FIELD OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a system and method of a secure framework for biometric authentication based on a two factor authentication scheme namely challenge-response interaction and zero-knowledge computation.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Currently, biometric authentication is used as a security mechanism for protection of biometric information. Unique biological characteristics of an individual is verified to permit user access of individuals to mobile phones, online banking transaction, computer devices, machines, access to building, etc. Biometric authentication provides an improved security over conventional password authentication process which is easily falsified by any other parties.

However, the use of biometric authentication may turn to be more vulnerable due to the biometric features of a person that cannot be reset unlike passwords. Biometric features of a person is most likely to have the same traits forever in which, once the biometric feature of a person are falsely obtained by another party, the person will forever be in risk when using the biometric authenticator. Due to the problem addressed, cancellable biometric are introduced in biometric security system to ensure that a biometric template generated for an authentication process can be cancelled and replaced whenever it is needed.

There are two types of cancellable biometric which are non-invertible transforms that modifies biometric features intentionally into a new form of context features representation and biometric salting which utilises auxiliary data as an additional input that hashes a password. Biometric salting generates different biometric templates based on the same biometric features of a person using a secret key which also known as authenticator key stored in a database. Nevertheless, the stored authenticator key may also be compromised when the database is attacked and the stored secret key together with biometric template may be exposed and leaked.

United States Patent No. US 9,323,912 B2 (hereinafter referred to as the US 912 B2 Patent) entitled METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR MULTI-FACTOR BIOMETRIC AUTHENTICATION having a filing date of 28 FEBRUARY 2012 (Patentee: VERIZON PATENT AND LICENSING INC.) discloses multifactor authentication and challenge- response interaction wherein the source of multifactor is derived solely from human characteristic (Biometric treats). The US 912 B2 Patent compares two types of biometric data specifically data stored and inputted response data for authentication process without utilizing a second factor authentication such as using a scrambled biometric template.

United States Patent No. US 6,507,912 B2 (hereinafter referred to as the US 912 B2 Patent) entitled “PROTECTION OF BIOMETRIC DATA VIA KEY-DEPENDENT SAMPLING” having a filing date of 27 JANUARY 1999 (Patentee: IBM CORPORATION) discloses an authentication process which utilizes a Biometric Template based on a secret key (key-dependant sampling). As disclosed in the US 912 B2 Patent, generation of the biometric template is only applicable on a subset of biometric data, as opposed to its entirety thereof, with a random sampling parameterised by server-to-client specification. Random sampling is implemented on both recently inputted biometric data and previously enrolled biometric template, as stored in its entirety i.e. in un-sampled format.

United States Patent No. US 8,752,144 B1 (hereinafter referred to as the US 144 B1 Patent) entitled“TARGETED BIOMETRIC CHALLENGES” having a filing date of 14 DECEMBER 201 1 (Patentee: EMC CORPORATION) discloses a multi factor authentication and provides dynamic challenges to a user for authentication using biometric authenticator the US 144 B1 Patent utilizes a collection module which collects attribute data of the user from various sources such as health institution, bank and etc. and stores the data in a storage device as attributes value. Further, as disclosed in US 144 B1 Patent, dynamic challenges are presented to the user by an enforcement module wherein the enforcement module compares the attributes value to the user’s attributes and presents the challenge to the user based on the most distinguishing attributes (lowest score).

Due to the drawbacks and a limitation of the current system and method, present invention provides more secure biometric authentication method by providing multifactor authentication which can be derived from either human characteristic or secret key. Also, only scrambled or hashed biometric template is used for comparing user’s biometric input in authentication process. SUMMARY OF INVENTION

The present invention relates to a system and method of a secure framework for handling of biometric information based on challenge-response interaction scheme.

One aspect of the invention provides that a method for user input of authentication information within context of challenge-response interaction undertaken concurrently with biometric input, as undertaken by particular user of interest comprising input of biometric data and authentication information into the same integrated biometric capture apparatus (104); initial submission of biometric data and user-specific authenticator key, as presumed secret and known exclusively by particular user, into registration process; computation of randomised representation by utilizing Zero- Knowledge (ZK) computation, as biometric reference specific to user of interest, originating from inputs of biometric data and authenticator; challenge-response interaction at each instance of the subsequent authentication interaction comprising computation of random challenge parameter, on the part of the authentication process and computation of correct response parameter, on the part of the particular user; input of biometric data and response parameter into authentication process; computation of test authenticator from presently concluded challenge-response interaction; computation of test biometric representation, originating from inputs of presently received biometric data and test authenticator; and then assessment of authentication outcome, arising from comparison of test and reference biometric representations.

