Open protocol for authentication and key establishment with privacy

Abstract

A suite of efficient authentication and key establishment protocols for securing contact or contactless interfaces between communicating systems. The protocols may be used in secure physical access, logical access and/or transportation applications, among other implementations. The system authenticates a mobile device such as a smart card and/or mobile phone equipped with a secure element presented to one or more host terminals and establishes shared secure messaging keys to protect communications between the device and terminal. Secure messaging provides an end-to-end protected path of digital documents or transactions through the interface. The protocols provide that the device does not reveal identification information to entities different from a trusted host. The terminal may be a contactless reader at a door for controlling physical access, a desktop, laptop or kiosk for controlling logical access, and/or an access point for obtaining an encrypted digital ticket from an authenticated mobile device used for transit applications.

1. A method for authenticating a device, comprising:
 generating authentication information at a host;  
 sending a request to authenticate the device, wherein the request includes at least a portion of the authentication information;  
 receiving a response to the request at the host, wherein the response includes encrypted information and an anonymous identifier of the device that does not provide readable identification information to an entity other than the host; and  
 authenticating the device using the encrypted information and the anonymous identifier.  
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method includes receiving only one response with the encrypted information and the anonymous identifier. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of: the anonymous identifier and the encrypted information is a one-time use identifier of the device. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the request sent from the host to the device is unencrypted. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein a portion of the encrypted information in the response is encrypted using a portion of the authentication information. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the encrypted information sent from the device to the host is decipherable by only the host. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein each of the host and the device uses a shared secret and wherein the shared secret is one of: established by the device before sending back a response to the request at the host and established in advance before sending authentication information from the host. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein a portion of the encrypted information in the response is encrypted using a key derived from the shared secret. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 retrieving stored information corresponding to the authenticating of the device that is stored on at least one of: the device and the host.  
 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 deactivating the host, wherein reactivation of the host is performed using an administrator device.  
 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the device includes at least one of: a smart card and a mobile phone having a secure element. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the host is an access point of an access controlled system and, upon presentation of the device at the access point, the access point authenticates the device and establishes a shared secret with the device to obtain an access credential, and wherein the access point relies on the access control system to validate the access credential for authorization and granting access. 
     
     
       13. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer software for authenticating a device, the computer software comprising:
 executable code that generates authentication information at a host;  
 executable code that sends a request to authenticate the device, wherein the request includes at least a portion of the authentication information;  
 executable code that receives a response to the request from the device, wherein the response includes encrypted information and an anonymous identifier of the device that does not provide readable identification information to an entity other than the host; and  
 executable code that authenticates the device using the encrypted information and the anonymous identifier.  
 
     
     
       14. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein at least one of: the anonymous identifier and the encrypted information is a one-time use identifier of the device. 
     
     
       15. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the request sent from the host to the device is unencrypted. 
     
     
       16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein a portion of the encrypted information in the response is encrypted using a portion of the authentication information. 
     
     
       17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein each of the host and the device uses a shared secret, and wherein the shared secret is one of: established by the device before sending a response to the request at the host and established in advance before sending authentication information from the host. 
     
     
       18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein a portion of the encrypted information in the response is encrypted using a key derived from the shared secret. 
     
     
       19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the computer software further comprises:
 executable code that deciphers the encrypted information and processes the anonymous identifier.  
 
     
     
       20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the computer software further comprises:
 executable code that retrieves stored information corresponding to the authenticating of the device that is stored on the host.  
 
     
     
       21. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein the host is an access point of an access controlled system and, upon presentation of the device at the access point, the access point authenticates the device and establishes a shared secret with the device to obtain an access credential, and wherein the access point relies on the access control system to validate the access credential for authorization and granting access. 
     
     
       22. A method for authenticating a device, comprising:
 receiving, at the device, a request to authenticate the device;  
 generating a response to the request; and  
 sending the response to a host, wherein the response includes encrypted information and an anonymous identifier of the device that does not provide readable identification information to an entity other than the host and wherein the response authenticates the device to the host.  
 
     
     
       23. The method of  claim 22 , wherein at least one of: the anonymous identifier and the encrypted information is a one-time use identifier of the device. 
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 22 , wherein the device generates the encrypted information using at least one of: information provided in the request and a key derived from a shared secret of the device and the host. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 authenticating the host at the device.  
 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 25 , further comprising:
 retrieving stored information corresponding to the authenticating of the host that is stored on the device.  
 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 22 , wherein the host is an access point of an access controlled system, and wherein the device requests access to an access controlled terminal. 
     
     
       28. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer software for authenticating a device, the computer software comprising:
 executable code that receives a request to authenticate the device;  
 pexecutable code that generates a response to the request; and  
 executable code that sends the response to a host, wherein the response includes encrypted information and an anonymous identifier of the device that does not provide readable identification information to an entity other than the host and wherein the response authenticates the device to the host.  
 
     
     
       29. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein at least one of: the anonymous identifier and the encrypted information is a one-time use identifier of the device. 
     
     
       30. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein the encrypted information is generated using at least one of: information provided in the request and a key derived from a shared secret of the device and the host. 
     
     
       31. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein the computer software further comprises:
 executable code that authenticates the host to the device.  
 
     
     
       32. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 31 , further comprising:
 executable code that retrieves stored information corresponding to the authenticating of the host that is stored on the device.  
 
     
     
       33. The non-transitory computer readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein the host is an access point of an access controlled system and, upon presentation of the device at the access point, the access point authenticates the device and establishes a shared secret with the device to obtain an access credential, and wherein the access point relies on the access control system to validate the access credential for authorization and granting access. 
     
     
       34. A system for authenticating a device, comprising:
 a host; and  
 a device that authenticates to the host,  
 wherein the host includes a non-transitory computer readable medium that includes: executable code that generates authentication information at the host; executable code that sends a request to authenticate the device, wherein the request includes at least a portion of the authentication information; executable code that receives a response to the request from the device, wherein the response includes encrypted information and an anonymous identifier of the device that does not provide readable identification information to an entity other than the host; and executable code that authenticates the device using the encrypted information and the anonymous identifier,  
 and wherein the device includes a non-transitory computer readable that includes: executable code that receives the request; executable code that generates the response; and executable code that sends the response to the host, wherein the response authenticates the device to the host.  
 
     
     
       35. The system of  claim 34 , wherein the host includes a client application and a secure access module. 
     
     
       36. The system of  claim 34 , wherein the device includes at least one of: a smart card and a mobile phone including a secure element. 
     
     
       37. The system of  claim 34 , wherein the request sent from the host to the device is unencrypted, and wherein a portion of the encrypted information in the response is encrypted using the portion of the authentication information. 
     
     
       38. The system of  claim 34 , wherein each of the host and the device uses a shared secret and wherein the shared secret is one of: established by the device before sending a response to the request at the host and established in advance before sending authentication information from the host. 
     
     
       39. The system of  claim 38 , wherein a portion of the encrypted information in the response is encrypted using a key derived from the shared secret. 
     
     
       40. The system of  claim 37 , wherein the host is an access point of an access controlled system and, upon presentation of the device at the access point, the access point authenticates the device and establishes a shared secret with the device to obtain an access credential and wherein the access point relies on the access control system to validate the access credential for authorization and granting access.