JP2007058807A - Authentication system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent a person other than a valid user from being authenticated as a valid user. <P>SOLUTION: A server (13) refers to a storage area (17) in which a user's arbitrary code conversion rule of each user is stored and specifies a code conversion rule corresponding to a user concerned. The server (13) generates a code group, presents the code group to the user and receives a code group different from the presented code group and inputted from the user. The server (13) determines whether the received different code group is converted from the code group generated in accordance with the specified code conversion rule or not on the basis of the generated code group and the specified code conversion rule, and when an affirmative result is obtained by the determination, authenticates the user. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for authenticating a user.

  As an authentication technique, for example, there are techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 4 below.

JP 2005-85071 A JP 2002-245244 A JP 2003-337799 A Japanese Patent No. 2993275

  By the way, in general, in a server client system, when a server machine receives a password entered by a user into a client machine, determines whether the password is valid, and determines that the user is valid, the user is authorized. There is something that authenticates with the person.

  With this type of authentication technology, the password is directly input to the client machine. For this reason, if an input monitoring function such as a key logger is illegally set on the client machine, the password can be easily stolen by an unspecified person.

  In this type of authentication technique, an input password may be transmitted after being encrypted by a client machine. However, as described above, the password is entered as it is, so even if it is encrypted, the encrypted password (hereinafter referred to as the encrypted password) is stolen by an unspecified person, and the stolen encrypted password is unspecified. If it is sent to the server by a human, the unspecified person is authenticated as a valid person by the server.

  The above problems may also exist in other types of authentication technologies.

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to prevent a person other than a legitimate user from being authenticated as a legitimate user.

  Other objects of the present invention will become clear from the following description.

  The authentication system according to the present invention refers to a means for receiving the user ID of the user, a storage area storing the user ID of each user and a user arbitrary code conversion rule, and the code conversion rule corresponding to the received user ID. A means for specifying, a means for generating a code group, a means for presenting the generated code group to the user, and a code group input from the user, different from the presented code group Based on the means, the generated code group, and the specified code conversion rule, the received another code group converts the generated code group according to the specified code conversion rule. And a means for judging whether or not the user is authenticated when a positive judgment result is obtained by the judgment.

  As the code, various symbols such as letters, symbols, and numbers can be adopted. In addition, the storage area may be provided in the authentication system, or may exist outside the authentication system so as to be able to communicate with the authentication system. Further, the code conversion rule arbitrary by the user may be a rule defined by the user or a rule selected by the user from a plurality of code conversion rules prepared in advance. Further, the user ID may be any information as long as it is information for identifying the user (for example, it may be a code string or information on a user's biological body (for example, fingerprint)).

  In the first aspect of the present invention, the specifying means refers to the storage area in which the user ID of each user, the code group for authentication and the user arbitrary password configuration rule are stored, and the input user ID Corresponding authentication code groups and password composition rules can be specified. The generating means can generate a false code group which is a code group different from the authentication code group. The presenting means can present the generated pseudo code group to the user. The means for receiving the different code group can receive a mixed password which is a code group in which the code constituting the presented false code group and the code constituting the authentication code group are mixed. The means for determining is based on the generated false code group, the specified authentication code group and the password configuration rule, and the received mixed password is specified according to the specified password configuration rule. It can be determined whether the code of the authentication code group and the code of the false code group are correctly mixed.

  In the second aspect of the present invention, the means for generating can generate a different code group for each user authentication even if the code group is presented to the same user.

  In the third aspect of the present invention, the generating means generates a different false code group for each user authentication even if it is a false code group presented to the same user, and the false code A group may be generated based on the identified authentication code group and / or the password composition rule.

  In the fourth aspect of the present invention, the means for generating can generate a plurality of code groups. The presenting means can present the plurality of generated code groups. The received another code group is obtained by converting the code group selected by the user from the plurality of presented code groups.

  In a fifth aspect of the present invention, the authentication system is communicably connected to a user device that is a device used by the user. The authentication system receives from the user device, means for generating an electronic key having different contents for each user authentication, means for providing the generated key to the user device, even for the same user And means for decrypting the other code group encrypted with the provided key with the key. In this case, the means for determining can determine whether or not another code group obtained by decryption with the key is correct.

