Cryptographic authorization with prioritized and weighted authentication

A method of authorization of user access to a selected resource, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing I user authentication mechanisms, numbered i=1, 2, . . . , I (I≧1), for authenticating a user who seeks access to a resource, where the ith authentication mechanism has an associated authentication weight wi;
• providing a user response for each of the authentication mechanisms;
• computing a sum TS of all the weights wi for which the user satisfies authentication test number i;
• and
• when the sum TS is not at least equal to a threshold value TSthr,1, granting the user access to a selected default subset of the resource, and including the step of causing a change in at least one of said test and said weight associated with at least one of said authentication mechanisms at a selected time.

A method of authorization of user access to a selected resource, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing I user authentication mechanisms, numbered i=1, 2, . . . , I (I≧1), for authenticating a user who seeks access to a resource, where the ith authentication mechanism has an associated authentication weight wi;
• providing a user response for each of the authentication mechanisms;
• computing a sum TS of all the weights wi for which the user satisfies the ith authentication test;
• providing a sequence of threshold values TSthr,j (j=1, 2, . . . J;
• J≧1)) satisfying TSthr,1<TSthr,2<. . .<TSthr,J;
• and
• when the sum TS satisfies the condition TSthr,j≦TS<TSthr,j+1 for some integer j in the range 1≦j≦J−1, allowing the user access to a selected subset of the resource corresponding to the value TSthr,j, and including the step of associating a numerical cryptographic strength with each of said authentication mechanisms.

A method of authorization of user access to a selected resource, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing I user authentication mechanisms, numbered i=1, 2, . . . , I (I>1), for authenticating a user who seeks access to a resource, where the ith authentication mechanism has an associated authentication weight wi;
• providing a user response for each of the authentication mechanisms;
• computing a sum TS of all the weights wi for which the user satisfies the ith authentication test;
• providing a sequence of threshold values TSthr,j (j=1, 2, . . . J;
• J>1)) satisfying TSthr,1<TSthr,2<. . .<TSthr,J;
• and
• when the sum TS satisfies the condition TSthr,j≦TS≦TSthr,j+1 for some integer j in the range 1<j<J−1, allowing the user access to a selected subset of the resource corresponding to the value TSthr,j, further including the step of causing a change in at least one of said test and said weight associated with at least one of said authentication mechanisms at a selected time.

A system for authorization of user access to a selected resource, the system comprising a computer that is programmed:

• to provide I user authentication mechanisms, numbered i=1, 2, . . . , I (I≧1) for authenticating a user who seeks access to a resource, where the ith authentication mechanism has an associated authentication weight wi;
• to receive or provide a user response for each or the authentication mechanisms;
• to compute a sum TS of all the weights wi for which the user satisfies the ith authentication test;
• and
• when the sum TS is not at least equal to a threshold value TSthr,1, to grant the user access to a selected default subset of the resource, wherein said computer is further programmed to associate a numerical cryptographic strength with each of said authentication mechanisms.

A system for authorization of user access to a selected resource, the system comprising a computer that is programmed:

• to provide I user authentication mechanisms, numbered i=1, 2, . . . , I (I>1) for authenticating a user who seeks access to a resource, where the ith authentication mechanism has an associated authentication weight wi;
• to receive or provide a user response for each or the authentication mechanisms;
• to compute a sum TS of all the weights wi for which the user satisfies the ith authentication test;
• and
• when the sum TS is not at least equal to a threshold value TSthr,1, to grant the user access to a selected default subset of the resource, wherein said computer is further programmed to cause a change in at least one of said test and said weight associated with at least one of said authentication mechanisms at a selected time.

A system for authorization of user access to a selected resource, the system comprising a computer that is programmed:

• to provide I user authentication mechanisms, numbered i=1, 2, . . . , I (I≧1) for authenticating a user who seeks access to a resource, where the ith authentication mechanism has an associated authentication weight wi;
• to receive or provide a user response for each of the authentication mechanisms;
• to compute a sum TS of all the weights wi for which the user satisfies the ith authentication test;
• providing a sequence of threshold values TSthr,j (j=1, 2, . . . , J;
• J≧1)) satisfying TSthr,1<TSthr,2<. . .<TSthr,J;
• and
• when the sum TS satisfies the condition TSthr,j≦TS<TSthr,j+1 for some integer j in the range 1≦j≦J−1, to allow the user access to a selected subset of the resource corresponding to the value TSthr,j, wherein said computer is further programmed to associating a numerical cryptographic strength with each of said authentication mechanisms.

A system for authorization of user access to a selected resource, the system comprising a computer that is programmed:

• to provide I user authentication mechanisms, numbered i=1, 2, . . . , I (I≧1) for authenticating a user who seeks access to a resource, where the ith authentication mechanism has an associated authentication weight wi;
• to receive or provide a user response for each of the authentication mechanisms;
• to compute a sum TS of all the weights wi for which the user satisfies the ith authentication test;
• providing a sequence of threshold values TSthr,j (j=1, 2, . . . , J;
• J>1)) satisfying TSthr,1<TSthr,2<. . .<TSthr,J;
• and
• when the sum TS satisfies the condition TSthr,j<TS<TSthr,j+1 for some integer j in the range 1<j<J−1, to allow the user access to a selected subset of the resource corresponding to the value TSthr,j, wherein said computer is further programmed to cause a change in at least one of said test and said weight associated with at least one of said authentication mechanisms at a selected time.

An article of manufacture comprising:

• a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium for authorizing access to a resource, the computer readable program code means in the article of manufacture comprising:
• computer readable program code means for providing I user authentication mechanisms, numbered i=1, 2, . . . , I (I≦1) for authenticating a user who seeks access to a resource, where the ith authentication mechanism has an associated authentication weight wi;
• computer readable program code means for receiving or providing a user response for each of the authentication mechanisms;
• computer readable program code means for computing a sum TS of all the weights wi for which the user satisfies authentication test number i;
• and
• when the sum TS is not at least equal to a selected threshold value TSthr,1, computer readable program code means for denying the user access to the resource, and further comprising computer readable program code means for associating a numerical cryptographic strength with each of said authentication mechanisms.

An article of manufacture comprising:

• a computer usable medium having computer readable program code means embodied in the medium for authorizing access to a resource, the computer readable program code means in the article of manufacture comprising:
• computer readable program code means for providing I user authentication mechanisms, numbered i=1, 2, . . . , I (I<1) for authenticating a user who seeks access to a resource, where the ith authentication mechanism has an associated authentication weight wi;
• computer readable program code means for receiving or providing a user response for each of the authentication mechanisms;
• computer readable program code means for computing a sum TS of all the weights wi for which the user satisfies authentication test number i;
• and
• when the sum TS is not at least equal to a selected threshold value TSthr,1, computer readable program code means for denying the user access to the resource, and further comprising computer readable program code means for causing a change in at least one of said test and said weight associated with at least one of said authentication mechanisms at a selected time.