SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTHENTICATION OF A MOBILE DEVICE

Abstract

The security of a transaction conducted at a mobile device, using a one-time password to authenticate the mobile device user, is enhanced by requiring that the mobile device also be authenticated by providing a valid mobile device ID. A security server that provides the one-time password to the mobile device also provides a hyperlink that, when selected, causes a mobile device ID, such as an IMSI, to be retrieved from a SIM in the mobile device The retrieved mobile device ID is then sent to the security server. A database associated with the security server stores valid mobile device IDs, and compares the retrieved mobile device ID from the mobile device to the valid mobile device ID for that mobile device stored in the database. In alternative embodiments, the mobile device is authenticated without the use of a one-time password. In some cases the mobile device ID may be a phone number returned in an HTTP message header from the mobile device, and it is compared to a mobile device ID maintained by a bank or other entity managing the transaction.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/470,522, filed Mar. 27, 2017 which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/313,542, filed on Mar. 25, 2016, the complete disclosures of which are herein incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In many circumstances, it is important to verify that a mobile device is in the hands of a valid user prior to communicating with the device.

For example, as discussed in U.S. application Ser. No. 14/798,155, “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MOBILE NUMBER VERIFICATION,” filed Jul. 13, 2015 (commonly owned with the present application and hereby incorporated by reference), an arrangement is disclosed for confirming that the user of a mobile device user has not changed (such as by a mobile device being deactivated and the mobile number re-assigned to a different user) prior to a bank or other institution using an automatic telephone dialing system to make a call to the mobile device.

Verifying or authenticating a mobile device can be especially important when a mobile device is being used to conduct a financial transaction. For example, mobile device users conducting financial transactions are often given one-time passwords to authenticate the user and complete a transaction. A one-time password is intended to prevent a fraudster from gaining access to a user's permanent password and using it for fraudulent transactions. However, sending a one-time password may itself involve some risk, e.g., when the password (even if encrypted) is sent over a public network, such as the internet or a wireless provider network, where it can be intercepted and decrypted.

For this reason, systems have been developed for sending one-time passwords over out-of-band communications channels, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,806,592, “METHOD FOR SECURE USER AND TRANSACTION AUTHENTICATION AND RISK MANAGEMENT,” which is hereby incorporated by reference. Using out-of-band communications channels improve security since data is generally less accessible to hackers than data sent over a public network (e.g., where data is being entered at a website). The user receiving the one-time password can, e.g., enter the received password at a website, thus confirming that the user has in fact received the one-time password at the user's known mobile device. However, such arrangements also carry some risk, since a fraudster may hack a mobile device and control its operation, and thereby redirect or forward communications having passwords and other sensitive information to the fraudster's phone. Thus, the security of one-time passwords over out-of-band communications can also be compromised (e.g., when a fraudster attempting to access an account at an online banking website has gained control of a user's mobile device and redirected messages to the fraudster's phone, thus enabling the fraudster to receive the one-time password and enter that password at the website to gain access to the account).

There is thus arisen the need for providing enhanced security when communicating with a mobile device, such as when communicating a one-time password to complete a financial transaction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

There is provided, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention, a system and method for authenticating a mobile device being used for a transaction.

In some embodiments, authenticating a mobile device when sending a one-time password fortifies or enhances the security of the one-time password, by confirming that authenticated mobile device was in fact the device that received the one-time password.

In other embodiments, authenticating a mobile device is accomplished without a transaction requiring the entry of a one-time password. In such embodiments, the mobile device can be authenticated by sending a message to the mobile device, with the authenticity of the phone verified by a message returned to a security server. Thus, the entity with whom the transaction is being conducted is a assured that it is dealing with the authorized user/mobile phone (even without entry of a one-time password).

A more complete understanding of the present invention may be derived by referring to the detailed description of the invention and to the claims, when considered in connection with the Figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a system for enhancing security when using a one-time password to authenticate a user, by additionally authenticating a mobile device of the user.

FIG. 2 is a flow diagram illustrating a process for enrolling a user in a program for conducting a transaction via a mobile device, wherein the mobile device is authenticated prior to conducting the transaction.

FIGS. 3A-3C are, taken together, a flow diagram illustrating a process used in the system of FIG. 1 for both authenticating a user via a one-time password and authenticating the mobile device of the user.

FIG. 4 is a simplified diagram of components in a mobile device being used to conduct a transaction, with the SIM of the mobile device accessed to retrieve a unique mobile identifier in order to authenticate the mobile device.

FIG. 5 illustrates a hyperlink sent to the mobile device of FIG. 1 in accordance with one embodiment, with the hyperlink selected or activated by a user in order to authenticate the mobile device.