Another aspect of the invention provides that ZK computation of biometric representation comprising inputs of biometric data, via presentation by particular user (102) to first input channel of biometric capture apparatus (104); and authenticator key, as extracted from concurrent presentation by same user, on first or second input channel of same apparatus resulting in output of high entropy biometric representation wherein input of incorrect authenticator valuation results in output representation indistinguishable from random valuation.

A further aspect of the invention provides that challenge-response interaction at each instance of the subsequent authentication interaction with establishment of secure client-server connectivity prior to ZK computation of biometric representation comprising inputs of: challenge parameter, as specified by authentication server, and specific to present interaction of interest and subsequently presented to particular user, as engaged in interaction, via output channel of biometric capture apparatus (104); corresponding response parameter, as extracted from same user (102) concurrent to presentation of biometric data, on first or second input channel of same apparatus; output of test authenticator; and further output of test biometric representation; as computed from present inputs of biometric data, and test authenticator.

Yet another aspect of the invention provides that establishment of secure client-server connectivity prior to initiation of biometric authentication comprising prior establishment of at least one transport pre-key, as accessible to biometric capture client and authentication server, such that server is able undertake secure transport of challenge parameter to client, for subsequent presentation to the user (102) and client is able to undertake secure transport of biometric and response data, or computation outcomes thereof, to server; for subsequent assessment of authentication outcome.

Still another aspect of the invention provides that initiation of biometric authentication comprising specification of challenge parameter specific to present authentication interaction by particular server; secure transport of challenge parameter to biometric capture client; presentation of challenge parameter to particular user (102) of interest on client-side output channel; concurrent capture of biometric and corresponding response data on client-side input channel; secure reciprocal transport of biometric and response data or computation outcomes thereof to server; and assessment of authentication outcome via comparison of test and reference biometric representations.

Another aspect of the invention provides that the authentication of the biometric input via challenge-response interaction comprises steps of registering user’s credential, biometric data and an authenticator key at a client-side to a server (106) at a server- side via a capture apparatus (104) by utilizing a biometric salting scheme (102a).

A further aspect of the invention provides that registering a user’s credential, biometric data and an authenticator key at a client-side to a server (106) at a server-side via a capture apparatus (104) by utilizing a biometric salting scheme further comprises steps of inputting user’s credential, biometric data and authenticator key into the capture apparatus (104) (302); submitting the inputted user’s credential, biometric data and the authenticator key to the server (106) (304); computing randomized representation as a hashed biometric template based on the inputted biometric data and authenticator key (306); storing the biometric template in the server (106) (308); sending a notification of a registration result to the capture apparatus (104) (310); and displaying the registration process results to the user (102) (312).

Yet another aspect of the invention provides that inputting user’s credential, biometric data and authenticator key into the capture apparatus (104) further comprises steps of computing multiple cryptographic keys preferably a public key cryptography (PKC) key pair.

Still another aspect of the invention provides that a system (100) for a secure biometric authentication based on a two-factor authentication scheme comprises at least one capture apparatus (104) coupled to at least one user (102) at a client-side and a server (106) at a server-side of a client network connection; wherein the user (102) input user’s credential, biometric data and authenticator key into the capture apparatus (104); the capture apparatus (104) forwards received input from the user (102) to the server (106) and displaying notification to the user (102) upon receipt of registration result from the server (106); and the server (106) generates a biometric template based on the biometric data and authenticator key received; and stores the generated biometric template in a storage of the server (106), and sends the registration result to the capture apparatus (104). Characterized in that the capture apparatus (104) further comprising a plurality of input and a plurality of output configured on the capture apparatus for performing the two-factor authentication scheme.

Another aspect of the invention provides that the plurality of output of the capture apparatus (104) further comprises at least one display output for challenge valuation for presenting response to the user (102) in a visual form and at least one speaker output for challenge valuation for presenting response to user in aural form.

A further aspect of the invention provides that the plurality of input for concurrent submission of response parameter on biometric capture apparatus comprising at least one voice-encoding, from the user to microphone input of apparatus; at least one gesture-encoding, from the user to camera input; at least one gesture-encoding, from the user to touch sensor input; and at least one corresponding decoding for recovery of response valuation which enables subsequent computations for test authenticator, and consequent test biometric representation.

