Securing a confirmation of a sequence of characters, corresponding method, device and computer program product

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10839097-B2
Application number	US-201615201549-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 4, 2016
Priority date	Jul 3, 2015
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

The proposed technique relates to a method for securing a confirmation of a sequence of characters (SEQ) entered by a user on an electronic data entry device comprising an unsecured processor and a secured processor. This method, implemented in the secured processor, comprises determining a processing operation to be applied to said sequence of characters (SEQ), as a function of a signal (SIG_V) representing a confirmation, by the user, of the sequence of characters (SEQ), the signal (SIG_V) representing a confirmation being delivered by a confirmation means belonging to a set comprising at least two distinct confirmation means.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for securing a confirmation of a sequence of characters entered by a user on an electronic data entry device comprising an unsecured processor and a secured processor, the unsecured processor being placed under the control of the secured processor, said method comprising:
determining, by said secured processor, of a processing operation to be applied to said sequence of characters, as a function of data representing a confirmation, by said user, of said sequence of characters, said data representing the confirmation being delivered by a confirmation button belonging to a set comprising at least two distinct confirmation buttons.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein determining further comprises:
obtaining the data representing the confirmation of said sequence of characters;
obtaining said sequence of characters within a secured memory; and
when said data represents an unsecured confirmation:
transmitting said sequence of characters to a current application; and
eliminating said sequence of characters from said secured memory.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein determining further comprises:
when the data represents a secured confirmation, comparing the current application with a list of predetermined applications;
when said current application is present in the list of predetermined applications:
transmitting said sequence of characters to said current application; and
eliminating said sequence of characters from said secured memory; and

when said current application is absent from the list of predetermined applications, eliminating said sequence of characters from said secured memory.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein the method further comprises, when said current application is absent from the list of predetermined applications, displaying, on a screen of said electronic data entry device, an indication of the elimination without transmission of said sequence of characters.

5. The computer-implemented of claim 2 , wherein the length of said sequence of characters obtained within said secured memory is predefined.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein said sequence of characters is eliminated from said secured memory if no new entry of characters is done on said electronic data entry device for a predetermined period of time.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein said electronic data entry device is a payment terminal.

8. An electronic data entry device comprising an unsecured processor and a secured processor, the unsecured processor being placed under the control of the secured processor, and comprising means for securing a confirmation of a sequence of characters entered by a user, said electronic data entry device comprising:
a set comprising at least two distinct confirmation buttons; and
means for determining, by said secured processor, of a processing operation to be applied to said sequence of characters, as a function of data representing a confirmation button, used by said user to confirm said sequence of characters, said data representing a confirmation being delivered by one of the confirmation buttons belonging to said set comprising the at least two distinct confirmation buttons.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer-executable instructions that cause a microprocessor to execute a method for securing a confirmation of a sequence of characters entered by a user on an electronic data entry device comprising an unsecured processor and a secured processor, the unsecured processor being placed under the control of the secured processor, said method comprising:
determining, by said secured processor, of a processing operation to be applied to said sequence of characters, as a function of data representing a confirmation, by said user, of said sequence of characters, said data representing the confirmation being delivered by a confirmation button belonging to a set comprising at least two distinct confirmation buttons.

Assignees

• Ingenico Group

Inventors

• Geraud Remi
• Koudoussi Hiba
• Naccache David

Classifications

• G06Q20/20 Primary

  Point-of-sale [POS] network systems · CPC title

• G06F2221/031

  Protect user input by software means · CPC title

• G06F2221/2143

  Clearing memory, e.g. to prevent the data from being stolen · CPC title

• G06F21/85

  interconnection devices, e.g. bus-connected or in-line devices · CPC title

• G06F21/31

  User authentication · CPC title