Authenticating mobile applications using policy files
Examples of techniques for authenticating mobile applications are described herein. A method includes receiving, at a first server, a key pair and a policy file associated with a mobile service on a second server, the policy file includes a plurality of security objects to be authenticated, a plurality of computing devices to authenticate the security objects, and an order of authentication. The method includes distributing the key pair and the policy file to a security device. The method also includes receiving, at the first server, an authentication request from a mobile application. The method further includes creating an authenticity challenge as specified in the policy file and sending the authenticity challenge with a response to the mobile application.
1. A system, comprising a processor and memory to:
receive, via a first server, a key pair and a policy file associated with a mobile service from a second server, the policy file comprising a list of:
a plurality of security objects to be authenticated,
a plurality of computing devices to authenticate the security objects, and
an order of authentication;
distribute the key pair and the policy file;
receive an authentication request from a mobile application;
authenticate the mobile application based in part on the key pair and the policy file;
generate a scope token with an application scope in response to authenticating the mobile application, the scope token comprising a signature based in part on the key pair;
authenticate a client device corresponding to the mobile application and a user to generate a doubly-authenticated scope token comprising a device scope and application authenticity scope;
send the doubly-authenticated scope token to a security gateway for user authentication;
receive a trebly-authenticated scope token with a grant token request and send a grant token to the mobile application, the trebly authenticated scope token to include a user scope;
receive the grant token from the mobile application; and
generate and send an access token to the mobile application.
2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a service server accessible by the mobile application using the access token.
3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the key pair comprises a private key and a public key.
4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the policy file comprises instructions defining types of security checks associated with a service, an order in which the authentications are to be executed, and a device responsible for each authentication.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the application scope, the user scope, and the device scope comprise an expiration time.
6. The system of claim 1 , further comprising a mobile enterprise application platform (MEAP) executable by the processor to validate the access token.
7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the scope token further comprises a device identification and a user name.