Method and apparatus for authenticating users of mobile devices

A system for controlling access to a network, the system comprising a processor;

• and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions which when executed by the processor cause the system to perform a method comprising:
• receiving a request from a client device to access a resource on a network;
• identifying a network address of the client device;
• retrieving a mapping of the network address to user identification information and device identification information;
• determining if the mapping is valid by issuing an authentication challenge and comparing information in a response to the authentication challenge with information in the mapping;
• and
• preventing the request from reaching the resource if the mapping is not valid.

A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a sequence of instructions which when executed by a processor cause the processor to perform a method comprising:

• receiving a request from a client device to access a resource on a network;
• identifying a network address of the client device;
• retrieving a mapping of the network address to user identification information and device identification information;
• determining if the mapping is valid by issuing an authentication challenge and comparing information in a response to the authentication challenge with information in the mapping;
• and
• preventing the request from reaching the resource if the mapping is not valid.

A system for controlling access to a network, the system comprising:

• means for receiving a request from a client device to access a resource on a network;
• means for identifying a network address of the client device;
• means for retrieving a mapping of the network address to user identification information and device identification information;
• means for determining if the mapping is valid by issuing an authentication challenge and comparing information in a response to the authentication challenge with information in the mapping;
• and
• means for preventing the request from reaching the resource if the mapping is not valid.

A method for authenticating a user of an enabled device, the method comprising:

• receiving a request from a client device to access an origin server;
• identifying a network address of the client device;
• sending an authentication challenge to the client device, wherein user identification information and device identification information is requested;
• receiving a response to the authentication challenge;
• retrieving user identification and device identification information associated with the network address of the client device from a server;
• comparing the user identification information and the device identification information received in the response with the user identification information and the device identification information retrieved from the server;
• and
• preventing the request from reaching the origin server if the user identification information and device identification information received in the response does not match the user identification information and the device identification information retrieved from the server.