Method and system for authentication

1. An authentication method performed between a first party ( 10 ) and a second party ( 20 ), the first party ( 10 ) having a first key and the second party having a second key, the method comprising, at the first party ( 10 ):

(i) determining a challenge ( 11 );

(ii) sending the challenge to the second party ( 20 );

(iii) receiving a response from the second party ( 20 ) comprising a second cryptogram (C 2 ; ARPC);

(iv) computing ( 17 ) a first cryptogram (C 1 ) using the challenge and the key of the first party; and

(v) determining ( 18 ) whether the first cryptogram (C 1 ) matches the second cryptogram (C 2 ; ARPC) received from the second party ( 20 ),

wherein, in a case where if the first cryptogram (C 1 ) does not match the second cryptogram (C 2 ; ARPC):

a computation ( 19 ) is performed using the first cryptogram (C 1 ; ARQC) and the second cryptogram (C 2 ′; ARPC′); and

a result of the computation is compared with a stored set of results to recover a first data element (D 1 ; OPn) carried by the second cryptogram (C 2 ′; ARPC′).

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein performing a computation using the first cryptogram (C 1 ; ARQC) and the second cryptogram (C 2 ′; ARPC′) comprises performing a bit-wise operation between the first cryptogram (C 1 ; ARQC) and the second cryptogram (C 2 ; ARPC′).

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the bit-wise operation is an exclusive OR, XOR, operation.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first data element (D 1 ; OPn) is indicative of a security action to be performed by the first party, and the method further comprises performing the security action according to the value of the recovered first data element (D 1 ; OPn).

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the stored set of results are operation codes (OPn).

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first data element (D 1 ; OPn) is received as part of a command received at the first party ( 10 ) and wherein the data element (D 1 ; OPn) is used to perform an action at the first party before sending a response externally of the first party.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the stored set of results are a set of operation codes encrypted using a further key, wherein performing a computation using the first cryptogram (C 1 ; ARQC) and the second cryptogram (C 2 ′; ARPC′) provides an encrypted value which is encrypted using a key corresponding to the further key.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the challenge ( 11 ) comprises a second data element (D 2 ; c-RND).

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:

the challenge comprises a third cryptogram (C 3 ; ARQC) computed using a second data element (D 2 ; T; c-RND) and the key of the first party;

the response from the second party ( 20 ) further comprises a third data element (D 3 ; ARC; s-RND); and

step (iv) comprises computing the first cryptogram (C 1 ) using the third cryptogram (C 3 ; ARQC), the third data element (D 3 ; ARC; s-RND) and the key of the first party.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein:

the third cryptogram is an Authorisation Request Cryptogram, ARQC;

the second cryptogram is an Authorisation Response Cryptogram, ARPC;

the second data element is transaction data; and

the third data element is an Authorisation Response Code, ARC.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the first party ( 10 ) is an integrated circuit card, ICC, the second party ( 30 ) is an authorisation entity, and the method is a transaction authorisation method between the integrated circuit card ( 10 ) and the authorisation entity ( 30 ).

12. An authentication method performed between a first party ( 10 ) and a second party ( 20 ), the first party ( 10 ) having a first key and the second party having a second key, the method comprising, at the second party ( 20 ):

(i) receiving a challenge ( 11 ) from the first party ( 10 );

(ii) computing a second cryptogram (C 2 ; ARPC) using the challenge and the key of the second party; and

(iii) determining whether the second cryptogram (C 2 ; ARPC) is required to carry a first data element (D 1 ),

wherein, in a case where if the second cryptogram (C 2 ; ARPC) is not required to carry the first data element (D 1 ), the second cryptogram (C 2 ; ARPC) is sent to the first party, and

wherein, in a case where if the second cryptogram (C 2 ) is required to carry the first data element (D 1 ):

a computation of the second cryptogram (C 2 ; ARPC) is performed with the first data element (D 1 ; OPn) to produce a modified second cryptogram (C 2 ′; ARPC′); and

the modified second cryptogram (C 2 ′; ARPC′) is sent to the first party, wherein the first data element (OPn) is recoverable from the modified second cryptogram (C 2 ′; ARPC′) by the first party.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein performing a computation of the second cryptogram (C 2 ; ARPC) with the first data element (D 1 ; OPn) comprises performing a bit-wise operation between the second cryptogram (C 2 ; ARPC) and the first data element (D 1 ; OPn).

14. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the first data element (D 1 ; OPn) is indicative of a security action to be performed by the first party.

15. The method according to claim 12 , wherein:

the challenge comprises a third cryptogram (C 3 ; ARQC);

step (ii) comprises computing the second cryptogram (C 2 ; ARPC) using the third cryptogram (C 3 ; ARQC), a third data element (D 3 ; ARC; s-RND) and the key of the second party; and

the method further comprises sending the third data element (D 3 ; ARC; s-RND) to the first party ( 10 ).

16. An apparatus for use at a first party ( 10 , 110 ) comprising a processor and a memory, the memory containing instructions executable by the processor whereby the apparatus is configured to:

(i) determine a challenge ( 11 );

(ii) send the challenge to a second party ( 20 );

(iii) receive a response from the second party ( 20 ) comprising a second cryptogram (C 2 ; ARPC);

(iv) compute ( 17 ) a first cryptogram (C 1 ) using the challenge and a key of the first party; and

(v) determine ( 18 ) whether the first cryptogram (C 1 ) matches the second cryptogram (C 2 ; ARPC) received from the second party ( 20 ),

wherein, in a case where the first cryptogram (C 1 ) does not match the second cryptogram (C 2 ; ARPC):

a computation ( 19 ) is performed using the first cryptogram (C 1 ; ARQC) and the second cryptogram (C 2 ′; ARPC′); and

a result of the computation is compared with a stored set of results to recover a first data element (D 1 ; OPn) carried by the second cryptogram (C 2 ′; ARPC′).

17. An apparatus for use at a second party ( 20 , 120 ) comprising a processor and a memory, the memory containing instructions executable by the processor whereby the apparatus is configured to:

(i) receive a challenge ( 11 ) from a first party ( 10 );

(ii) compute a second cryptogram (C 2 ; ARPC) using the challenge and a key of the second party; and

(iii) determine whether the second cryptogram (C 2 ; ARPC) is required to carry a first data element (D 1 ),

wherein, in a case where the second cryptogram (C 2 ; ARPC) is not required to carry the first data element (D 1 ), the second cryptogram (C 2 ; ARPC) is sent to the first party, and

wherein, in a case where the second cryptogram (C 2 ) is required to carry the first data element (D 1 ):

a computation of the second cryptogram (C 2 ; ARPC) is performed with the first data element (D 1 ; OPn) to produce a modified second cryptogram (C 2 ′; ARPC′); and

the modified second cryptogram (C 2 ′; ARPC′) is sent to the first party, wherein the first data element (OPn) is recoverable from the modified second cryptogram (C 2 ′; ARPC′) by the first party.

18. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the first data element (D 1 ; OPn) is indicative of a security action to be performed by the first party, and the method further comprises performing the security action according to the value of the recovered first data element (D 1 ; OPn).

19. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the first data element (D 1 ; OPn) is indicative of a security action to be performed by the first party, and the method further comprises performing the security action according to the value of the recovered first data element (D 1 ; OPn).

20. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the stored set of results are operation codes (OPn).