  The authentication system may be a single computer machine or a computer system constructed by a plurality of computer machines. For example, the authentication system may be applied to a server of a server client system or may be applied to another system.

  Each unit of the authentication system can be realized by hardware, a computer program, or a combination thereof. The authentication system may be constructed by installing the computer program on a computer from a storage medium such as a CD-ROM or by downloading the computer program to a computer via a communication network.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to prevent a person other than a legitimate user from being authenticated as a legitimate user.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a hardware configuration of an entire system having a WEB server to which an authentication system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

  For example, the WEB server 13 can communicate with each user terminal (in other words, a client machine) 100 used by a user via a communication network (for example, the Internet) 51. The user terminal 100 is a stationary or mobile computer machine including a CPU, a memory, and the like, and specifically, for example, a personal computer, a mobile phone, and the like. The WEB server 13 can also be communicably connected to a database (for example, a database server) 17. The database 17 can store a user table 31 to be described later.

  The WEB server 13 includes, for example, an interface device (hereinafter abbreviated as “I / F”) 7 for performing communication via the communication network 51 and an I / F 5 for performing communication with the database 17. The WEB server 13 includes storage resources such as the processor 9, the memory 11 and / or the media drive (for example, hard disk drive) 3. In the storage resource, a plurality of types of software (computer programs) are stored, and various types of software are appropriately read into the processor 9 and executed.

  FIG. 1B shows an example of the outline of the software architecture in the WEB server 13.

  In the WEB server 13, an authentication program 23 is executed as a kind of application program on an operating system (OS) 21 such as Windows (registered trademark). The authentication program 23 includes a plurality of program modules. As the plurality of program modules, for example, a concealment code group generation module 25 for generating a concealment code group described later, a key generation module 26 for generating an electronic key, and a generated key are used. And a decryption module 27 for performing the decryption. The authentication program 23 can execute various processes by appropriately using these modules 25, 26 and 27. Of course, the authentication program 23 can also include modules other than these modules 25, 26 and 27.

  FIG. 2 shows a configuration example of the user table 31.

  Information required for the user to log in to the WEB server 13 is registered in the user table 31. Specifically, for example, a user ID, a password, and conversion method information are registered in the user table 31 for each user. The conversion method information is information representing the conversion method. The processor 9 that reads and executes the authentication program 23 (hereinafter referred to as “authentication program 23”) can understand what conversion method is registered by referring to this conversion method information (conversion). We will explain the method later.)

  Hereinafter, the flow of processing performed in the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 3 shows an example of the flow of user registration processing.

  When the user terminal 100 and the WEB server (hereinafter, simply referred to as “server”) 13 perform predetermined exchanges, the server 13 has a user ID registration field 43, a password registration field 45, a conversion method registration field 47, and a plurality of An electronic screen (hereinafter referred to as a user registration screen) 41 on which conversion method options are described is prepared, and the user registration screen 41 is provided to the user terminal 100 (step S1). As a result, the user registration screen 41 is displayed on the display screen of the user terminal 100.

  Here, the conversion method means what rules are used to construct a password when the user inputs the password to authenticate the user. More specifically, it means what rules are used for mixing passwords and codes constituting a concealment code group (to be described later) (hereinafter, concealment codes). That is, here, the term “conversion method” is used to convert a password into a mixed password described later. In this embodiment, for example, three types of “inversion”, “insert”, and “inversion + insert” are prepared as conversion methods.

  “Invert” means that the concealment code group is inverted and the password is combined before or after the concealment code group after the inversion. For example, when the concealment code group is “123” and the password is “678”, the concealment code group after inversion becomes “321” according to the conversion method “inversion”. “6783221” is input (a group of codes in which a concealment code and a password are mixed is hereinafter referred to as “mixed password”). The concealment code group is a set of fake codes (for example, random numbers) that are input together with a password and do not constitute a password so that the user's password is not specified by an unspecified person. There may be one or more concealment codes constituting the concealment code group.

