EP2220812A2

EP2220812A2 - Method of authenticating a user

Info

Publication number: EP2220812A2
Application number: EP08864309A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Alain Leclercq; Yves Arnail; Bernard Delbourg
Original assignee: MEDISCS (SOCIETE PAR ACTIONS SIMPLIFIEE)
Current assignee: MEDISCS (SOCIETE PAR ACTIONS SIMPLIFIEE)
Priority date: 2007-12-11
Filing date: 2008-12-11
Publication date: 2010-08-25
Also published as: WO2009080999A3; FR2958821A1; US20100257366A1; WO2009080999A2

Abstract

The invention relates to a method of authenticating a user (1) on the basis of a mobile terminal of cellular telephone type (2), in which said user (1) views through a browser a portal for accessing a service hosted on a server (4); said user (1) requests his authentication through the browser via said portal; said portal initiates a presession in such a way as to display through said browser, temporary access data (5) independent of said user (1); said user (1) inputs into his telephone (2) the data viewed; said telephone (2) automatically dispatches a request (6) to said server (4), including at least one authentication certificate (7) specific to the user (1) and said viewed data (5); said request (6) is encrypted with the aid of the public key of a certificate (8) of said server (4) and, in the event of authentication of the user (1), access to the service is authorized through a secure session in the browser.

Description

METHOD FOR AUTHENTICATING A USER

The present invention is in the field of authentication of a user from a terminal, in particular from a cellular telephone.

The invention more particularly relates to a method of strong authentication of a user from a cell phone type terminal.

The present invention will find a very particular application in the context of the application for remote access and secured by a user from a mobile phone to a service hosted on a server, in particular through a portal viewed through a browser.

It is part of a connection through a computer network and telecommunication type Internet, especially through the "WAP" (for "Wireless Application Protocol"). WAP is a communication network whose purpose is to allow access to the Internet using a mobile terminal, such as cell phone, PDA or the like.

In known manner, the remote and secure access to a service is through a browser, displaying an access portal that the user views. The secure aspect of this access requires the authentication of said user. Two techniques are generally adopted to verify with certainty the identity of the person wishing to connect to said service.

On the one hand, at the request of the user, a message can be sent on his phone through the short message service (or sms for "short service message"). This message contains connection information, including a code valid for one or more accesses. In possession of said access code, the user enters the access code during an identification request at the time of his connection to the service and a session is then opened. Such a code can be used in a unique or repeated manner.

A disadvantage is the total lack of security in the sms service. No protection is envisaged, leaving a third party free to intercept the code when it is transmitted or received.

Another solution is based on the "TOKEN" principle, namely a generation of numbers synchronized with an authentication device. Always on request of said user, an access key is generated and sent to the phone. Time synchronization is performed before or at the time of the connection attempt. The key is then exchanged with the remote service during an identification phase, manual or automatic. This key is only valid for a single use.

In this context, an exemplary protocol is described in WO 01/17310. A user wishing to access a remote service connects to a portal through a computer via a browser. It identifies itself through a procedure for entering a login and / or a password. A request is then sent to the remote server which identifies the telephone number corresponding to said user and sends, on the one hand, an authentication request to the browser integrating a first token and, on the other hand, a message to the telephone including a second token. The user then enters the first token on his phone and sends back to the server a message automatically integrating the second token. By comparison, the server authenticates said user and gives him access to said service. A first disadvantage lies in the multiplication of requests sent, increasing the underlying procedures and related costs. In particular, the user must once again identify himself beforehand to set up the authentication procedure.

As part of the technology of "TOKEN", we also know the OTP protocol for "One Time Pad", also called "disposable mask", using a list of dynamic passwords for single use. The OTP lists are shared by the two protagonists of the secure connection to be established. The codes are consumed in the expected order. Each time a password is sent from a list A, it is checked and then deleted from a list B.

Be that as it may, data transmission is usually done through the WAP network to the Internet. One problem is that the secure protocols of each of these networks are different: WTLS and SSL. The gateway is then forced to decrypt the data in WTLS to encrypt them again under SSL.

