System and method for making accessible a set of services to users
View Patent ↗A system and method authenticates a user if the user is associated with a certificate on a device the user is using to communicate, even if other users are also associated with the same certificate and/or the user is associated with other certificates on other devices.
1. A method of providing access to at least a portion of a web site, comprising:
receiving an identifier of a user over a network from a device;
determining whether a digital certificate is associated with the device;
if the determination is that no digital certificate is associated with the device:
requesting a preregistered indicia of the user's authenticity;
receiving the indicia of authenticity;
responsive to the indicia of authenticity:
associating a digital certificate with the device, wherein the digital certificate is uniquely associated with the device and the device is uniquely associated with the digital certificate;
associating the user with the digital certificate, the digital certificate associated with the device thereby being uniquely associated with the user; and
providing access to the web site;
if the determination is that a digital certificate is associated with the device, further determining whether the digital certificate associated with the device is associated with the user;
if the further determination is that the digital certificate associated with the device is associated with the user, providing access to the web site;
if the further determination is that the digital certificate associated with the device is not associated with the user:
requesting a preregistered indicia of the user's authenticity;
receiving the indicia of authenticity;
responsive to the indicia of authenticity:
associating the user with the digital certificate associated with the device, the digital certificate associated with the device thereby being associated with a plurality of users; and
providing access to the web site;
wherein access to the web site is provided only when the same digital certificate is both associated with the device and associated with the user; and
wherein the user is associated with the digital certificate responsive to the preregistered indicia of authenticity.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the digital certificate is associated with the device by being stored on the device.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the device is a computer chip.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the device is a removable storage device.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user is associated with a plurality of digital certificates.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein each of the plurality of digital certificates is associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of devices.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein requesting the indicia of authenticity comprises requesting the indicia of authenticity out of band.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein receiving the indicia of authenticity comprises receiving the indicia of authenticity out of band.
9. A system for providing access to at least a portion of a web site, comprising:
at least one storage; and
a processor operatively coupled to the at least one storage, the processor being operative to perform the steps of:
receiving an identifier of a user over a network from a device;
determining whether a digital certificate is associated with the device;
if the determination is that no digital certificate is associated with the device:
requesting a preregistered indicia of the user's authenticity;
receiving the indicia of authenticity;
responsive to the indicia of authenticity:
associating a digital certificate with the device, wherein the digital certificate is uniquely associated with the device and the device is uniquely associated with the digital certificate;
associating the user with the digital certificate, the digital certificate associated with the device thereby being uniquely associated with the user; and
providing access to the set of at least one service;
if the determination is that a digital certificate is associated with the device, further determining whether the digital certificate associated with the device is associated with the user;
if the further determination is that the digital certificate associated with the device is associated with the user, providing access to the web site;
if the further determination is that the digital certificate associated with the device is not associated with the user:
requesting a preregistered indicia of the user's authenticity;
receiving the indicia of authenticity;
responsive to the indicia of authenticity:
associating the user with the digital certificate associated with the device, the digital certificate associated with the device thereby being associated with a plurality of users; and
providing access to the web site;
wherein access to the web site is provided only when the same digital certificate is both associated with the device and associated with the user; and
wherein the user is associated with the digital certificate responsive to the preregistered indicia of authenticity.
10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the digital certificate is associated with the device by being stored on the device.
11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the user is associated with a plurality of digital certificates.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein each of the plurality of digital certificates is associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of devices.
13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further operative to maintain a database indicating at least one of digital certificates associated with respective devices and digital certificates associated with respective users.
14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the digital certificate is associated with the user by updating the database.
15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer useable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for providing access to at least a portion of a web site, the computer program product comprising computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer system to perform the steps of:
receiving an identifier of a user over a network from a device;
determining whether a digital certificate is associated with the device;
if the determination is that no digital certificate is associated with the device:
requesting a preregistered indicia of the user's authenticity;
receiving the indicia of authenticity;
responsive to the indicia of authenticity:
associating a digital certificate with the device, wherein the digital certificate is uniquely associated with the device and the device is uniquely associated with the digital certificate;
associating the user with the digital certificate, the digital certificate associated with the device thereby being uniquely associated with the user; and
providing access to the web site;
if the determination is that a digital certificate is associated with the device, further determining whether the digital certificate associated with the device is associated with the user;
if the further determination is that the digital certificate associated with the device is associated with the user, providing access to the set of at least one service;
if the further determination is that the digital certificate associated with the device is not associated with the user:
requesting a preregistered indicia of the user's authenticity;
receiving the indicia of authenticity;
responsive to the indicia of authenticity:
associating the user with the digital certificate associated with the device, the digital certificate associated with the device thereby being associated with a plurality of users; and
providing access to the web site;
wherein access to the web site is provided only when the same digital certificate is both associated with the device and associated with the user; and
wherein the user is associated with the digital certificate responsive to the preregistered indicia of authenticity.
16. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the digital certificate is associated with the device by being stored on the device.
17. The computer program product of claim 15 , wherein the user is associated with a plurality of digital certificates.
18. The computer program product of claim 17 , wherein each of the plurality of digital certificates is associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of devices.
19. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the computer program product further comprises computer readable program code devices configured to cause a computer system to maintain a database indicating at least one of digital certificates associated with respective devices and digital certificates associated with respective of users.
20. The computer program product of claim 19 , wherein the digital certificate is associated with the user by updating the database.