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating an alternative embodiment of a process used in the system of FIG. 1 for authenticating the mobile device of a user, where the user is not required to enter a one-time password.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating calls and messages between various components of the system of FIG. 1 for implementing the process seen in FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary computer system upon which embodiments of the present invention may be implemented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

There are various embodiments and configurations for implementing the present invention. Generally, embodiments provide systems and methods for authenticating a mobile device when being used to conduct a transaction, in addition to any authentication of the user operating the mobile device. As an example, when a customer is accessing an on-line banking website (either through the use of a mobile device or at a computer or other device separate from the mobile device), the website operator may send a message (out-of-band) to the customer's mobile device confirming that the customer is attempting the access. In some cases a fraudster may have hacked the customer's mobile device (and is redirecting messages to a device of the fraudster). Embodiments of the invention permit the website operator (such as a bank) to confirm that any message sent to the customer has in fact been sent to the authenticated customer mobile device.

As an example, in order to authenticate a user when conducting a transaction at a website, a one-time password (OTP) may be sent to the user to be entered at the website. Such a one-time password provides greater security than a permanent or multi-use password that, over time, could be compromised (such as by a fraudster observing a user when entering a password or by hacking into a system that stores user passwords). The one-time password may be sent to the user via an out-of-band (OOB) communications channel, i.e., a communications channel that is separate and independent of the website being used (such email or text). In some cases, the OOB communications channel may send the one-time password to a device separate from the one being used to conduct the transaction. A description of the use of one-time passwords being sent over OOB communications channels can be found, for example, in aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 8,806,592. One embodiment of the present invention enhances the security associated with one-time passwords by essentially requiring a mobile device, at which a one-time password is being received, to also authenticate itself. In alternative embodiments to be described, authentication may be achieved without the user receiving a one-time password, such as by sending an OOB message to a device of the user that requires a response (such as by clicking on a link), and examining a message sent by the mobile device in response to the activated link to confirm whether it has been sent by the actual device of the authorized user.

In one described embodiment, a mobile device to which a one-time password may be sent is examined for a unique mobile ID, such as international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) data that is stored at a subscriber identification module (SIM) in the mobile device. The IMSI is unique to the mobile device and is used by the mobile service provider in communicating with the mobile device. In this described embodiment, the IMSI is retrieved from the SIM in response to the user selecting a hyperlink provided to the mobile device. The activation of the link may, for example, launch an application resident on the mobile device that causes the mobile device to retrieve the IMSI from its SIM. The retrieved IMSI is sent to a security server that compares the retrieved IMSI to a valid or correct IMSI for that mobile device (i.e., the IMSI used by the mobile service provider in communicating with the mobile device). A mobile ID database associated with the security server may store a valid IMSI for mobile devices that have been enrolled for conducting transactions using one-time passwords.

In this particular embodiment, if the phone has been authenticated by a valid IMSI, the one-time password may then be sent from the security server to the mobile device, to be entered at the mobile device for authenticating the user. Alternatively, the one-time password may be incorporated (e.g., as metadata) in the previously mentioned hyperlink that is sent and selected at the mobile device in order to retrieve the IMSI. The activation of the hyperlink may, for example, launch an application at the mobile device that automatically populates the one-time password in the appropriate data field at the website being used for the transaction, but the transaction is not approved until the security server authenticates the mobile device by matching the mobile ID retrieved from the device to a valid mobile ID (e.g., a valid IMSI stored at the mobile ID database associated with the security server).

In other embodiments, the mobile device can be authenticated without a one-time password being sent to the mobile device and entered at a website being used for a transaction. For example, in some preferred embodiments, messages between a security server and a mobile device can confirm that the mobile device is associated with a unique mobile ID (phone number, IMSI, IMEI, etc.) that matches a mobile ID known to the entity (e.g., a bank) with whom the user is attempting a transaction.

For example, in just-referenced embodiments of the invention, OOB communications channels can be used to authenticate a mobile device that is known to be used by a person authorized to conduct a transaction (e.g., at a banking website), without requiring that the customer enter a one-time password. When a customer enrolls for using an online banking website, the customer may be asked to provide an authorized mobile phone number (MSISDN). When a transaction is to be conducted, an OOB text message can be sent to the phone at the authorized phone number, requiring that the customer respond in order to complete a website transaction, such as by activating or clicking on a link provided with the OOB message. The activation of the link causes an http message to be sent back to a security server, and a header in the message can be examined for the phone number of the mobile device sending the message. If the phone number matches the authorized phone number, the security server authenticates the mobile device. If the phone number does not match the authorized phone number (e.g., in a case where the customer's phone may have been hacked and a fraudster is receiving messages and responding, and the fraudster's phone number is returned in the header of the message), the security server can alert the bank that someone other than the customer is responding to the OOB message and may be attempting to fraudulently access the customer's account at the website. In this particular embodiment, if the mobile device is authenticated, authentication at and entry to the website is accomplished without requiring the user of the mobile device to enter a one-time password.

