User authentication

A computer program product for providing a user apparatus access to a computer system comprising a plurality of services associated with a plurality of authentication levels, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computer to cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

• generating, by the user apparatus, a service request for at least one service from the plurality of services;
• transmitting the service request to a service provider;
• authenticating with a distributed multilevel authentication provider for an authentication level associated with the at least one service within the service request, wherein the authentication level is determined from the plurality of authentication levels based on one or more association rules negotiated between the distributed multilevel authentication provider and the service provider, the determined authentication level is associated with an authentication method to provide a level of access to the at least one service, wherein the level of access is based on a risk of an unidentified user apparatus accessing the at least one service;
• and
• accessing the at least one service within the service request from the service provider based on a forwarded message transmitted by the user apparatus and received by the service provider, wherein the forwarded message communicates a successful authentication with the distributed multilevel authentication provider for the authentication level associated with the at least one service within the service request based on verifying a shared secret value associated with the authentication level,
• wherein the shared secret value is generated by the service provider in response to a public Diffie-Hellman value sent by the distributed multilevel authentication provider.

A computer program product for providing a user apparatus access to a computer system comprising a plurality of services associated with a plurality of authentication levels, the computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computer to cause the computer to perform a method comprising:

• negotiating one or more association rules with a service provider such that an authentication level is determined from the plurality of authentication levels based on the one or more association rules, the determined authentication level is associated with an authentication method to provide a level of access to at least one service from the plurality of services to the user apparatus, wherein the level of access is based on a risk of an unidentified user apparatus accessing the at least one service;
• and
• authenticating the user apparatus based on an authentication request from the user apparatus for the authentication level associated with the at least one service in order to enable the service provider to provide the user apparatus access to the at least one service based on a forwarded message transmitted by the user apparatus and received by the service provider, wherein the forwarded message indicates a successful authentication for the authentication level associated with the at least one service based on verifying a shared secret value associated with the authentication level,
• wherein the shared secret value is generated by the service provider in response to exchanging a public Diffie-Hellman value with the service provider.