Authentication based on chain of strings generated from secret string

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11949672-B2
Application number	US-202217649423-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 31, 2022
Priority date	Jan 31, 2022
Publication date	Apr 2, 2024
Grant date	Apr 2, 2024

Abstract

A solution is proposed for performing authentications. A corresponding method comprises storing a verification string corresponding to applying a one-way function iteratively starting from a secret string. An authentication request is received in association with an authentication string (or more) being generated by applying the one-way function iteratively starting from the secret string for a lower number of times. A result of the authentication request is determined by comparing the verification string with a comparison string being generated by applying the one-way function to the authentication string (or a few times iteratively). Corresponding computer programs and a computer program products for performing the method are also proposed. Moreover, corresponding systems for implementing the method are proposed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer implemented method (CIM) for use with a verifier computing system, the CIM comprising:
storing a verification string corresponding to applying a one-way function iteratively starting from a secret string for a number of times equal to a verification number indicating a number of desired authentications;
receiving a sequence of authentication requests in association with corresponding one or more authentication strings, wherein each of the one or more authentication strings corresponds to a respective one of the authentication requests and is being generated by applying the one-way function iteratively starting from the secret string for corresponding authentication numbers of times decreasing by 1 in each of the iterations along the sequence below the verification number;
verifying each of the authentication requests by:
generating one or more comparison strings corresponding to each of the respective authentication requests by applying the one-way function iteratively starting from each of the authentication strings of the respective one of the authentication requests corresponding comparison numbers of times at most equal to corresponding delta numbers, wherein each of the delta numbers indicates a number of iterations of the one-way function that may be applied to transform the corresponding authentication string for verification with the verification string,
determining a result of each of the authentication requests according to a comparison of each of the respective one of the comparison strings with the verification string; and
updating verification information for verifying a next one of the authentication requests in response to a positive result of each of the authentication requests.

2. The CIM according to claim 1 , further comprising:
updating the verification information in response to the positive result of each authentication request by replacing the verification string with one of the authentication strings of the authentication request corresponding to the lowest one of the authentication numbers.

3. The CIM according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving each of the authentication requests comprising a single one of the authentication strings generated by applying the one-way function iteratively starting from the secret string for the authentication number of times equal to the verification number minus one.

4. The CIM according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving each of the authentication requests comprising a plurality of the authentication strings being generated by applying the one-way function iteratively starting from the secret string for the corresponding authentication numbers of times having consecutive values up to the verification number minus one.

5. The CIM according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an end string from a claimant computing system being generated by applying the one-way function iteratively starting from the secret string for an end number of times;
initializing the verification string to the end string; and
receiving at last part of the authentication requests from the claimant computing system.

6. The CIM according to claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving an end string from a metering computing system being generated by applying the one-way function iteratively starting from the secret string for an end number of times;
initializing the verification string to the end string; and
receiving at least part of the authentication requests from a claimant computing system.

7. The CIM according to claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting, for each of the authentication requests, the verification string to a claimant computing system to cause the claimant computing system to generate the authentication strings by applying the one-way function iteratively up to obtaining the verification string.

8. The CIM according to claim 1 , further comprising:
logging an indication of the authentication requests comprising the corresponding authentication strings.

9. A computer program product (CPP) for use with a verifier computing system, the CPP comprising:
a machine readable storage device; and
computer code stored on the machine readable storage device, with the computer code including instructions for causing a processor(s) set to perform operations including the following:
storing a verification string corresponding to applying a one-way function iteratively starting from a secret string for a number of times equal to a verification number indicating a number of desired authentications,
receiving a sequence of authentication requests in association with corresponding one or more authentication strings, wherein each of the one or more authentication strings corresponds to a respective one of the authentication requests and is being generated by applying the one-way function iteratively starting from the secret string for corresponding authentication numbers of times decreasing by 1 in each of the iterations along the sequence below the verification number,
verifying each of the authentication requests by:
generating one or more comparison strings corresponding to each of the respective authentication requests by applying the one-way function iteratively starting from each of the authentication strings of the respective one of the authentication requests corresponding comparison numbers of times at most equal to corresponding delta numbers, wherein each of the delta numbers indicates a number of iterations of the one-way function that may be applied to transform the corresponding authentication string for verification with the verification string,
determining a result of each of the authentication requests according to a comparison of each of the respective one of the comparison strings with the verification string, and
updating verification information for verifying a next one of the authentication requests in response to a positive result of each of the authentication requests.

10. The CPP according to claim 9 , wherein the computer code further includes instructions for causing the processor(s) set to perform the following operations:
updating the verification information in response to the positive result of each authentication request by replacing the verification string with one of the authentication strings of the authentication request corresponding to the lowest one of the authentication numbers.

11. The CPP according to claim 9 , wherein the computer code further includes instructions for causing the processor(s) set to perform the following operations:
receiving each of the authentication requests comprising a single one of the authentication strings generated by applying the one-way function iteratively starting from the secret string for the authentication number of times equal to the verification number minus one.

12. The CPP according to claim 9 , wherein the computer code further includes instructions for causing the processor(s) set to perform the following operations:
receiving each of the authentication requests comprising a plurality of the authentication strings being generated by applying the one-way function iteratively starting from the secret string for the corresponding authentication numbers of times having consecutive values up to the verification number minus one.

13. The CPP according to claim 9 , wherein the computer code further includes instructions for causing the processor(s) set to perform the following operations: receiving an end string from a claimant computing system being generated by applying the one-way function iteratively starting from the secret string for an end number of times;

Assignees

• IBM

Inventors

• Ragusa Roberto
• Freddi Remo
• Conti Chiara
• Asaro Alessandra

Classifications

• H04L63/083 Primary

  using passwords (cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226) · CPC title

• H04L63/102

  Entity profiles · CPC title

• H04L63/20

  for managing network security; network security policies in general (filtering policies H04L63/0227) · CPC title

• G06F21/31 Primary

  User authentication · CPC title

• G06F21/46

  by designing passwords or checking the strength of passwords · CPC title