Referring now to FIG. 1, a system 100 according to one embodiment of the invention is illustrated. The system 100 includes a mobile device 110 for a user to conduct a transaction, the mobile device communicating over networks 120 with a transaction server 130. As an example, the networks 120 may include a wireless service network 122 (operated by a wireless service provider for wireless communications with mobile devices) a public network, such as the Internet, and a private (e.g., a dedicated) communications network between the transaction server and security server). The transaction server 130 may manage a website used by a bank for conducting financial transactions at accounts maintained by the bank. A webpage may be loaded for display on the mobile device 110, requiring that the user provide a user name or ID and a one-time password in order to access an account. It is assumed, for purposes of the description relating to FIG. 1, that the user has enrolled the mobile device 110 for purposes of conducting transactions against the account. In response to the user providing a user ID (which may be, for example, the user's name or some other unique user identifier), the transaction server 130 accesses a security server 140 which generates a one-time password in order to authenticate the user to the website. The one-time password may be a random number or other unique digital signature that is based on a secret shared between the website and the security server (e.g., an encryption key). The one-time password is sent by the security server 140 to the mobile device 110, e.g., over an out-of-band (OOB) communications channel 145 within the networks 120, and is entered at the website in order to authenticate the user with the transaction server 130. The system as thus far described is known, and a more complete description can be found, for example, in aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 8,806,592.

As explained earlier, communicating a one-time password by way of the out-of-band communications channel 145 provides security for a transaction, but such security could be undermined, e.g., by a fraudster surreptitiously gaining access to the mobile phone through the wireless provider network. The fraudster could then forward out-of-band communications (e.g., emails or text messages) from the mobile device 110 to a device used by the fraudster, thus permitting the fraudster to use the one-time password to access the user's account. In accordance with some embodiments of the invention, and in order to prevent the one-time password from being used at an unauthorized device, the security server 140 will also require that the mobile device 110 be authenticated.

Briefly, in accordance with one embodiment, the authentication of the mobile device 110 requires that the mobile device provide a unique mobile ID associated with the mobile device 110, such as (in a specific embodiment) the IMSI (international mobile subscriber identity) stored on a SIM (subscriber identification module) located within the mobile device. The unique mobile ID is retrieved from the mobile device 110 and provided to the security server 140. The retrieved unique mobile ID is compared to the correct or valid mobile ID for the mobile device 110 that is stored at a mobile device ID database 150. In embodiments to be more fully described below, the mobile device 110 retrieves its mobile ID in response to the activation of a hyperlink that is sent by the security server 140 to the mobile device 110 over the out-of-band communications channel 145 (e.g., via email or text message). The OOB message may also include an alert to the user that a transaction is being attempted (e.g., against an account of the user). The retrieved mobile ID (retrieved in response to clicking on the link) is sent to the security server 140 where it is compared to the correct mobile ID for the mobile device 110. If there is a match, the security server 140 notifies the transaction server 130 (via the networks 120) that the mobile device has been authenticated and the transaction can be completed (assuming the user has also entered the correct one-time password at the website).

It should be noted that, in some embodiments of the invention, variations in the operation of the system 100 are possible. For example, while the described embodiment uses the IMSI for authenticating the mobile device, other unique data or attributes of the mobile device could be used for such purpose. For example, in some wireless networks a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC) performs, among other things, functions similar to those of a SIM and may include an IMSI or similar unique identifier (for purposes of the invention, the term “SIM” is intended to include a UICC and similar devices). Further, a SIM may include unique identifiers other than an IMSI, such as an Integrated Circuit Card Identifier (ICCID) that could be used in lieu of the IMSI. In currently described embodiments, it is noteworthy that the unique mobile ID is an identifier that would not be typically known or easily accessible to the public. Thus the unique mobile ID would not be a publicly used identifier, such as mobile telephone number. Rather, in the presently described embodiment, the IMSI or a similar internal identifier would typically only be known to the wireless service provider.

In some embodiments, a mobile device might have other unique information that could be used as the mobile ID and that would only be present at the authentic mobile device conducting the transaction, such as attributes of the mobile device (the specific configuration of hardware components and software applications and their individual internal identifiers), a hardware identifier (IMEI), or other data that is specific to the mobile device (personal contact information pertaining to the authorized user of the mobile device) that is stored at the mobile device. As should be apparent, these variations would require that the specific attributes or data be provided to the security server 140 in advance of being used for authentication, such as during enrollment of the mobile device. Further, in its broadest sense, the term “subscriber identity module” or “SIM” is used herein to refer to component of a mobile device that contains an established mobile identifier that uniquely identifies the mobile device (and is not publicly known), as contemplated by the foregoing description. However, in alternative embodiments to be described later, the particular operation of the messages and calls between the mobile device (using a mobile or wireless carrier) and the transaction server and security server permit the phone number (MSISDN) associated with the mobile device to be used to authenticate the phone.