  “Insert” means that a password is inserted at an arbitrary location in the concealing code group. For example, when the concealment code group is “123” and the password is “678”, according to the conversion method “insert”, the input mixed password is “123678”, “1266783”, “167823” or "678123".

  “Reversal + insert” means that a password is inserted at an arbitrary location in the concealed code group after reversal. For example, when the concealment code group is “123” and the password is “678”, the mixed password to be input is “321678”, “326781”, “367821” according to the conversion method “reversal + insert”. "Or" 678321 ".

  The user displays, on the user registration screen 41, conversion method information (for example, a symbol (A) if “inverted”) representing an option selected from an arbitrary user ID, an arbitrary password, and a plurality of conversion method options. Each of the registration fields 43, 45 and 47 can be input (the conversion method registration field 47 may be a pull-up or pull-down menu).

  The user terminal 100 receives the user ID, password, and conversion method information via the user registration screen 41 (S2), and sends the input user ID, password, conversion method information, and user registration request to the server 13. Send.

  The server 13 receives the user ID, password and conversion method information, and the user registration request (S4). According to the user registration request, the server 13 stores the user ID, password and conversion method information in the database (hereinafter, DB) 17 user. Register in the table 31 (S5). Thereafter, the server 13 transmits a registration completion notification to the user terminal 100 that is the transmission source of the user registration request (S6). When the user terminal 100 receives the notification (S7), the user registration is completed.

  4 and 5 show an example of the flow of login processing.

  The server 13 provides an electronic screen (hereinafter referred to as a user ID input screen) 51 having a user ID input field 53 to the user terminal 100 (S11). Thereby, the user ID input screen 51 is displayed on the display screen of the user terminal 100.

  The user terminal 100 receives the input of the user ID via the user ID input field 53, and transmits the input user ID and login request to the server 13 (S12).

  The server 13 receives the user ID and the login request (S13). The authentication program 23 executes the following process in response to the login request.

  That is, the authentication program 23 acquires the password and conversion method information corresponding to the user ID received in S13 from the user table 13 in the DB 17 (S14).

  Then, the authentication program 23 uses a concealment code group generation module 25 and a key generation module 26 based on a predetermined rule (for example, an algorithm) to generate a plurality of concealment code groups and an electronic key (hereinafter simply “key”). Is generated) (S15).

  In S15, for example, the concealment code group generation module 25, based on the password and / or conversion method information acquired in S14, a plurality of concealment code groups (for example, codes constituting the password (hereinafter referred to as the code). A code group consisting of concealment codes that do not overlap with the PW codes) can be generated. Even if the concealment code group is generated based on, for example, a password or conversion method information corresponding to the same user ID, it can be a different code group for each login process (that is, once. When the log-in process is performed again after logout, different concealment code groups are generated in the previous and current log-in processes).

  In S15, the key generation module 26 can generate a random number using the user ID received in S13 as an electronic key, for example.

  Next, the authentication program 23 writes the password, conversion method information, a plurality of concealment code groups and keys in the memory 11 (for example, a session management table developed in the memory 11) (S16).

  The authentication program 23 generates an electronic screen (hereinafter referred to as a password input screen) 55 having a plurality of concealment code groups and a mixed password input field 57, and the generated password input screen 55 and the key generated in S15. Is provided to the user terminal 100 (S17). As a result, the password input screen 55 is displayed on the display screen of the user terminal 100.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the user can silently select from a plurality of concealment code groups displayed on the password input screen 55 in the password input field 57 of the password input screen 55 according to the conversion method selected at the time of user registration. A mixed password composed of the selected concealment code group and a password can be input. For example, when the password is “1912”, the selected concealment code group is “5443”, and the conversion method is “inversion + insert”, an example of a correct mixed password is “34191245” as illustrated. "There is.

  The user terminal 100 receives an input of the mixed password via the password input screen 55, encrypts the input mixed password with the key received together with the password input screen 55, and encrypts the mixed password (hereinafter, “encrypted mixed password”). ) Is transmitted to the server 13 (S19). The encryption here is performed by, for example, an encryption program (not shown) provided in the user terminal 100 (for example, plugged into a WWW browser (not shown)).

