US 8,789,158 B2Granted

Using clock drift, clock slew, and network latency to enhance machine identification

AssigneeeBay Inc.

InventorsRasta A. Mansour, Upendra Mardikar

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Abstract

Methods and systems for authenticating a user device employ a database of global network latencies categorized and searchable by location and calendar date-time of day usage, providing network latency by geography and by time. The database is constructed using voluminous daily data collected from a world-wide clientele of users who sign in to a particular website. Accuracy of the latency data and clock skew machine identification is made practical and useful for authentications using a service provider-proprietary, stable reference clock, such as an atomic clock, so that internal clock jitter of a service provider performing authentications does not affect the network latency time and clock skew identification of user devices. Increased authentication confidence results from using the database for correcting network latency times and user device signatures generated from the clock skew identifications and for cross checking the authentication using comparisons of initial registration to current sign in data.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

a server in communication with a user device via a network;
a reference clock in communication with the server for providing accurate time signals to the server;
and
a database accessible to the server and providing:
network latencies for the network relative to the server mapped by geography and scheduling aspects including scheduling aspects for the network and scheduling aspects for the user device;
and
user device signatures mapped to user identities;
wherein the server comprises a processor and a data storage device including computer readable code for instructing the processor that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to perform operations for:
mapping geography and scheduling information collected from a plurality of user devices to user identities in the database;
comparing a current network latency from the user device to the network latencies mapped in the database by geography and to the geography information mapped to a user identity, wherein the user identity is determined from a user identity material;
authenticating the user device by a network latency and a clock skew signature from the user device, the authentication using the user device signatures, the user identities, the database mapping of user device signatures to user identities, and the network latencies for the network relative to the server mapped by geography and the scheduling aspects for the network and the scheduling aspects for the user device;
and
increasing confidence in the authentication if the current network latency from the location of the user device accords with the network latency for the location mapped in the database by geography and the location accords with the geography information mapped in the database to the user identity.

10 more elements

A method for authenticating a user device acting as a client and communicating with a server via a network, the method comprising:

building a database of user device signatures and network latencies relative to the server, wherein:
the user device signatures are mapped in the database to user identities;
the network latencies are mapped in the database by geography;
and
the network latencies are mapped in the database by scheduling aspects including scheduling aspects for the network and scheduling aspects for the user device;
initially authenticating the user device by presentation of user identity material, wherein the user identity material is sufficient to determine a user identity in the database;
mapping geography and scheduling information collected from user devices to user identities in the database;
comparing the current network latency from the user device to the network latencies mapped in the database by geography and to the geography information mapped to the user identity determined from the user identity material;
authenticating the user device by a current network latency and a current user device signature from the user device, wherein the authentication uses the user device signatures, the user identity determined from the user identity material, the database mapping of user device signatures to user identities, and the network latencies for the network relative to the server mapped by geography and the scheduling aspects for the network and the scheduling aspects for the user device;
and
increasing a confidence in the authentication if the current network latency from the location of the user device accords with the network latency for the location mapped in the database by geography and the location accords with the geography information mapped in the database to the user identity.

8 more elements

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable and executable code for instructing a processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

building a database of user device signatures and network latencies relative to the server, wherein:
the user device signatures are mapped in the database to user identities;
the network latencies are mapped in the database by geography;
and
the network latencies are mapped in the database by scheduling aspects including scheduling aspects for the network and scheduling aspects for the user device;
initially authenticating the user device by presentation of user identity material, wherein the user identity material is sufficient to determine a user identity in the database;
mapping geography and scheduling information collected from user devices to user identities in the database;
comparing the current network latency from the user device to the network latencies mapped in the database by geography and to the geography information mapped to the user identity determined from the user identity material;
authenticating the user device by a current network latency and a current user device signature from the user device, wherein the authentication uses the user device signatures, the user identity determined from the user identity material, the database mapping of user device signatures to user identities, and the network latencies for the network relative to the server mapped by geography and the scheduling aspects for the network and the scheduling aspects for the user device;
and
increasing confidence in the authentication if the current network latency from the location of the user device accords with the network latency for the location mapped in the database by geography and the location accords with the geography information mapped in the database to the user identity.

8 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/397,070Filed 15 Feb 2012 · us provisional application
Priority: 17 Feb 2011
Published: US 2012/0216265 A123 Aug 2012
Granted: 22 Jul 2014
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification17 codes

G06F 21/34
User authentication: involving the use of external additional devices, e.g. dongles or smart cards
G06F 21/44
Authentication, i.e. establishing the identity or authorisation of security principals: program or device authentication
G06F 21/725
In cryptographic circuits: operating on a secure reference time value
G06Q 20/40
Payment protocols; Details thereof: authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and…

Family

Application61/444,015Us provisional application · filed 17 Feb 2011
US 2012/0216265 A1Pre-grant publication · published 23 Aug 2012
US 8,789,158 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.

Timeline

Citations

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