Further, while the currently described embodiments use a hyperlink sent to the mobile device 110 that causes (when selected) the mobile ID to be retrieved from within the mobile device, the authentication of the mobile ID could be in response to other events initiated at the mobile device when a transaction is requested. For example, public and private keys could be stored in the mobile device as part of enrollment, and when transactions are later initiated the exchange of both the public and private keys between the mobile device and the security server could authenticate the mobile device. Alternatively, an application could be loaded at the mobile device during enrollment, and the application could automatically generate a reply text or other message to the security server (after user interaction at the website) confirming that the text with the one-time password arrived at the intended device.

Also, while the embodiment of FIG. 1 involves a transaction server maintained by or for a bank or other financial institution for completing account transactions, it should be appreciated that the scope of the invention is not so limited. For example, the retrieval of a unique mobile ID in order to authenticate a mobile device may have application to merchant transactions (e.g., where the mobile device is be used to purchase products at a merchant website), as well as other types of transactions where a mobile device might be used and where enhanced security could be provided by authenticating the mobile device (beyond required authentication, if any, of the user of the mobile device). Further, broader aspects of the invention involve various environments in which a user may be interfacing with an entity (bank, merchant) to conduct the transaction. For example, the user may be present in-person at a bank and in order to complete the transaction, the bank may want to authenticate the user based on authenticating the user's mobile device (e.g., by sending an SMS message). Also, the user could be at an ATM conducting a transaction or, as contemplated in embodiments described above, the user may be accessing a bank website using a mobile device or some other computing device (e.g., personal computer). In all these environments, the authentication of the mobile device is useful to the bank and avoiding a fraudulent transaction.

Turning now to FIG. 2, there is illustrated one embodiment of a process for enrolling a user for conducting transactions using a mobile device, such as the mobile device 110 being used for conducting financial transactions at the transaction server 130 in FIG. 1. For example, the enrollment process may occur when a user is invited by a bank or other institution maintaining the transaction server 130 to register/enroll a mobile device for online banking. Initially, at step 210, transaction server 130 receives at enrollment request from the user either from the mobile device 110 or from another computing device of the user (e.g., a personal computer, laptop, etc.). As part of the enrollment, the user would provide personal information of the user, to the extent not already maintained at the server 130, (such as a mobile telephone number, account holder name, account number(s), and other information needed to identify and authenticate (with trust) the user (social security number, address, account password, etc.). At step 212, the server 130 requests the IMSI (or other unique mobile ID) from the mobile device. This information is typically not known to or accessed by the user of the mobile device, but may be accomplished by invoking utility software (e.g., mobile device management code) commonly resident on the mobile device (prior to issuance to a customer/user), which causes the mobile device to interrogate its SIM and retrieve the mobile ID (IMSI). In some cases, the transaction server may provide an app to the mobile device during enrollment, that permits the transaction server to remotely interrogate the SIM and retrieve the IMSI (such apps are commercially available, e.g., Airwatch Mobile Device Management—www.air-watch.com). At step 216, the mobile ID is provided by the mobile device 110 to the server 140 (where it may be, in turn, stored at the mobile device ID database 150). The unique mobile ID acquired during enrollment (and stored at database 150) is validated or “trusted (by virtue of the authentication of the user during enrollment).”

At step 218, a transaction application (app) for subsequent use when conducting financial transactions is provided by the server 130. The sequence of steps seen in FIG. 2 has the advantage of permitting the security server 130 to confirm the validity of the mobile ID before providing the app to the mobile device. However, in some embodiments, it may not be necessary for the mobile device 110 to provide the mobile ID to be stored in the database 150, but rather mobile IDs (such as IMSIs) may be provided individually or in batch form from one or more mobile (wireless) service providers in response to a request from the entity operating the security server 140. The app provided to the mobile device at step 218 is loaded or stored at the mobile device at step 220 and can thereafter be used by the mobile device for conducting transactions at the transaction server 130.

As will become apparent later, and depending upon which of various embodiments are being implemented, various steps or procedures illustrated in FIG. 2 may be omitted or modified.

FIGS. 3A-C illustrate one embodiment of a process within system 100, wherein a transaction conducted by the mobile device 110 at the transaction server 130 is completed only if the mobile device is authenticated by the security server 140. The process of FIGS. 3A-C occurs when a mobile device has been previously enrolled/registered, such as by using the process of FIG. 2.

