Text message authentication system
Systems and method for authenticating users are presented. A system can send a passkey to a user interface of a known device. A user can then send a messaging service message with the passkey from a second device to the system. After receiving the message from the user, the system can extract the passkey from the message, and compare the received passkey against the passkey originally sent to the user. The known device and the second device can each have separate and unique device identifiers.
1. A method of using a service and an authenticating device to authenticate a user operating an initiating device, wherein the initiating device is different from the authenticating device, comprising the following steps of authenticating in sequence operated by the service:
the service accomplishing a first authentication with the initiating device, wherein the user enters separately a user identification and a first passkey and both of which the initiating device submits to the service;
the service, upon a successful first authentication, accomplishing a second authentication by sending a second passkey, which is different from the first passkey, to the initiating device, and receiving the second passkey from the authenticating device via a messaging service message; and
the service accomplishing a third authentication by extracting and authenticating from the received service message a unique device identifier of the authenticating device to complete the user authentication.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using a telephone number to send the second passkey from the service to the initiating device.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising using an email address to send the second passkey from the service to the initiating device.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second passkey comprises an alphanumeric phrase.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second passkey comprises an audio phrase.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second passkey comprises a user-created drawing.
7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising extracting from the message a third passkey, and comparing the second passkey against the third passkey.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising sending an alert when the step of comparing fails.
9. The method of claim 7 , further comprising sending an authorization code to a remote server when the step of comparing succeeds.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the authorization code is sent in response to a ping.
11. The method of claim 7 , further comprising sending an alarm when the step of comparing is performed after a threshold period of time.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service is distal to both the initiating device and the authenticating device.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authenticating device comprises a telephony enabled device.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authenticating device comprises a cellular enabled device.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the authenticating device comprises a mobile telephone.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the messaging service message is an SMS message.
17. The method of claim 1 , wherein the messaging service message is an SMIL message.
18. The method of claim 1 , wherein the messaging service message is an MMS message.
19. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
sending a third passkey to the initiating device; and
comparing the third passkey against the authentication reply.
20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising sending an authorization code to a remote server when the step of comparing the third passkey against the authentication reply succeeds.
21. The method of claim 19 , further comprising sending an alarm when the step of comparing the third passkey against the authentication reply succeeds.
22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device identifier of the authenticating device comprises an internet protocol (IP) address.
23. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device identifier of the authenticating device comprises a MAC address.
24. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device identifier of the authenticating device comprises a serial number.
25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the device identifier of the authenticating device comprises a Unique Device Identifier (UDID).
26. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service device selects the authentication device using a database that correlates user with authentication devices.