Method of authentication based on polyomials

1. A method of authentication based on polynomials for a system comprising a plurality of devices operable to mutually communicate, said method comprising:

providing each of said plurality of devices with a corresponding identity value together with an associated polynomial for generating a unique polynomial key for each device;

arranging for the plurality of devices to include a verifier device and a prover device;

arranging for the prover device to notify its existence to the verifier device;

arranging for the verifier device to issue a first challenge to the prover device to encrypt a nonce using the prover device's unique polynomial key and communicate the encrypted nonce as a response back to the verifier device;

arranging for the verifier device to receive the encrypted nonce as the response from the prover device and:

to decrypt the response received from the prover device using each of the unique polynomial keys until said verifier device identifies a match between the decrypted response and the first challenge;

said match being indicative of authentication;

wherein a random value is additionally created by the prover device and encrypted together with a response from the verifier device for sending back to the verifier device, said random value being operable to function as a session key.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein issuance of the identity values and associated polynomials is undertaken via a trusted third party.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further including establishing a session key which can be used for further subsequent communications for providing mutual authentication for said plurality of devices and for providing privacy to at least one of said plurality of devices.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first challenge from the verifier device to the prover device is implemented such that the nonce is a random number.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , said method further including configuring the system so that said plurality of devices includes multiple prover devices and multiple verifier devices, said multiple prover devices including a subset of prover devices operable to authenticate to a particular verifier device of the multiple verifier devices.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said prover devices are implemented as smart cards or tags enabling access to services related to or coupled to a given verifier device.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the prover device is operable to apply a hash function or keyed hash function to create a response to the first challenge from the verifier device.

8. A system comprising a plurality of devices operable to mutually communicate, said system comprising:

a trusted third party to provide each of said plurality of devices with a corresponding identity value together with an associated polynomial for generating a unique polynomial key for each device;

the plurality of devices to include a verifier device and a prover device;

the prover device to notify its existence to the verifier device;

the verifier device to issue a first challenge to the prover device to encrypt a nonce using the prover device's unique polynomial key and communicate the encrypted nonce as a response back to the verifier device;

the verifier device to receive the encrypted nonce as the response from the prover device and:

to decrypt the response received from the prover device using each of the unique polynomial keys until said verifier device identifies a match between the decrypted response and the first challenge;

said match being indicative of authentication;

wherein a random value is additionally created by the prover device and encrypted together with a response from the verifier device for sending back to the verifier device, said random value being operable to function as a session key.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8 , the system being adapted for providing at least one of:

authentication associated with financial transactions executed within banking systems; and

controlling access by way of tags or similar portable identifiers authenticating within a system operable according to the method.

10. A non-transitory data carrier comprising software executable on computing hardware to implement the method as claimed in claim 1 .

11. A smart card or tag for undertaking authentication in an authentication system, the system comprising:

a trusted third party to provide each of said plurality of devices with a corresponding identity value together with an associated polynomial for generating a unique polynomial key for each device;

the plurality of devices to include a verifier device and a prover device;

the prover device to notify its existence to the verifier device;

the verifier device to issue a first challenge to the prover device to encrypt a nonce using the prover device's unique polynomial key and communicate the encrypted nonce as a response back to the verifier device;

the verifier device to receive the encrypted nonce as the response from the prover device and:

to decrypt the response received from the prover device using each of the unique polynomial keys until said verifier device identifies a match between the decrypted response and the first challenge;

said match being indicative of authentication;

wherein a random value is additionally created by the prover device and encrypted together with a response from the verifier device for sending back to the verifier device, said random value being operable to function as a session key.