At step 310, the user of the mobile device 110 visits a web site maintained by the server 130. The website (and the transactions conducted at that website) may require that both the user and the mobile device be authenticated and, as described earlier in conjunction with FIG. 1, could be used by an account holder to access accounts maintained at a financial institution. In response to the user requesting a transaction, the transaction server 130 sends a request (via networks 120) to the security server requesting that a one-time password be generated for authenticating the user and that the mobile device be authenticated. Such requests can be in the form of a request that an authentication hyperlink be sent from the server 140 to the mobile device, step 312, with the mobile device identified by a user ID associated with the mobile device, such as the mobile device phone number. At step 314, the security server sends the authentication hyperlink to the mobile device via the out-of-band communications channel 145 (e.g., via SMS text message). The hyperlink is selected by the user at step 320 and the transaction app loaded onto the mobile phone during enrollment is launched. The hyperlink may include, in its metadata, a link expiration time/date in order to prevent the link from being present at the mobile device for too long of a period before it is activated, and at step 322 the mobile device determines whether the hyperlink has expired (e.g., by the app examining the expiration time/date). If the link has expired, the transaction server 130 and security server 140 are notified. The security server 140 may send a new link (the transaction server 130 may require that the user re-login to the website prior to a new link being sent to the user). If the link has not expired, the transaction app causes the mobile device to retrieve its mobile ID (IMSI) from the SIM in the mobile device, step 324. The retrieved mobile ID is sent to the security server at step 326. The security server then accesses the mobile device ID database 152 to access the valid/correct mobile ID for the mobile device 110, step 330, and compares that valid/correct mobile ID to the mobile ID received from the mobile device, step 332. If the mobile IDs match, step 334, the security server 140 authenticates the mobile device, step 336, and then generates a one-time password, step 340, to be sent to the mobile device 110 and the transaction server 130. If the mobile IDs do not match, then the security server determines that the mobile device attempting to conduct the transaction may be in the hands of someone other than the authorized user and, at step 334, declines the transaction.

The security server 140 sends the generated one-time password (OTP) to the mobile device (over the OOB channel 145) and to the transaction server 130 through the networks 120, step 342. At step 344, the mobile device (under the control of the transaction app) populates the one-time password into the appropriate password field of the website page present at the mobile device, from which it is sent to the transaction server 130 (in some cases, the user may be required to enter the one-time password manually). At step 346, the transaction server determines whether the one-time password has expired (for security purposes, the password has a limited use time and becomes unusable if too much time has elapsed from the time it was generated). For example, the one-time password may include, in its string of digits, certain values that represent and expiration time/date for the password, and those digits may be used by the mobile device to determine whether the password has expired. Alternatively, the security server 140 may provide an expiration time/date with the password when it is sent to the transaction server at step 342 and that expiration time/date may be used by the transaction server to determine whether the one-time password has expired. If the one-time password has expired, the transaction is declined at step 346. If the password has not expired at step 346, then the transaction server 130 compares the one-time password sent by the mobile device to the one-time password sent by the security server 140, step 348. If the one-time passwords match, step 350, then the user is authenticated and a transaction may be conducted, step 352. If the passwords do not match at step 350, then the transaction is declined.

FIG. 4 illustrates the major components of a mobile device, such as the mobile device 110 seen in FIG. 1, for purposes of illustrating the retrieval of a mobile ID as described in connection with step 324 of FIG. 3A. As seen in FIG. 4, the illustrated mobile device includes a memory 410, a processor 420, and RF circuitry 430. The various components of the mobile device are powered by a battery 440. The data signals (as well as voice signals) are transmitted and received by the RF circuitry 430 through an antenna 432. The mobile device also includes I/O devices 450, which are conventional components for a user to enter, receive and display data and voice, such as a keyboard/keypad, speaker/microphone, display, camera and so forth. A SIM (subscriber identity module) 460 is connected to various other components within the mobile device, and as described earlier, contains, among other things, a unique mobile ID, such as a IMSI, used by the wireless service provider to identify and communicate with the mobile device. As noted earlier, in some wireless networks, the functions of a SIM are performed by a Universal Integrated Circuit Card (UICC). The memory 410 stores data and software used in the operation of the mobile device, such as software applications (apps) 412 that are launched and executed by the processor 420. The stored apps may include, among other things, the transaction app loaded onto the mobile phone as described earlier in conjunction with FIG. 2 (step 220).

As described earlier in conjunction with FIGS. 3A-C, in one embodiment, a hyperlink may be sent by the security server 140 (such as via a text message or email) when a mobile ID is to be retrieved at the mobile device. When the hyperlink is displayed and then selected by a user, the processor 420, under the control of the transaction app included in apps 412, may invoke the mobile device management utility for purposes of accessing the IMSI from the SIM 460, and provide the accessed IMSI in a data message by way of RF circuitry 430 (and antenna 432) to the networks 120 and then to the security server 140.

FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment of the a structure of a hyperlink that could be provided from the security server 140 to the mobile device 110, as just described in connection with FIG. 4 and as earlier described in conjunction with FIG. 3A (step 314). In embodiments where the hyperlink launches (via the browser on the phone) a transaction app used for accessing the mobile ID, the URL scheme of the hyperlink is illustrated as “TRANSAPP,” which is the name of the transaction app and is used by the browser of the mobile device 110 to open that app. Conventional hyperlinks include fields that contain any metadata that may be needed when the hyperlink is activated, and in FIG. 5 such data includes the path data “SECSERVER” and “ACCESSID” that instruct the transaction app to respond to a request from the security server 140 to access the mobile ID at the SIM 460 (FIG. 4) and return it to the security server 140. The path data may also include “OTHERDATA” that represents variables and other data needed by the transaction app to perform its functions. For example, in embodiments where the one-time password may be included with the hyperlink, the password may be part of “OTHERDATA.”

