Entrust Corporation

Eric R Skinner

Ron Vandergeest

Dhanya Thakkar

Kevin Simzer

Kevin T Simzer

Ivo Ruckstuhl

A method and apparatus provides user authentication by communicating primary authentication information, such as user identification data and/or password data to an authentication unit via a primary channel such as over the Internet. An authentication code is generated by the authentication unit on a per session basis and is sent to a destination unit via a first secondary channel during the session. The destination unit then retransmits the authentication code, on a second secondary channel, to the first unit in a way that is transparent to a user of the first unit. The first device then send the received re-transmitted authentication code back to the authentication unit via the primary channel during the session.

Method and apparatus for providing user authentication using a back channel

An apparatus and method provides non-repudiation of transaction information such as mark up language forms, using a non-proxy cryptographic application, such as an applet, that provides information to and from the Web browser. Once a user fills out a mark up language-based form as provided, for example, through a Web browser and selects a 'submit' button, the non-proxy cryptographic application sends the completed form to a server or the receiving unit that provided the incomplete form and waits for the server to present confirmation data such as a confirmation request form. In one embodiment, once a confirmation request form is received, the non-proxy cryptographic application temporarily maintains the confirmation request form, namely a representation of the completed form as provided by the server, in temporary (e.g., volatile) memory, such as RAM. The non-proxy cryptographic application then sends a copy of the temporarily maintained confirmation request form to the Web browser for display to a user. If the user accepts the copy of the confirmation request form, it is signed and sent back to the server where it is compared with a stored copy to insure that no tampering of the accepted form occurred.

Growing community of inventors

Ottawa, Canada

Eric R Skinner