Safenet, Inc.

James Khalaf

Laszlo Elteto

Reed Tibbetts

Brian Grove

Mehdi Sotoodeh

Shawn D Abbott

Calvin W Long

A method and apparatus for secure authentication of a hardware token is disclosed. In one embodiment, a host computer fingerprint is used to generate a partial seed for a challenge-response authentication which is performed on the hardware token. In another embodiment, the host computer fingerprint is used as a personal identification number for the hardware token.

Secure authentication using hardware token and computer fingerprint

A device that secures a token from unauthorized use is disclosed. The device comprises a user interface for accepting a personal identifier, a processor, communicatively coupled to the user interface device, and a token interface. The token interface includes a token interface IR emitter that produces an IR signal having information included in the PIN. The token IR emitter is coupled to the processor and is further communicatively coupled to a token IR sensor when the token is physically coupled with the token interface. The token interface also includes a shield, substantially opaque to the IR signal, for substantially confining the reception of the IR signal to the token IR sensor. In one embodiment, the shield substantially circumscribes the IR emitter. In another embodiment, the interface also comprises a token interface IR sensor, which allows communications from the token to the device as well.

Secure IR communication between a keypad and a token

A method and apparatus for securing a token from unauthorized use is disclosed. The method comprises the steps of receiving a first message transmitted from a host processing device and addressed to a PIN entry device according to a universal serial bus (USB) protocol; accepting a PIN entered into the PIN entry device; and transmitting a second message comprising at least a portion of the first message and the PIN from the PIN entry device to the token along a secure communication path. In another embodiment, the present invention describes an apparatus for securing a token from unauthorized use, comprising a PIN entry device, communicably coupleable to a host processing device transmitting a first message addressed to the PIN entry device, and communicatively coupleable to the token according to a universal serial bus USB protocol, the PIN entry device comprising a user input device, for accepting a user-input PIN; and a processor, communicatively coupled to the user input device, the processor for receiving the first message and combining the first message with the user-input PIN, and for producing a second message having at least a portion of the first message and the user-input PIN.

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Belcamp, MD, United States of America

James Khalaf