Method and system for enhanced security using location based wireless authentication
A method and system for enhancing security using location-based wireless authentication for a mobile device, the method comprising the steps of: sending from the mobile device to a base station a message, the message having a unique identifier associated with the mobile device; appending, at the base station, a location identifier to said message; sending the message to a recipient; and authenticating the message at the recipient, said authenticating step confirming that the location identifier appended at the base station corresponds with an expected location for the message.
1. An improved base station for use in authentication of a transaction, the base station forming part of a wireless network and communicating with a mobile device and with a network, the base station comprising:
a processor;
a communications subsystem;
wherein the processor and communications subsystem cooperate to:
receive a transaction message from the mobile device, the transaction message being a request to complete a financial transaction between a user of the mobile device and a merchant, the transaction message including:
a merchant identifier identifying the merchant; and
an International Mobile Equipment Identifier (IMEI) number, the IMEI number being inserted by a transport layer at the mobile device;
append to the transaction message a location identifier, the location identifier indicating a location of the mobile device;
forward the transaction message with the location identifier to a recipient device, system or apparatus,
wherein the authentication uses the location identifier to ensure the transaction is valid.
2. The base station of claim 1 , wherein the location identifier identifies a location of the base station.
3. The base station of claim 1 , wherein the location identifier is determined based on enhanced 911.
4. A method of transaction authentication comprising the steps of:
sending, from a mobile device, a transaction message to a recipient, the transaction message being a request to complete a financial transaction between a user of the mobile device and a merchant, the transaction message including:
a merchant identifier identifying the merchant, and
an International Mobile Equipment Identifier (IMEI) number, the IMEI number being inserted by a transport layer at the mobile device;
appending, at a base station, a location identifier to the transaction message, the location identifier indicating a location of the mobile device;
wherein said location identifier can be used by said recipient to authenticate that the transaction is occurring in an expected location.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein said transaction is a commercial purchase.
6. The method of claim 4 wherein the location identifier identifies the location of a mobile device.
7. The method of claim 4 wherein the location identifier identifies the location of a base station.
8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the transaction message includes a personal identification number.