Yet another aspect of the invention provides that computation of response valuation comprising input of response data stream, as presented by particular user into capture apparatus (104); and from that output of response valuation, resulting from specified computation on input stream; as undertaken on one of client or server-side components of system. Still another aspect of the invention provides that computation of test authenticator valuation comprising inputs of challenge and corresponding response valuations; and from that output of authenticator valuation, resulting from specified computation on challenge-response pair; as undertaken on one of client or server-side components of system. A further aspect of the invention provides that computation of test biometric representation comprising inputs of biometric data stream, as presented by particular user into capture apparatus (104); authenticator valuation; and output of biometric representation, resulting from specified computation on biometric data and corresponding authenticator; as undertaken on one of client or server-side components of system.

Another aspect of the invention provides that the user (102) input user’s credential, biometric data and authenticator key into the capture apparatus (104) further comprises the Public -key Cryptography (PKC) key pair with of at least a PKC private-key or at least a PKC public-key, and at least a transport pre-key or at least a storage key. The present invention consists of features and a combination of parts hereinafter fully described and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, it being understood that various changes in the details may be made without departing from the scope of the invention or sacrificing an of the advantages of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ACCOMPANING DRAWINGS

To further clarify various aspects of some embodiments of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by references to specific embodiments thereof, which are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the accompanying drawings.

Fig. 1.0 illustrates a general architecture of a system of a secure framework for handling of biometric information based on a two factor authentication scheme. Fig 1 0a is a flowchart illustrating a general method of a secure framework for handling of biometric information based on a two factor authentication scheme.

Fig. 2.0 illustrates a flow diagram of the steps involves during registration.

Fig. 3.0 is a flowchart illustrating the steps involves during registration.

Fig. 3.0a is a more detailed flow diagram illustrating the steps involves during registration.

Fig. 3.0b is a flowchart illustrates the steps of establishment of secure connectivity.

Fig. 4.0 illustrates a flow diagram of the steps involves during authentication.

Fig. 5.0 is a flowchart illustrating the steps involves during authentication.

Fig. 5.0a is a more detailed flow diagram illustrating the steps involves during authentication.

Fig. 5.0b is a flowchart illustrates the challenge-response interaction during authentication.

Fig 5.0c is a flowchart illustrates further challenge-response interaction upon the Fig. 5b. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The present invention relates to a system and method of a secure framework for handling of biometric information based on a two factor authentication. In particular, the present invention relates to a system and method of a secure biometric authentication based on challenge-response interaction scheme.

Hereinafter, it is to be understood that limiting the description to the preferred embodiments of the invention is merely to facilitate discussion of the present invention and it is envisioned without departing from the scope of the appended claims.

Reference is first made to Fig. 1.0 which illustrates general architecture of a system (100) of a secure framework for handling of biometric information based on a two factor authentication scheme namely challenge-response interaction and zero-knowledge (ZK) computation. The general architecture of the system (100) comprises of at least one capture apparatus (104) which is coupled to at least one user (102) at a client-side and a server (106) at a server-side of a client network connection. The capture apparatus (104) can be any device which comprise of sensors to enable the capture apparatus (104) to read biometric traits of the user and provide inputs to the server (106) wherein the device is preferably but not limited to a smartphone.

In order to perform the challenge-response interaction and the ZK computation, the capture apparatus (104) is equipped with a plurality of input and a plurality of output. The plurality of input of the capture apparatus (104) comprises of at least one camera input for providing gesture-encoding and for receiving video stream from the user (102) to capture user’s face and hand geometry data. The plurality of input further comprises of at least one microphone input for providing voice-encoding and for receiving audio stream from the user (102) and at least one touch input providing gesture-encoding for submission of response on the capture apparatus and for capturing user’s fingerprint data and submitting data stream to the server (106). Also, the plurality of output of the capture apparatus (104) comprises of at least one display output for challenge valuation for presenting response to the user (102) in a visual form, at least one speaker output for challenge valuation for presenting response to user in aural form. Also, the user may generate a Public-key Cryptography (PKC) key pair with of at least a PKC private-key or at least a PKC public-key, and at least a transport pre-key or at least a storage key. Reference is now made to Fig. 1.0a which illustrates a general methodology of the secure framework for biometric information for registration and authentication. As illustrated in Fig. 1 0a, the general methodology comprising steps of first registering user’s credential, biometric data and an authenticator key at the client-side to the server (106) at the server-side via the capture apparatus (104) by utilizing a biometric salting scheme (102a). Upon registration of the user’s credential, biometric data and the authenticator key, user’s credential and biometric data are authenticated (104a).

