System, method and computer program product for access authentication

Abstract

A method and technique for access authentication includes: responsive to receiving an access request from a user for a secure resource, generating a token; combining the token with a character string to form a uniform resource locator (URL); transmitting the URL to the user; and responsive to receiving a request for the URL, providing access to the secure resource.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 responsive to receiving an access request from a user for a secure resource, generating a token;   combining the token with a character string to form a uniform resource locator (URL);   transmitting the URL to the user; and   responsive to receiving a request for the URL, providing access to the secure resource.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising randomly generating the token. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting the URL to the user via an electronic mail message. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 responsive to receiving the access request, querying the user for an electronic mail address; and   responsive to receiving an electronic mail address from the user, verifying the electronic mail address received from the user with a stored electronic mail address corresponding to the user.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating a query based on data received from a third party corresponding to the user;   transmitting the query to the user;   receiving a response to the query from the user; and   responsive to validating the response to the query received from the user, providing access to the secure resource.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising setting a time period limiting an availability of the URL. 
     
     
         7 . A system, comprising:
 a processing unit having access to a secure resource; and   an authentication module executable by the processing unit to:
 responsive to receiving an access request from a user for the secure resource, generate a token; 
 combine the token with a character string to form a uniform resource locator (URL); 
 transmit the URL to the user; and 
 responsive to receiving a request for the URL, provide access to the secure resource. 
   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the authentication module is executable to randomly generate the token. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the authentication module is executable to transmit the URL to the user via an electronic mail message. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the authentication module is executable to:
 responsive to receiving the access request, query the user for an electronic mail address; and   responsive to receiving an electronic mail address from the user, verify the electronic mail address received from the user with a stored electronic mail address corresponding to the user.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the authentication module is executable to:
 generate a query based on data received from a third party corresponding to the user;   transmit the query to the user;   receive a response to the query from the user; and   responsive to validating the response to the query received from the user, provide access to the secure resource.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the authentication module is executable to set a time period limiting an availability of the URL. 
     
     
         13 . A computer program product for access authentication, the computer program product comprising:
 a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising computer readable program code configured to:
 responsive to receiving an access request from a user for a secure resource, generate a token; 
 combine the token with a character string to form a uniform resource locator (URL); 
 transmit the URL to the user; and 
 responsive to receiving a request for the URL, provide access to the secure resource. 
   
     
     
         14 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the computer readable program code is configured to randomly generate the token. 
     
     
         15 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the computer readable program code is configured to transmit the URL to the user via an electronic mail message. 
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the computer readable program code is configured to:
 responsive to receiving the access request, query the user for an electronic mail address; and   responsive to receiving an electronic mail address from the user, verify the electronic mail address received from the user with a stored electronic mail address corresponding to the user.   
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the computer readable program code is configured to:
 generate a query based on data received from a third party corresponding to the user;   transmit the query to the user;   receive a response to the query from the user; and   responsive to validating the response to the query received from the user, provide access to the secure resource.   
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the computer readable program code is configured to set a time period limiting an availability of the URL.