  When the encryption mixed password is received by the server 13 (S20), the authentication program 23 uses the decryption module 27 to decrypt the encryption mixed password with the key stored in the memory 11 (S21). If this decryption fails, the authentication program 23 may report an error to the user terminal 100.

The authentication program 23 checks the validity of the mixed password obtained by decryption based on the password, conversion method information, and a plurality of concealment code groups stored in the memory 11 (S22). As a processing flow for this check, various methods can be adopted. As an example, the authentication program 23 determines the following (1) and (2):
(1) Judgment whether or not the password stored in the memory 11 is included in the mixed password;
(2) If it is included as a result of the determination in (1), one of the plurality of concealment code groups stored in the memory 11 is concealed by all remaining codes other than the password in the mixed password. Whether or not a group of codes can be configured,
If a negative determination result is obtained in one of the determinations (1) and (2), it is determined that the mixed password is invalid (NO in S23), while (1) and ( If a positive determination result is obtained in all of the determinations of 2), it can be determined that the mixed password is valid (YES in S23).

  If the mixed password is invalid, the authentication program rejects the login (S24). On the other hand, if the mixed password is valid, the authentication program permits the login (S25).

  As described above, according to the above-described embodiment, the following is performed. That is, the server 13 generates a plurality of concealment code groups and presents them to the user. The user decides a desired concealment code group and follows the conversion method determined at the time of user registration. Enter a mixed password containing. The server 13 determines the validity of the mixed password based on the password, the conversion method, and the generated concealment code group. The generated concealment code group becomes a different code group for each login process. Accordingly, since the input mixed password is different every time, the code group transmitted to the server 13 is different every time. For this reason, even if the mixed password is stolen by an unspecified person when it is sent to the server 13 or when a key is entered, there is a risk that the true password is known from the stolen mixed password. Low.

  Further, according to the above-described embodiment, since there are a plurality of concealment code groups that are generated and presented, the above risk can be further suppressed.

  Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment, the server 13 generates a key, the generated key is sent to the user terminal 100, and the user terminal 100 encrypts the input mixed password with the key and transmits the encrypted password. However, the key is a different value for each login process. As a result, it is possible to prevent the encryption mixed password from being eavesdropped and logged in by another login process.

  Further, according to the above-described embodiment, the concealment code group is generated based on the user-registered password and / or conversion method. This makes it possible to generate a concealed code group that can correctly separate (or easily separate) the password and the concealment code group from the mixed password.

  The embodiment of the present invention has been described above, but this is an example for explaining the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. The present invention can be implemented in various other forms.

  For example, in the mixed password, the PW codes constituting the password may be scattered. Specifically, for example, in the example of FIG. 5, as one of the correct mixed passwords, the password “1912” exists as a lump like “34191245”, but instead, for example, “31491452” As described above, the PW codes need not be continuous. However, at that time, it is considered that the order of the PW codes is preferably the order in which the passwords are arranged. For example, in the above example, no matter how the PW code varies, the arrangement order such as “1912” is maintained, and the order of the latter two digits is reversed, such as “31492145” as an example. ), It may be determined that the mixed password is invalid.

  For example, the same code may be included in both the concealment code group and the password. In this case, for example, the validity of the mixed password can be determined from the number, arrangement order, etc., of the same code in the mixed password.

  Further, for example, the types of conversion methods are not limited to the three types described above, but may be two or less types or four or more types.

  Further, for example, instead of or in addition to the conversion method applied to the concealment code group selected by the user, there may be a conversion method applied to the password. Specifically, for example, the password itself may be reversed instead of or in addition to the concealment code group selected by the user.