In addition, there is no way to ensure that the connection is made to the original server, leaving open the possibility of misleading the user through a dummy server.

Other solutions are envisaged, but do not provide complete satisfaction. Indeed, the user is still obliged to identify himself by sending an access request, through a key or a connection code before being able to access said service.

Moreover, no solution allows the electronic signature of document after authentication. The object of the invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the state of the art by proposing to authenticate in a certain and strong way the user from his mobile phone.

In addition to the high level of security, the protocol according to the invention simplifies the then strong authentication process of said user. In addition, it allows the electronic signature of document type data, electronic mail or the like.

To do this, the subject of the present invention is a method of authenticating a user from a cellular telephone mobile terminal, in which:

said user visualizes, through a browser, a portal for accessing a service hosted on a server;

said user requests his authentication through the browser via said portal;

said portal initiates a pre-session so as to display through said browser, temporary access data independent of said user;

- said user entered on his phone the data displayed;

said telephone automatically sends a request to said server, including at least one authentication certificate specific to the user and said visualized data;

said request is encrypted using the public key of a certificate of said server and, in case of authentication of the user, access to the service is authorized through a secure session in the browser. According to other characteristics, after authentication of said user, said browser automatically displays said secure session.

Advantageously, through the session displayed by said browser, is viewed by the user at least one document to be signed; each document to be signed is listed and said list is transmitted to said telephone; said telephone retrieves from said server all or part of the documents to be signed; and thanks to the key of one of the certificates it contains, said telephone electronically signs the documents chosen by the user and sends these signatures to said server.

In addition, said browser executes a separate computer terminal.

Such an authentication protocol offers a profoundly different alternative in that the user wishing to access a remote service via a portal viewed on a browser, has no need to identify himself on the browser. Indeed, the invention sends identification data to the browser regardless of the identity of the user. The latter will be automatically confirmed during the authentication by the phone.

Therefore, another advantage lies in the fact that the invention allows both the identification and authentication of the user from a single terminal, including a telephone, while limiting the number of connection and sends a request, considerably reducing the security risks.

Other features and advantages of the invention will emerge from the detailed description which follows of non-limiting embodiments of the invention, with reference to the attached figure, schematically showing the architecture and the steps of an embodiment of said authentication protocol.

The present invention allows the strong authentication of a user 1 wishing to connect securely to a remote service by means of a mobile terminal 2, in particular cell phone type 2, while the use of the remote service itself is made through a browser, in particular executed by means of another computer terminal 3, for example a computer.

It is necessary to differentiate, on the one hand, the computer terminal 3 through which the user 1 accesses said service and navigates and, on the other hand, the cellular phone 2 from which it is authenticated, said computer 3 and said telephone 2 being distinct.

Moreover, it will be noted that said service is hosted on a server 4, more particularly on a web server connected to an Internet-type computer network. This service is accessible online through a portal.

In known manner, said portal is displayed on any type of terminal through a browser. This terminal can be said computer 3 connected to said Internet network but also another fixed or mobile terminal. Thus, the user 1 displays the data transmitted from the server 4 to the browser.

User 1 thus visualizes the access portal to said service. Through its navigation, it performs an authentication request via said portal, in particular through a dedicated web page for this purpose.

Therefore, said portal initiates a pre-session. This last is unique and dynamically created with temporary access data. Each request from a user 1 therefore corresponds to a single pre-session with unique access data, specific to each request.

As shown in the figure, said data is transferred from said server 4 through a first step I. The connection between the computer 3 and said server 4 can then be secured.

This data may be in the form of an identifier 5, in particular one or more access codes or the like. They are displayed on the browser so that the user 1 displays them (step II).

Note that these temporary data are independent of said user 1. In other words, the portal does not take into account the identity of the user 1: it automatically issues an identifier 5 without identifying the person wishing to access the service .

Once viewed, during step III, the user 1 entered on his phone 2 said data, in particular the identifier 5, in particular through an application dedicated to said service and included at said telephone 2.

