User authentication

1. A method for use in authentication, the method comprising:

obtaining, by an electronic apparatus, a biometric input including a plurality of biometric attributes, the biometric input comprising an image of a user's face;

selecting, by the electronic apparatus, a portion of the image that comprises an attribute of the user's face, the selection of the portion based on a separate selection at an authentication server that renders the selected portion active for authentication and non-selected portions inactive for authentication;

processing, by the electronic apparatus, the attribute associated with the portion;

generating, by the electronic apparatus, a passcode from a cryptographic key;

based on the attribute associated with the portion and the passcode, generating, by the electronic apparatus, a composite authentication code, wherein the composite authentication code comprises multiple parts that facilitate authentication, one part comprising the processed attribute and another part comprising the generated passcode; and

outputting, by the electronic apparatus, the composite authentication code for use in authentication;

wherein the electronic apparatus is a device which stores the cryptographic key and which runs a soft token application;

wherein generating the passcode from the cryptographic key includes deriving, as the passcode, a one-time use password (OTP) based on the cryptographic key using the soft token application, the OTP being valid during a respective time window and invalid outside that respective time window;

wherein the device is equipped with a biometric application;

wherein the method further comprises processing, by the device, the attribute associated with the portion using the biometric application.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the electronic apparatus comprises a camera for obtaining the biometric input of the user.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the biometric input is obtained by capturing an image of the user.

4. An electronic apparatus, comprising:

input/output (TO) circuitry;

a memory; and

a controller coupled to the IO circuitry and the memory, the controller being constructed and arranged to:

obtain, by an electronic apparatus, a biometric input including a plurality of biometric attributes, the biometric input comprising an image of a user's face;

select, by the electronic apparatus, a portion of the image that comprises an attribute of the user's face, the selection of the portion based on a separate selection at an authentication server that renders the selected portion active for authentication and non-selected portions inactive for authentication;

process, by the electronic apparatus, the attribute associated with the portion;

generate, by the electronic apparatus, a passcode from a cryptographic key;

based on the attribute associated with the portion and the passcode, generate, by the electronic apparatus, a composite authentication code, wherein the composite authentication code comprises multiple parts that facilitate authentication, one part comprising the processed attribute and another part comprising the generated passcode; and

output, by the electronic apparatus, the composite authentication code for use in authentication;

wherein the electronic apparatus is a device which stores the cryptographic key and which runs a soft token application;

wherein generating the passcode from the cryptographic key includes deriving, as the passcode, a one-time use password (OTP) based on the cryptographic key using the soft token application, the OTP being valid during a respective time window and invalid outside that respective time window;

wherein the device is equipped with a biometric application;

wherein processing, by the device, the attribute associated with the portion using the biometric application.

5. A computer program product which includes a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a set of instructions for use in authentication, the set of instructions causing computing circuitry to perform a method, comprising:

obtaining, by an electronic apparatus, a biometric input including a plurality of biometric attributes, the biometric input comprising an image of a user's face;

selecting, by the electronic apparatus, a portion of the image that comprises an attribute of the user's face, the selection of the portion based on a separate selection at an authentication server that renders the selected portion active for authentication and non-selected portions inactive for authentication;

processing, by the electronic apparatus, the attribute associated with the portion;

generating, by the electronic apparatus, a passcode from a cryptographic key;

based on the attribute associated with the portion and the passcode, generating, by the electronic apparatus, a composite authentication code, wherein the composite authentication code comprises multiple parts that facilitate authentication, one part comprising the processed attribute and another part comprising the generated passcode; and

outputting, by the electronic apparatus, the composite authentication code for use in authentication;

wherein the electronic apparatus is a device which stores the cryptographic key and which runs a soft token application;

wherein generating the passcode from the cryptographic key includes deriving, as the passcode, a one-time use password (OTP) based on the cryptographic key using the soft token application, the OTP being valid during a respective time window and invalid outside that respective time window;

wherein the device is equipped with a biometric application;

wherein the method further comprises processing, by the device, the attribute associated with the portion using the biometric application.