System and method for adaptive multifactor authentication

1. A method comprising:

on an access-point (AP) device, receiving a request for wireless connection from a supplicant device via a service path, the service path comprising a peer-to-peer communication path;

based on an indication received from the supplicant device, adapting, by the AP device, an authentication method to the supplicant device;

wherein the adapting comprises selecting at least one authentication factor from a plurality of supported authentication factors;

wherein each of the plurality of supported authentication factors comprises an authentication path that is distinct from the service path; and

on the AP device, authenticating the supplicant device via each of the at least one authentication factor.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising, responsive to the authenticating resulting in success, granting the supplicant device access to a service over the service path.

3. The method of claim 2 , comprising performing additional user authentication prior to performing the service.

4. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

wherein the at least one authentication factor comprises a proximity-communication factor;

wherein the indication comprises an indication that the supplicant device has an access token, the access token comprising a shared secret;

wherein the selecting comprises selecting the proximity-communication factor; and

wherein the authenticating comprises authenticating the supplicant device via the proximity-communication factor.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein authenticating the supplicant device via the proximity-communication factor comprises:

establishing a connection with the supplicant device;

receiving the shared secret; and

validating the shared secret.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the supplicant device has obtained the access token from the AP device via near-field communication (NFC).

7. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

wherein the at least one authentication factor comprises an interactive-presence-validation (IPV) factor; and

wherein the authenticating comprises performing IPV.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service path comprises a network path between a Wi-Fi direct interface of the AP device and a Wi-Fi interface of the supplicant device.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one authentication factor comprises a plurality of authentication factors.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one authentication factor comprises an interactive-presence-validation (IPV) factor and a proximity-communication factor.

11. An information handling system comprising:

a network interface operable to enable peer-to-peer connections thereto via a service path;

a processing unit communicably coupled to the network interface, wherein the processing unit is operable to:

receive a request for wireless connection from a supplicant device via the service path;

based on an indication received from the supplicant device, adapt an authentication method to the supplicant device;

wherein the adaption comprises selection of at least one authentication factor from a plurality of supported authentication factors;

wherein each of the plurality of supported authentication factors comprises an authentication path that is distinct from the service path; and

authenticate the supplicant device via each of the at least one authentication factor.

12. The information handling system of claim 11 , wherein the processing unit is operable, responsive to the authenticating resulting in success, to grant the supplicant device access to a service over the service path.

13. The information handling system of claim 12 , wherein the processing unit is operable to perform additional user authentication prior to performing the service.

14. The information handling system of claim 11 , comprising:

wherein the at least one authentication factor comprises a proximity-communication factor;

wherein the indication comprises an indication that the supplicant device has an access token, the access token comprising a shared secret;

wherein the selection comprises selection of the proximity-communication factor; and

wherein the authentication comprises authentication of the supplicant device via the proximity-communication factor.

15. The information handling system of claim 14 , wherein authentication of the supplicant device via the proximity-communication factor comprises:

establishment of a connection with the supplicant device;

receipt of the shared secret; and

validation of the shared secret.

16. The information handling system of claim 15 , comprising:

a near-field communication (NFC) network interface; and

wherein the information handling system has transmitted the access token to the AP device via the NFC network interface.

17. The information handling system of claim 11 , comprising:

wherein the at least one authentication factor comprises an interactive-presence-validation (IPV) factor; and

wherein the authentication comprises performance of IPV.

18. The information handling system of claim 11 , wherein the service path comprises a network path between a Wi-Fi direct interface of the AP device and a Wi-Fi interface of the supplicant device.

19. The information handling system of claim 11 , wherein the at least one authentication factor comprises a plurality of authentication factors.

20. A computer-program product comprising a non-transitory computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein, the computer-readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method comprising:

receiving a request for wireless connection from a supplicant device via a service path, the service path comprising a peer-to-peer communication path;

based on an indication received from the supplicant device, adapting an authentication method to the supplicant device;

wherein the adapting comprises selecting at least one authentication factor from a plurality of supported authentication factors;

wherein each of the plurality of supported authentication factors comprises an authentication path that is distinct from the service path; and

authenticating the supplicant device via each of the at least one authentication factor.