As such, each dedicated application contains the connection data of each service to which it is linked, for example the addresses (URL or the like) of said server 4. This application can advantageously be coded in JAVA language, portable and compatible with many platforms heterogeneous.

Then, said telephone 2 automatically sends a request to said server 4, step IV. This request 6 includes at least one authentication certificate 7 specific to the user 1. The query 6 is encrypted with the public key contained in the certificate 8 of said server 4. The latter is known through said dedicated application. The certificate 7 of the user 1 is also contained in said telephone 2 or through a complementary terminal. For example, said certificate 7 of the user 1 can be contained on the SIM card of the telephone 2 or on a cryptographic chip.

The request 6 can also include the data previously viewed and entered on the telephone 2, in particular the identifier 5. This data can also be used for encrypting the request 6, using the key of said server 4.

Therefore, only said server 4, having the private key of its own certificate 7, is able to decrypt the request 6 it receives.

Upon receipt of the request 6, said server 4 verifies the certificate 7. In case of authentication of the user 1, access to the service is authorized through a secure session. The latter can then be displayed automatically on said browser, as visible on step V.

Note that the authentication of the user 1 by the server 4 may also include a step of approval of this authentication by the browser. This approval can be made by the user who confirms that the open session corresponds to his or her personal identity.

This approval can also take place via said telephone 2, in particular by information transmitted back from the request 6. Indeed, the communication protocol used for the transmission of said request 6 to the server 4 may include feedback information. , in particular to confirm the status of the transmission and if the request 6 is This means that, within this information, additional identification data can be transmitted back to the telephone 2. The user can then enter it through the browser to validate the secure session.

User 1 can then navigate as he sees fit on the access portal, certain to be connected to the real service. On the other hand, the service is certain that the connected user 1 is the right one.

During this navigation, because of the presence of certificates, the user 1 can operate the electronic signature of documents contained via said portal on said server 4. For example, the user 1 can access an electronic mail and decide to send emails signed electronically.

To do this, said user 1 displays at least one document to be signed through the session displayed by said browser. The electronic signature of this user 1 being contained on said telephone 2, each document to be signed is listed and said list is transmitted to said telephone 2. After reception, said telephone 2 sends to said server 4 the certificates and electronic signature necessary for the signature of each document.

The authentication method according to the invention thus provides increased security during a remote connection to a service, through a cellular phone 2 and via a browser on a separate terminal, including a computer 3.

The invention is also based on a combination of the identification and authentication phases on said telephone 2, thus ensuring increased security. In addition, the remote electronic signature via the cell phone 2 is made possible.

The advantage of the present invention lies in the strong authentication aspect and the high level of security offered through the interoperability between the mobile communication network and the Internet, without leaving any security flaw.

Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples illustrated and described above which may have variants and modifications without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims

A method of authenticating a user (1) from a cellular telephone mobile terminal (2), wherein:

said user (1) visualizes, through a browser, a portal for accessing a service hosted on a server (4);

said user (1) requests his authentication through the browser via said portal;

said portal initiates a pre-session so as to display, through said browser, temporary access data (5) independent of said user (1);

said user (1) entered on his telephone (2) the data displayed;

said telephone (2) automatically sends a request (6) to said server (4), including at least one authentication certificate (7) specific to the user (1) and said visualized data (5);

- said request (6) is encrypted using the public key of a certificate (8) of said server (4) and, in case of user authentication (1), access to the service is authorized through a secure session in the browser.

2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that after authentication of said user (1), said browser automatically displays said secure session.

3. Method according to claim 2, characterized in that: - Through the session displayed by said browser, is viewed by the user (1) at least one document to be signed;

each document to be signed is listed and said list is transmitted to said telephone (2);

said telephone (2) retrieves from said server (4) all or part of the documents to be signed; and

thanks to the key of one of the certificates it contains, said telephone (2) electronically signs the documents chosen by the user (1) and sends these signatures to said server (4).

4. Method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that said browser runs on a separate terminal type computer (3).