In some embodiments, the transaction app might not be used to retrieve the IMSI from the SIM, but rather instructions/code may be included in OTHERDATA and invoke the necessary utility programs of the mobile device 110 to retrieve and send the IMSI to the security server 140.

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a process used within system 100, wherein the mobile ID used to authenticate the mobile device is the mobile phone number of device which, as will be described, is obtained from header data in HTTP messages managed by the wireless service provider 122, without the need for the mobile device ID database 150 described in conjunction with the embodiment of FIGS. 3A-3C.

FIG. 6 described in conjunction with FIG. 7, which shows the flow of calls/messages between the user mobile device 110, transaction server 130, security server 140 and mobile carrier 122, for purposes of carrying out the process of FIG. 6. It should be noted that, for purposes of reducing the complexity of FIG. 7, that the message flows seen in FIG. 7 only show two substantive messages to and from the mobile carrier 120 (a message sent from the wireless carrier to the security server and an SMS message sent from the wireless carrier to the user mobile device). As should be understood, however, all messages from the user mobile device (e.g. to the transaction server 130 and the security server 140) are necessarily sent (at least initially) as wireless messages through the mobile carrier in order to reach their ultimate destination.

At step 610 (FIG. 6), the user accesses a bank website at the transaction server that requires authentication and a message 710 (FIG. 7) is sent from the mobile device to initiate the transaction. The transaction server identifies the user (e.g., the user may begin entering identifying information on the website) and the transaction server sends the phone number (MISDN) of the user and a bank return URL to the security server at step 612, using an authentication request message 712. The bank return URL has a purpose that will be evident as this description progresses, but briefly it is a URL that permits the user to return to the bank website at a desired page after the mobile device has gone through the authentication steps. The phone number included in the authentication request message 712 is the phone number of the user mobile device 110, and is known to be authentic and trusted by virtue of its being provided by the user during enrollment, such as the enrollment described earlier in conjunction with step 210, FIG. 2.

The security server then requests that an SMS text message be sent from the mobile carrier to the user mobile device at step 614, with an SMS request message 714. The SMS request message includes the phone number provided to the security server by the transaction server and an authentication URL (directed to a site at the security server) which will be used to provide a link for selection/activation by the user. At step 620, the mobile carrier sends to the mobile device, at the user's phone number provided via the security server, an SMS text message 716 that includes the authentication link. The SMS text message 716 when displayed at the mobile device may include text notifying the user that an attempt is being made to access the user's account and that the user should click on the displayed link if the user wants to proceed with that access.

At step 622, the link displayed as a result of the SMS message 716 is activated/selected by the user at step 622 and, in response, a device authentication request message 720 is sent by the user mobile device to the security server 140 (at the URL in the authetication link). A specific feature of the present embodiment is the inclusion of the mobile device phone number in the HTTP header of the message 720 sent to the security server 140 (via the mobile carrier 120). Enriched HTTP headers are commonly used by mobile carriers in messages sent to websites (see, e.g., www.techrepublic.com/it-security/why-are-websites-getting your mobile-phone-number), such as at the header field “HTTP_X_UP_CALLING_LINE_ID” illustrated in the message 720, and at step 624 the security server 140 compares the phone number received in the device authentication request 720 with the trusted phone number that it received from the transaction server in the authentication request message 712.

The security server 140 then provides, at step 630, a device authentication response message 732 to the mobile device, that includes the bank return URL, which at step 632 advances the displayed website of the bank to a device authentication page, indicating to the user's mobile device that it is in the process of being authenticated by the bank. The underlying script programming at the website then sends, at step 634, an authentication confirmation request message 734 to the security server 140 requesting that the security server provide the status of the mobile device authentication process.

In one embodiment, the determined status of the authentication process can be one of (1) a match at step 624 with the authentication confirmed (Green) so that the transaction can proceed (2) no match at step 624, indicating the authentication has failed (Red) and that the transaction should be declined, and (3) the security server is unable to perform the comparison of phone numbers (Yellow), for example, because wireless transmissions have failed or the data coverage of the mobile device will not permit the required text message or HTTP messages.

At step 636, the security server 140 provides the determined status as part of an authentication confirmation response message 736, which in turn leads to the transaction server either advancing the website page to permit the transaction to proceed, or displaying a message that the transaction cannot be completed. As discussed earlier, in this described embodiment, if the mobile phone has been authenticated (e.g., the actual mobile device of an authorized customer is being used to access an account at a bank), no one-time password need be entered by the user or otherwise used to populate a field in the online banking website.