Reference is now made to Fig. 2.0 which illustrates a flow diagram of the steps involves in the registration of user’s credential, biometric data and the authenticator key. As illustrated in Fig. 2.0, the registration starts with the user (102) inputting the user’s credential, biometric data and authenticator key into the capture apparatus (104). Subsequently, the capture apparatus (104) forwards the received inputs from the user (102) to the server (106) and displays the notification of registration results to the user (102) upon receipt of the same from the server (106).

Reference is now made to Fig. 3.0 and Fig 3.0a. Fig. 3.0 is a flowchart illustrating the steps involves in the registration while Fig. 3.0a is a more detailed flow diagram illustrating the steps involves in the registration. First, a particular user (102) of interest is required to input their credentials, biometric data and user-specific authenticator key into the capture apparatus (104) (302) at the client-side. The authenticator key is a secret key and is known exclusively by the user (102). The biometric data of the user (102) is inputted into the capture apparatus (104) through a first input channel of the capture apparatus (104), and the authenticator key is inputted through the first or a second input channel of the capture apparatus (104) wherein the input channels are preferably but not limited to a fingerprint scanner, a camera, and a microphone. Moreover, during the initial registration (102a), the user (102) generates multiple cryptographic keys which include but not limited to a public-key cryptography (PKC) key pair which may consist of at least one PKC private-key or at least one PKC public- key, and at least one transport pre-key or at least one storage key. Subsequently, the capture apparatus (104) submits the inputted credential, biometric data, and the authenticator key to the server (106) at the server-side (304) together with the generated PKC public-key and transport pre-key to the server (106). The server (106) then proceed to compute a randomized biometric representation as a hashed or scrambled biometric template based on the inputted information received which are the biometric data of the user and the authenticator key (306). The generated biometric template, PKC public-key and transport pre-key are stored in the server (106) for future authentication (308). Unlike the conventional biometric salting process, the original biometric data and the authenticator key are not stored in the server (106) wherein only the generated biometric template is stored while the authenticator key is hidden behind the challenge-response interaction. The server (106) subsequently sends a notification of the registration result to the capture apparatus (310) prior to displaying the same to the user (102) via the capture apparatus (104) (312). The PKC public-key and transport pre-key generated establishes a secure connectivity between the capture apparatus (104) and the server (106) to protect communication or transport of diametric data, challenge data, response data once the transport pre-key are stored in the server (106). The secure connectivity between the capture apparatus (104) and the server (106) provides a secure transport of the random challenge parameter from the server (106) at the server-side to the client-side and provides a secure transport of biometric data and a response data or computations outcomes thereof from the user (102) to the server-side.

Reference is now made to Fig 4.0 which illustrates a flow diagram of the steps involves in the authentication. As illustrated in Fig. 4.0 the user (102) first input the user’s credential as inputted during the registration into the capture apparatus (104). The capture apparatus (104) further sends the received input of the user’s credential to the server (106). Subsequently, the server (106) sends challenge to the capture apparatus (104) prior to displaying the challenge to the user (102) via the capture apparatus (104). The challenge received requires the user (102) to input the response and biometric data to the server (106) through the capture apparatus (104). Subsequently, the server (106) processes the user response and biometric data to generate a biometric template which is used to compare with the stored or registered biometric data in the storage of the server (106). Finally, the server (106) sends the result of the authentication process to the capture apparatus (104) and displays the result to the user (102) via the capture apparatus (104).

Reference is now made to Fig 5.0 and Fig 5.0a. Fig. 5.0 is a flowchart illustrating the steps involves in the authentication while Fig. 5.0a is a more detailed flow diagram illustrating the steps involves in the authentication. As illustrated in Fig. 5.0, initially, the user required to input his credentials into the capture apparatus (104) (502) in order to start the authentication. The capture apparatus (104) subsequently forwards the user credential as inputted initially to the server (106) (504) prior to generating or computing a random challenge based on user’s credential (506). The server (106) then sends the generated challenge to the capture apparatus (104) wherein the capture apparatus (104) further processes the random challenge (508). Next, the user (102) is presented with the generated random challenge (510) and subsequently provides response to the challenge as well as inputting the biometric data into the capture apparatus (104) prior to sending the response and the biometric data to the server (106) at the server-side (512). The response and the biometric data received are further processed at the server (106) by performing a response valuation (514) to get the right component to generate the user’s authenticator key. Then, based on the response valuation, the server (106) further provides computation of the authenticator key. Once the authenticator key is generated, the authenticator key is used together with user’s biometric data in order to generate the biometric template (516). The server (106) subsequently compares the generated biometric template with the registered biometric template (518) and sends result to the capture apparatus (104). Finally, the capture apparatus (104) displays the result (520) to the user (102).

