Authorized areas of authentication
A secure access system, including a stationary computing device that controls access to secure data over a secure network, including an authorized area of authentication (AAA) generator, generating an AAA for administering the secure data, an AAA validator, validating a mobile computing device that a request to access the secure data over the secure network, by verifying that a current location of the mobile device is within the AAA, and an access controller, enabling the mobile device to access the secure data, only in response to the validator affirmatively validating the mobile device, and a mobile computing device including a location identifier, dynamically identifying a current location of the mobile device, a connection controller for logging into the secure network, and an access requestor, submitting to the access controller via the secure network (i) an access request for the secure data, and (ii) the current location of the mobile device.
1. A system of one or more mobile devices for accessing secure data, each mobile device comprising:
circuitry for a biometric or passcode scanner, scanning a biometric or passcode of a user who is currently using the mobile device;
a biometric or passcode validator, validating the biometric data or passcode scanned by said biometric or passcode scanner;
circuitry for a location identifier, dynamically identifying a current location of the mobile device;
a connection controller logging in to and out of a secure network; and
an access requestor, submitting to a server computer via a connection over the secure network, both (i) an access request for secure data, access to which is controlled by the server, and (ii) the current location of the mobile device,
wherein the server enables access to the secure data only when the current location of the mobile device is within an authorized area of authentication (AAA), and
wherein, when the current location of the mobile device is not within an existing AAA:
said access requestor prompts the user who is currently using the mobile device to enter a biometric or prompts the user to enter a passcode,
said biometric or passcode scanner scans the biometric or passcode entered by the user,
said biometric or passcode validator validates the scanned biometric or passcode, and
contingent upon said validating being affirmative, said access requestor submits to the server over the secure network, a request that the server generate a temporary AAA that includes the current location of the mobile device.
2. The system of claim 1 wherein the temporary AAA expires after a specified time.
3. The system of claim 1 wherein the temporary AAA expires after the mobile device logs out of the secure network.
4. The system of claim 1 wherein said access requestor displays a map showing the temporary AAA and the current location of the mobile device.
5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the AAA for each mobile device is a different geographic area.
6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the users of the mobile devices are affiliated with groups, and wherein the AAA for each group is a different geographic area.
7. A method for secure access, comprising, for each of one or more mobile computing devices:
identifying a current location of the mobile computing device;
submitting, to a server computer via a connection over a secure network, a request to access secure data, access to which is controlled by the server;
further submitting to the server over the secure network, the current location;
when the current location is within an authorized area of authentication (AAA) for the server, receiving, from the server, an enablement to access the secure data; and
when the current location is not within an existing AAA:
prompting a user who is currently using the mobile computing device to enter a biometric, or prompting the user to enter a passcode;
scanning the biometric or the passcode of the user; and
validating, by the mobile computing device, the biometric or passcode scanned by said scanning; and
contingent upon said validating being affirmative, submitting, to the server over the secure network, a request for a temporary AAA that includes the current location.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein the temporary AAA expires after a specified time.
9. The method of claim 7 wherein the temporary AAA expires after the mobile device logs out of the secure network.
10. The method of claim 7 further comprising displaying a map showing the temporary AAA and the current location of the mobile device.
11. The method of claim 7 , wherein the AAA for each mobile computing device is a different geographic area.
12. The method of claim 7 , wherein the users of the mobile computing devices are affiliated with groups, and wherein the AAA for each group is a different geographic area.