One variation of the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7 eliminates the need for the SMS message 716 from the mobile carrier 122 to the user mobile device 110. This alternative embodiment would involve functions performed by an transaction app that has been loaded on the mobile device (during enrollment) for purposes of accessing the bank website at the transaction server 130. The app could be triggered by a data message sent from the transaction server 130 when a user is requesting access to an account. Specifically, when a mobile device initiates a transaction at the transaction server, a message is returned to the mobile device asking that the mobile device, under the control of the transaction app, return a authentication request (comparable to the message 720 seen in FIG. 7). The returned authentication request would have an HTTP header similar to that described earlier in conjunction with message 720, including the phone number (automatically inserted by the wireless carrier as part of the message header) assigned to the device that is running and interfacing with the app. If it is the authorized customer using the app, the authorized phone number is returned. If it is a fraudster that is using the app to access a website at the transaction server, the phone number of the fraudster's phone is returned as part of the device authentication request. Thus, in this embodiment, the “event” that results in the device authentication request (e.g., message 720 of FIG. 7), is a data message from the transaction server triggering a device authentication request rather than a user clicking on a link in SMS message sent from the mobile carrier.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an exemplary computer system upon which embodiments of the present invention may be implemented. The computer system 800 may be used, in whole, in part, or with various modifications, to provide the functions of the security server 140 and transaction server 130, and provide the functions of the components of the mobile device 110.

The computer system 800 is shown comprising hardware elements that can be electrically coupled or otherwise in communication via a bus 805. The hardware elements can include one or more processors 810, including, without limitation, one or more general-purpose processors and/or one or more special-purpose processors (such as digital signal processing chips, graphics acceleration chips, and/or the like); one or more input devices 815, which can include, without limitation, a mouse, a keyboard and/or the like; and one or more output devices 820, which can include, without limitation, a display device, a printer and/or the like.

The computer system 800 may further include one or more storage devices 825, which can comprise, without limitation, local and/or network accessible storage or memory systems having computer or machine readable media. Common forms of physical and/or tangible computer readable media include, as examples, a hard disk, magnetic tape, or any other magnetic medium, an optical medium (such as CD-ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM) which can be programmable or flash-updateable or the like, and any other memory chip, cartridge, or medium from which a computer can read data, instructions and/or code. In many embodiments, the computer system 800 will further comprise a working memory 830, which could include (but is not limited to) a RAM or ROM device, as described above.

The computer system 800 also may further include a communications subsystem 835, such as (without limitation) a modem, a network card (wireless or wired), an infra-red communication device, or a wireless communication device and/or chipset, such as a Bluetooth® device, an 802.11 device, a WiFi device, a WiMax device, a near field communications (NFC) device, cellular communication facilities, etc. The communications subsystem 835 may permit data to be exchanged with a network, and/or any other devices described herein. Transmission media used by communications subsystem 835 (and the bus 805) may include copper wire, coaxial cables and fiber optics. Hence, transmission media can also take the form of waves (including, without limitation radio, acoustic and/or light waves, such as those generated during radio-wave and infra-red data communications).

The computer system 800 can also comprise software elements, illustrated within the working memory 830, including an operating system 840 and/or other code, such as one or more application programs 845, which may be designed to implement, as an example, the processes seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, and thus provide specially designed and programmed devices (e.g., mobile device 110, transaction server 130 and security server 140) for carrying out the novel features described herein.

As an example, one or more methods discussed earlier might be implemented as code and/or instructions executable by a computer (and/or a processor within a computer). In some cases, a set of these instructions and/or code might be stored on a computer readable storage medium that is part of the system 800, such as the storage device(s) 825. In other embodiments, the storage medium might be separate from a computer system (e.g., a removable medium, such as a compact disc, etc.), and/or provided in an installation package with the instructions/code stored thereon. These instructions might take the form of code which is executable by the computer system 800 and/or might take the form of source and/or installable code, which is compiled and/or installed on the computer system 800 (e.g., using any of a variety of generally available compilers, installation programs, compression/decompression utilities, etc.). The communications subsystem 835 (and/or components thereof) generally will receive the signals (and/or the data, instructions, etc., carried by the signals), and the bus 805 then might carry those signals to the working memory 830, from which the processor(s) 805 retrieves and executes the instructions. The instructions received by the working memory 830 may optionally be stored on storage device 825 either before or after execution by the processor(s) 810.

While various methods and processes described herein may be described with respect to particular structural and/or functional components for ease of description, methods of the invention are not limited to any particular structural and/or functional architecture but instead can be implemented on any suitable hardware, firmware, and/or software configuration. Similarly, while various functionalities are ascribed to certain individual system components, unless the context dictates otherwise, this functionality can be distributed or combined among various other system components in accordance with different embodiments of the invention. As one example, the transaction server 130 and security server 140 may each be implemented by a single system having one or more storage device and processing elements, or alternatively, may each be implemented by plural systems, with their respective functions distributed across different systems either in one location or across a plurality of linked locations.