  Further, for example, if a conversion rule is registered in the user table 31, the password does not necessarily have to be registered. In this case, in the login process, the user inputs a password obtained by converting the selected concealment code group according to a conversion method designated in advance. Specifically, for example, if the selected concealment code group is “1234” and the conversion method specified at the time of user registration is “add 5 to the value after inversion”, the password is used after the inversion. A value “4326” obtained by adding 5 to the value “4321” is input. The authentication program 23 determines whether or not the concealment code group generated and presented for the input password “4326” has been converted according to the conversion method. Specifically, for example, the authentication program 23 converts each concealment code group generated by the user according to a conversion method corresponding to the user who requested the login, and the converted code group matches the input password. Judge whether to do. If a match is obtained as a result of the determination, the authentication program 23 can authenticate the user by assuming that the input password is correct.

FIG. 1 shows a hardware configuration of an entire system having a WEB server to which an authentication system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. 1B shows an example of the outline of the software architecture in the WEB server 13. FIG. 2 shows a configuration example of the user table 31. FIG. 3 shows an example of the flow of user registration processing in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 shows a part of an example of the flow of login processing in an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 shows the remaining part of an example of the flow of login processing in an embodiment of the present invention.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 11 ... Memory 13 ... WEB server 17 ... Database 23 ... Authentication program 25 ... Concealment code group generation module 26 ... Key generation module 27 ... Decryption module

Claims (8)

Means for identifying a code conversion rule corresponding to the user who is a target of determination of whether to authenticate, referring to a storage area storing a user's arbitrary code conversion rule for each user;
Means for generating code groups;
Means for presenting the generated code group to the user;
Means for receiving a code group input from the user different from the presented code group;
Based on the generated code group and the specified code conversion rule, whether the received another code group is a result of converting the generated code group according to the specified code conversion rule And authenticating the user when a positive determination result is obtained by the determination.
Authentication system. The specifying means refers to the storage area storing the authentication code group of each user and the password configuration rule of the user, and specifies the authentication code group and password configuration rule corresponding to the user,
The generating means generates a false code group which is a code group different from the authentication code group,
The presenting means presents the generated pseudo code group to the user,
The means for receiving the different code group receives a mixed password which is a code group in which the code constituting the presented false code group and the code constituting the authentication code group are mixed,
The means for determining is based on the generated false code group, the specified authentication code group and the password configuration rule, and the received mixed password is specified according to the specified password configuration rule. Determining whether the code of the authentication code group and the code of the fake code group are correctly mixed;
The authentication system according to claim 1. The generating means generates a different code group for each user authentication even if the code group is presented to the same user.
The authentication system according to claim 1. The generating means generates a false code group that is different for each user authentication even if it is a false code group presented to the same user, and the false code group is used for the specified authentication. Generate based on code group and / or password composition rules,
The authentication system according to claim 2. The generating means generates a plurality of code groups,
The presenting means presents the plurality of generated code groups,
The received another code group is obtained by converting the code group selected by the user from the plurality of presented code groups.
The authentication system according to claim 1. Connected to a user device, which is a device used by the user, in a communicable manner;
Means for generating an electronic key with different contents for each user authentication even for the same user;
Means for providing the generated key to the user device;
Means for decrypting the other code group encrypted with the provided key received from the user device with the key;
The means for determining determines whether another code group obtained by decryption with the key is correct or not.
The authentication system according to claim 1. A step of identifying a code conversion rule corresponding to the user who is a target of determination of whether to authenticate by referring to a storage area storing a user's arbitrary code conversion rule of each user;
Generating code groups;
Presenting the generated code group to the user;
Receiving a code group input from the user, different from the presented code group;
Based on the generated code group and the specified code conversion rule, whether the received another code group is a result of converting the generated code group according to the specified code conversion rule And when the determination results in a positive determination, the user is authenticated.
Authentication method. A step of identifying a code conversion rule corresponding to the user who is a target of determination of whether to authenticate by referring to a storage area storing a user's arbitrary code conversion rule of each user;
Generating code groups;
Presenting the generated code group to the user;
Receiving a code group input from the user, different from the presented code group;
Based on the generated code group and the specified code conversion rule, whether the received another code group is a result of converting the generated code group according to the specified code conversion rule And a computer program for causing a computer to execute the step of authenticating the user when a positive determination result is obtained by the determination.

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