Strong authentication token generating one-time passwords and signatures upon server credential verification

#The invention relates to securing remote access to computers and applications and remote transactions over computer networks. More specifically, the invention relates to generating one-time passwords to authenticate users and transaction signatures to indicate transaction approval, upon verification of a server credential, using a separate device, not connected to a computer.

#As remote access of computer systems and applications grows in popularity, the number and variety of transactions which are accessed remotely over public networks such as the Internet has increased dramatically. This popularity has underlined a need for security; in particular: how to ensure that people who are remotely accessing an application are who they claim they are, how to ensure that transactions being conducted remotely are initiated by legitimate individuals, and how to ensure that transaction data has not been altered before being received at an application server.

#In the past, application providers have relied on static passwords to provide the security for remote applications. In recent years it has become evident that static passwords are not sufficient and that more advanced security technology is required.

#The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following, more particular description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

#FIG. 1a schematically illustrates a typical implementation of the invention.

#FIG. 1b schematically illustrates another typical implementation of the invention, capable of communicating with a removable security device.

#Some implementations of the present invention are discussed below. While specific implementations are discussed, it should be understood that this is done for illustration purposes only. A person skilled in the relevant art will recognize that other components and configurations may be used without parting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

#FIG. 1a schematically illustrates a typical implementation of the invention consisting of a token (100) for generating security values such as one-time passwords to authenticate a user or transaction signatures to indicate the user's approval of a transaction, comprising: trustworthy means (130), such as for example a display or audio output means, to communicate information, such as said security values or transaction data to be approved, to the user; a data input interface, such as a keypad (120) and/or an array of photosensitive elements (140), for receiving server credential information and/or to capture the user's approval of transaction data; processing means (150) such as a microprocessor capable of cryptographic operations, for verifying server credentials and for generating security values upon said server credential verification, using secrets shared with a server; storage means (160), such as a ROM, EEPROM, or battery-backed RAM, for storing secrets or data constants to expand server messages containing transaction related information such as values and context information, formatted according to a compact encoding scheme which includes the usage of references to said data constants; a clock (170) to provide a time value that can be used in the verification of a server credential or in the generation of a security value.

#FIG. 1b schematically illustrates another typical implementation of the invention consisting of a first security device (101) for generating security values such as one-time passwords to authenticate a user or transaction signatures to indicate the user's approval of a transaction, and capable of communicating with a removable second security device (102), such as for example a smart card, to which for example some cryptographic operations can be delegated, comprising: trustworthy means (131), such as for example a display or audio output means, to communicate information, such as said security values or transaction data to be approved, to the user; a data input interface, such as a keypad (121) or an array of photosensitive elements (141), for receiving server credential information; processing means (151) such as a microprocessor; storage means (161), such as a ROM, EEPROM, or battery-backed RAM, for storing data constants to expand server messages containing transaction related information such as values and context information, formatted according to a compact encoding scheme which includes the usage of references to said data constants; an interface (181), comprising for example a smart card connector (182), to interact with a removable security device (102).