the user to an authentication server;
• receiving a delta in response to the authentication query, the delta indicating the amount of time that has passed since the user was last authenticated by the authentication server;
• comparing the delta to a predefined threshold;
• and
• granting access when the predefined threshold exceeds the delta.

A method, comprising:

• sending a request for access to a secure server, the request containing a certificate associated with a user;
• signing a combination of authentication information and a certificate identifier for the certificate to form a unique user identifier;
• signing the authentication information;
• sending the unique user identifier, when the secure server denies access, to an authentication server configured to authenticate the user in reference to the sent information;
• and
• sending the certificate and request to the secure server again when an indication of authentication is received from the authentication server.

A method for use in an authentication server, comprising:

• receiving, from a secure server, a request to authenticate a user;
• determining a delta indicating the amount of time that has passed since the user was last authenticated by the authentication server;
• and
• sending the delta to the secure server.

A computer program product, tangibly stored on a machine-readable medium, comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

• receive a certificate request from a user, the certificate request including identification information and authentication information associated with the user;
• verify the identification information;
• issue a certificate to the user when the identification information is verified;
• sign a combination of the authentication information and a certificate identifier for the certificate to form a unique user identifier;
• sign the authentication information;
• and
• send the unique user identifier to an authentication server operable to authenticate the user in reference to the sent information.

A computer program product, tangibly stored on a machine-readable medium, for use in a secure server, comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

• receive a certificate for a user and a request for access for the user to the secure server;
• send an authentication query regarding the user to an authentication server;
• receive a delta in response to the authentication query, the delta indicating the amount of time that has passed since the user was last authenticated by the authentication server;
• compare the delta to a predefined threshold;
• and
• grant access when the predefined threshold exceeds the delta.

A computer program product, tangibly stored on a machine-readable medium, comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

• sign a combination of authentication information and a certificate identifier for a certificate associated with a user to form a unique user identifier;
• sign the authentication information;
• send a request for access to a secure server, the request containing a certificate associated with a user;
• send the unique user identifier, when the secure server denies access, to an authentication server operable to authenticate the user in reference to the sent information;
• and
• send the certificate and request to the secure server again when an indication of authentication is received from the authentication server.

A computer program product, tangibly stored on a machine-readable medium, comprising instructions operable to cause a programmable processor to:

• receive, from a secure server, a request to authenticate a user;
• determine a delta indicating the amount of time that has passed since the user was last authenticated by the authentication server;
• and
• send the delta to the secure server.

An authentication system, comprising a server configured to:

• receive a certificate request from a user, the certificate request including identification information and authentication information associated with the user;
• verify the identification information;
• issue a certificate to the user when the identification information is verified;
• sign a combination of the authentication information and a certificate identifier for the certificate to form a unique user identifier;
• sign the authentication information;
• and
• send the unique user identifier to an authentication server that is configured to authenticate the user in reference to the sent authentication information.

An authentication system, comprising a server configured to:

• receive a certificate for a user and a request for access for the user to the secure server;
• send an authentication query regarding the user to an authentication server;
• receive a delta in response to the authentication query, the delta indicating the amount of time that has passed since the user was last authenticated by the authentication server;
• compare the delta to a predefined threshold;
• and
• when the predefined threshold exceeds the delta, denying access and causing a request for authentication information, including biometric information, to be sent to the user.