Reference is now made to Fig. 5b and Fig. 5c. Fig. 5b illustrates the challenge- response interaction during authentication while Fig 5.0c illustrates further challenge- response interaction upon interactions of Fig. 5b. As illustrated in Fig. 5b, the challenge-response interactions in the authentication are computation of a random challenge parameter on the part of authentication (502b) and computation of a correct response parameter on the part of a particular user (102) (504b). In which, both computations of the challenge-response interaction further comprises steps of inputting the biometric data and the response parameter into the authentication process (502c). Subsequently, a test authenticator from the challenge-response interaction (504c) and a test biometric representation from the received biometric data and test authenticator (506c) are computed. The test authenticator and the test biometric representation are computed by receiving the challenge parameter indicated by the server (106) and specific to present interaction of interest as well as the response parameter extracted from the user (102) concurrent to presentation of biometric data on a first input channel or a second input channel of the same capture apparatus (104). After the test authenticator and the test biometric representation were computed, the steps continue by computing biometric representation from the ZK computation for output of high entropy biometric representation (508c) wherein an input of incorrect authenticator valuation will result in an output representation being indistinguishable from random valuation. The final step is assessing authentication outcome based on the comparison of test and biometric template representation (510c). Computing biometric representation from the ZK computation for output of high entropy biometric representation (508c) further comprises steps of receiving the biometric data of the user (102) into the capture apparatus (104) via a first input channel of the capture apparatus (104) and receiving the authenticator key via a first input channel or second input channel of the capture apparatus (104).

The present invention relates to a system and method of a secure framework for handling of biometric information based on challenge-response interaction scheme. The challenge-response interaction undertaken concurrently with biometric input as the user (102) presents user-specific authenticator key and biometric data into the same integrated biometric capture apparatus (104) for both registration (102a) and authentication (104a) process. In registration process (102a), the computation process which randomises user’s biometric data representation based on user-specific authenticator key is performed. In authentication process (104a), the random challenge parameter is presented to the user (102) which requires the user (102) to give a correct response to the challenge as the computation process will be performed based on user’s response and presented challenge to generate a user-specific authenticator. The result from the computation process is used to randomise test biometric data. This process concludes a challenge-response interaction scheme. Then, randomised test biometric data is compared to registered biometric data which has been randomised during registration process.

This invention requires no user-specific authenticator key to be stored in system database which known as Zero Knowledge (ZK) scheme. As user’s response to presented challenge plays an important role in this invention. The correctness of user’s response to the challenge will generate the same user-specific authenticator key which keyed in during registration process. Thus, lead in generating a genuine randomised biometric data. Meanwhile, incorrect response may lead to generate a not genuine randomised biometric data. The presented challenge generated randomly and dynamically in authenticator server. As the challenge is specific to present authentication interaction, the user (102) will receive different challenge in every authentication interaction. Thus, only the genuine user knows the correct response to the challenge. The present invention ensures higher security level compare to existing framework.

Moreover, the client-server establishment of secure connectivity prior to biometric authentication comprise of prior establishment of at least one transport pre-key, as accessible to biometric capture client and authentication server. Such that server is able undertake secure transport of challenge parameter to client for the subsequent presentation to the user (102) and the client is able to undertake secure transport of biometric and response data, or computation outcomes thereof, to server; for subsequent assessment of authentication outcome. Unless the context requires otherwise or specifically stated to the contrary, integers, steps or elements of the invention recited herein as singular integers, steps or elements clearly encompass both singular and plural forms of the recited integers, steps or elements.

Throughout this specification, unless the context requires otherwise, the word “comprise”, or variations such as“comprises” or“comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of a stated step or element or integer or group of steps or elements or integers, but not the exclusion of any other step or element or integer or group of steps, elements or integers. Thus, in the context of this specification, the term “comprising” is used in an inclusive sense and thus should be understood as meaning “including principally, but not necessarily solely”.