Method And Apparatus For Geographic Location Based Electronic Security Management

Abstract

Provided herein are systems, methods and computer readable media for facilitating an authentication process validating the location of a first device, for example, using a second device, before authorizing an action An example apparatus may be configured to receive a request to cause an action from a first device, cause the first device to communicate with a second device to verify a proximity of the first device and the second device, receive verification of the proximity, receive a first identifying data string, receive a second identifying data string, and upon confirmation of a match of the first identifying data string and the second identifying data string, authorizing the action.

1 . An authentication apparatus, the authentication apparatus comprises at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the processor, cause the authentication apparatus to at least:
 receive a request to cause an action from a second device;   cause the first device to communicate with a second device to verify a proximity of the first device and the second device;   receive verification of the proximity;   receive a first identifying data string;   receive a second identifying data string;   upon confirmation of a match of the first identifying data string and the second identifying data string, authorizing the action.   
     
     
         2 . The authentication apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:
 receive data indicative of a biometric input at the first device; and   preceding authorization of the action, confirming a match of the data indicative of the biometric input to stored biometric data associated with a user of the first device.   
     
     
         3 . The authentication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to cause the first device to communicate with the second device to verify the proximity of the first device and the second device is further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:
 receive an indication of a location of the first device by means of GPS, Wi-Fi, or mobile network location information;   compare the location of the first device to a location of the second device, the second device having a verifiable or confirmed location and being independent to the first device;   verifying the proximity of the first device to the second device, confirming the location of the first device based on the verifiable or confirmed location of the second device.   
     
     
         4 . The authentication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:
 upon determination of the location of the first device and preceding authorization of the action, determine the location is within a predefined authorized geo-region.   
     
     
         5 . The authentication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:
 upon determination of the location of the first device and preceding authorization of the action, determine the location is within a predefined range of a pre-defined authorized location.   
     
     
         6 . The authentication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:
 upon determination of the location of the first device and preceding authorization of the action, determine the location is not within a predefined un-authorized geo-region.   
     
     
         7 . The authentication apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory and the computer program code are further configured to, with the processor, cause the apparatus to:
 upon determination of the location of the first device by means of GPS, Wi-Fi, or mobile network location information and preceding authorization of the action, receive input at a third device; and   upon verification of input at the third device, authorize the action.   
     
     
         8 . An authentication method, the method comprising:
 receiving a request to cause an action from a second device;   causing the first device to communicate with a second device to verify a proximity of the first device and the second device;   receiving verification of the proximity;   receiving a first identifying data string;   receiving a second identifying data string;   upon confirmation of a match of the first identifying data string and the second identifying data string, authorizing the action.   
     
     
         9 . The authentication method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 receiving data indicative of a biometric input at the first device; and   preceding authorization of the action, confirming a match of the data indicative of the biometric input to stored biometric data associated with a user of the first device.   
     
     
         10 . The authentication method according to  claim 8 , wherein the causing the first device to communicate with the second device to verify the proximity of the first device and the second device, further comprising:
 receiving an indication of a location of the first device by means of GPS, Wi-Fi, or mobile network location information;   comparing the location of the first device to a location of the second device, the second device having a verifiable or confirmed location and being independent to the first device;   verifying the proximity of the first device to the second device, confirming the location of the first device based on the verifiable or confirmed location of the second device.   
     
     
         11 . The authentication method according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 upon determination of the location of the first device and preceding authorization of the action, determining the location is within a predefined authorized geo-region.   
     
     
         12 . The authentication method according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 upon determination of the location of the first device and preceding authorization of the action, determining the location is within a predefined range of a pre-defined authorized location.   
     
     
         13 . The authentication method according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 upon determination of the location of the first device and preceding authorization of the action, determining the location is not within a predefined un-authorized geo-region.   
     
     
         14 . The authentication method according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 upon determination of the location of the first device by means of GPS, Wi-Fi, or mobile network location information and preceding authorization of the action, receive input at a third device; and   upon verification of input at the third device, authorizing the action.   
     
     
         15 . A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions for:
 receiving a request to cause an action from a second device;   causing the first device to communicate with a second device to verify a proximity of the first device and the second device;   receiving verification of the proximity;   receiving a first identifying data string;   receiving a second identifying data string;   upon confirmation of a match of the first identifying data string and the second identifying data string, authorizing the action.   
     
     
         16 . The computer program product of  claim 15 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions for:
 receiving data indicative of a biometric input at the first device; and   preceding authorization of the action, confirming a match of the data indicative of the biometric input to stored biometric data associated with a user of the first device.   
     
     
         17 . The computer program product according to  claim 15 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions for causing the first device to communicate with the second device to verify the proximity of the first device and the second device, further comprise program code instructions for:
 receiving an indication of a location of the first device by means of GPS, Wi-Fi, or mobile network location information;   comparing the location of the first device to a location of the second device, the second device having a verifiable or confirmed location and being independent to the first device;   verifying the proximity of the first device to the second device, confirming the location of the first device based on the verifiable or confirmed location of the second device.   
     
     
         18 . The computer program product according to  claim 15 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions for:
 upon determination of the location of the first device and preceding authorization of the action, determining the location is within a predefined authorized geo-region.   
     
     
         19 . The computer program product according to  claim 15 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions for:
 upon determination of the location of the first device and preceding authorization of the action, determining the location is within a predefined range of a pre-defined authorized location.   
     
     
         20 . The computer program product according to  claim 15 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions for:
 upon determination of the location of the first device and preceding authorization of the action, determining the location is not within a predefined un-authorized geo-region.   
     
     
         21 . The computer program product according to  claim 15 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions for:
 upon determination of the location of the first device by means of GPS, Wi-Fi, or mobile network location information and preceding authorization of the action, receive input at a third device; and   upon verification of input at the third device, authorizing the action.