Moreover, while the various flows and processes described herein (e.g., those illustrated in FIGS. 2, 3, 6 and 7) are described in a particular order for ease of description, unless the context dictates otherwise, various procedures may be reordered, added, and/or omitted in accordance with various embodiments of the invention. Moreover, the procedures described with respect to one method or process may be incorporated within other described methods or processes; likewise, system components described according to a particular structural architecture and/or with respect to one system may be organized in alternative structural architectures and/or incorporated within other described systems. Hence, while various embodiments may be described with (or without) certain features for ease of description and to illustrate exemplary features, the various components and/or features described herein with respect to a particular embodiment can be substituted, added, and/or subtracted to provide other embodiments, unless the context dictates otherwise. Consequently, although the invention has been described with respect to exemplary embodiments, it will be appreciated that the invention is intended to cover all modifications and equivalents within the scope of the following claims.

Claims

1. A security server for authenticating a mobile device of a user conducting a transaction at a transaction server, wherein the security server is programmed to:

receive an authentication request message from the transaction server, the authentication request including a trusted unique mobile identifier associated with the mobile device;

provide an SMS request message, to a mobile carrier network providing wireless service to the mobile device, to send an SMS message to the user mobile device, including an authentication link that, when activated at the mobile device, returns an HTTP device authentication request message through the mobile carrier network to the security server, the HTTP device authentication request message including an HTTP message header with a unique mobile ID of the mobile device;

compare the trusted unique mobile identifier received from the transaction server with the unique mobile ID in the message header of the HTTP device authentication request message returned through the wireless carrier network from the mobile device; and

authenticate the mobile device based on the comparison of the trusted unique mobile identifier and the unique mobile ID in the message header of the HTTP device authentication request message.

2. The security server of claim 1, wherein the trusted unique mobile identifier is a mobile phone number for the mobile device, provided during enrollment of a user for conducting transactions at the transaction server.

3. The security server of claim 2, wherein the trusted unique mobile identifier is provided during enrollment along with information from the user that authenticates the user at the transaction server during enrollment.

4. The security server of claim 1, wherein the unique mobile ID in the message header of the HTTP device authentication request message received through the wireless carrier network from the mobile device is inserted into an enriched HTTP header of the HTTP device authentication request message under the control of the wireless carrier network.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the authentication link in the SMS text message includes metadata with an associated hyperlink active period.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the authentication link in the SMS text message includes metadata with an associated hyperlink time limit.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile device of the user accesses the transaction server to initiate the transaction, using a website hosted at the transaction server and displayed at the mobile device, and in response to initiating the transaction, the transaction server identifies the user and sends the authentication request message to the security server.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the transaction server identifies the user based on identifying information entered by the user at the website.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the security server is further programmed to:

send, in response to the HTTP device authentication request message, a device authentication response message to the mobile device, for advancing the displayed website to a device authentication page indicating that the mobile device is in the process of being authenticated.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the security server is further programmed to:

receive an authentication confirmation request message from the transaction server requesting that the security server provide the status of authentication; and

in response, send an authentication confirmation response message, providing the status of the authentication.

11. A method for authenticating, at a security server, a mobile device of a user conducting a transaction at a transaction server, the method comprising:

receiving, at the security server, an authentication request message from the transaction server, the authentication request including a trusted unique mobile identifier associated with the mobile device;

providing, at the security server, an SMS request message to a mobile carrier network providing wireless service to the mobile device, to send an SMS message to the user mobile device, including an authentication link that, when activated at the mobile device, returns an HTTP device authentication request message through the mobile carrier network to the security server, the HTTP device authentication request message including an HTTP message header with a unique mobile ID of the mobile device;

comparing, at the security server, the trusted unique mobile identifier received from the transaction server with the unique mobile ID in the message header of the HTTP device authentication request message returned through the wireless carrier network from the mobile device; and

authenticating, at the security server, the mobile device based on the comparison of the trusted unique mobile identifier and the unique mobile ID in the message header of the HTTP device authentication request message.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the trusted unique mobile identifier is a mobile phone number for the mobile device, provided during enrollment of a user for conducting transactions at the transaction server.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the trusted unique mobile identifier is provided during enrollment along with information from the user that authenticates the user at the transaction server during enrollment.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the unique mobile ID in the message header of the HTTP device authentication request message received through the wireless carrier network from the mobile device is inserted into an enriched HTTP header of the HTTP device authentication request message under the control of the wireless carrier network.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the authentication link in the SMS text message includes metadata with an associated hyperlink active period.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the authentication link in the SMS text message includes metadata with an associated hyperlink time limit.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the mobile device of the user accesses the transaction server to initiate the transaction, using a website hosted at the transaction server and displayed at the mobile device, and in response to initiating the transaction, the transaction server identifies the user and sends the authentication request message to the security server.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the transaction server identifies the user based on identifying information entered by the user at the website.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

sending, from the security server and in response to the HTTP device authentication request message, a device authentication response message to the mobile device, for advancing the displayed website to a device authentication page indicating that the mobile device is in the process of being authenticated.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

receiving, at the security server, an authentication confirmation request message from the transaction server requesting that the security server provide the status of authentication; and

in response, sending, from the security server, an authentication confirmation response message, providing the status of the authentication.