FIELD

The present disclosure relates to authenticating a user, and more particularly, to authenticating a user with an online resource based on location information.

BACKGROUND

Traditionally, authentication for certain online resources, such as financial or government services or accounts, is performed using single factor or multi-factor authentication. Single factor authentication uses a single credential for authentication. Typically, the single credential is a password. Improvements have been made to the strength of the password that is used by including additional types and numbers of characters; however, these improvements do not change the fact that the password is still a single piece of authenticating information. Multi-factor authentication extends the single factor authentication by adding one or more additional authenticating credentials to the single credential. These one or more additional authenticating credentials can include information related to the user themselves, such as biometric information, and special security information that the user possesses, such as a token or a one-time password. Even with conventional multi-factor authentication, however, online resources are still vulnerable to exploitation by a determined attacker or entity.

Therefore, a need exists for improved authentication systems and methods. To that end, the subject disclosure addresses and reduces the vulnerabilities of existing authentication techniques by using additional credentials that include information related to a user's past movement behavior.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Generally speaking, the present disclosure describes devices, computer-implemented methods, systems, and non-transitory computer readable medium that authenticate a user by monitoring a user's travels over time and using that information in combination with the user's location when being authenticated to determine a risk score and/or an access level for the user that may be used, for example, to access an online resource that the user wishes to utilize.

In accordance with examples of the present disclosure, a computer-implemented method to authenticate a user, is provided. The computer-implemented method comprises obtaining, at an authentication server, a current location and an associated time from a client device of the user over a communications network; determining, by a hardware processor, a location score based on a correlation between the current location and the associated time and a historical location and a historical time that are associated with the client device of the user; determining, by the hardware processor, a risk assessment score based on the location score; and providing, over the communications network, an authentication verification for the user to perform one or more actions with an online resource based on the risk assessment score.

Various examples of the present disclosure can include the following features. The computer-implemented method can further include obtaining, at the authentication server, a plurality of locations and an associated plurality of times from the client device over the communications network; and storing, by the authentication server, the plurality of locations and the associated plurality of times in a history location record of a database that is associated with an account of the user of the client device. The computer-implemented method can further comprise obtaining authorization from the user to collect location information of the user. The determining the location score can be based on the correlation that comprises accessing the history location record; filtering out entries in the history location record associated with predetermined filtering criteria; comparing, by the hardware processor, the plurality of locations from the history location record that is filtered with the current location at approximately a same time of day as the associated time for the current location; determining, by the hardware processor, that the current location is within a predetermined distance from the historical location at approximately the same time of day; and assigning the location score based the predetermined distance. The predetermined distance can be less than or equal to one mile from the historical location. The comparing can comprise selecting a predetermine time frame from the historic location record with which to perform the comparing. The predetermined time frame can be a prior day, a prior week, or a prior month. The predetermined filtering criteria can comprise holidays and weekends. An action of the one or more actions can comprise one or more of: viewing a financial account, performing a transaction in the financial account, and communicating with an authorized person managing the financial account. The availability of the action among the one or more actions with the online resource is dependent on the risk assessment score, wherein a lower risk assessment score permits more actions with the online resource.

In accordance with examples of the present disclosure, an authentication system for authenticating a user is provided. The authentication system comprises one or more hardware processors; and a memory coupled to the one or more hardware processors, the memory storing instructions, which when executed by the one or more hardware processors, cause the one or more hardware processors to perform operations comprising: determining a location score based on a correlation between a current location of the user and an associated time and a historical location and a historical time for the user; determining a risk assessment score based on the location score; and providing, over a communications network, an authentication verification for the user to perform one or more actions with an online resource based on the risk assessment score.

Various examples of the present disclosure can include the following features. The operations further comprise: obtaining a plurality of locations and an associated plurality of times from a client device of the user over the communications network; and storing the plurality of locations and the associated plurality of times in a history location record of a database that is associated with an account of the user of the client device. The authentication system further comprises obtaining authorization from the user to collect location information of the user. The determining the location score based on the correlation comprises: accessing the history location record; filtering out entries in the history location record associated with predetermined filtering criteria; comparing the plurality of locations from the history location record that is filtered with the current location at approximately a same time of day as the associated time for the current location; determining that the current location is within a predetermined distance from the historical location at approximately the same time of day; and assigning the location score based the predetermined distance. The predetermined distance can be less than or equal to one mile from the historical location. The comparing can comprise selecting a predetermine time frame from the historic location record with which to perform the comparing.

In accordance with examples of the present disclosure, a non-transitory computer-readable medium for performing an authentication method for authenticating a user is provided. The non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more hardware processors, cause the one or more hardware processors to perform operations comprising: obtaining a plurality of locations and an associated plurality of times from a client device of the user; determining a location score based on a correlation between a current location of the user and an associated time and a historical location and a historical time based on the plurality of locations and associated plurality of time that are obtained for a user; determining a risk assessment score based on the location score; and providing an authentication verification for the user to perform one or more actions with an online resource based on the risk assessment score.

Various examples of the present disclosure can include the following features. The non-transitory computer-readable medium further comprises storing the plurality of locations and the associated plurality of times in a history location record of a database that is associated with an account of the user of the client device. An action of the one or more actions comprises one or more of: viewing a financial account, performing a transaction in the financial account, and communicating with an authorized person managing the financial account. The availability of the action among the one or more actions with the online resource is dependent on the risk assessment score, wherein a lower risk assessment score permits more actions with the online resource.

In accordance with examples of the present disclosure, a computer-implemented method to authenticate a user is provided. The computer-implemented method comprises obtaining, at an authentication server, a current location and an associated time from a client device of the user over a communications network; determining, by a hardware processor of the authentication server, that the current location and the associated time is at or near a historical location and a historical time associated with the user; determining, by the hardware processor, a location score based on a degree of correlation between the current location and the associated time and the historical location and the historical time; determining, by the hardware processor, a risk assessment score based on the location score; and providing, over the communications network, an authentication verification for the user to perform one or more actions with an online resource based on the risk assessment score.

In accordance with examples of the present disclosure, an authentication system for authenticating a user is provided. The authentication system comprises one or more processors; and a memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory storing instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: comparing a current location and an associated time with a historical location and a historical time associated with the user; determining, by the hardware processor, a location score based on a degree of correlation between the current location and the associated time and the historical location and the historical time; determining, by the hardware processor, a risk assessment score based on the location score; and providing, over the communications network, an authentication verification for the user to perform one or more actions with an online resource based on the risk assessment score.

In accordance with examples of the present disclosure, an authentication system for authenticating a user is provided. The authentication system comprises one or more processors; and a memory coupled to the one or more processors, the memory storing instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising: retrieving a history location record for the user; comparing a plurality of locations from the history location record with a current location at approximately a same time of day; determining that the current location is within a predetermined distance from a historical location at approximately the same time of day; assigning the location score based the predetermined distance; determining a risk assessment score based on the location score; and providing an authentication verification for the user to perform one or more actions with an online resource based on the risk assessment score.

Various examples of the present disclosure can include the following features. The computer-implemented method can further comprise obtaining, at the authentication server, a plurality of locations and an associated plurality of times from the client device over the communications network; and storing, by the authentication server, the plurality of locations and the associated plurality of times in a history location record of a database that is associated with an account of the user of the client device. The computer-implemented method can further comprise obtaining authorization from the user to collect location information of the user. The determining the location score can be based on the degree of correlation that comprises retrieving the history location record; filtering out entries in the history location record associated with predetermined filtering criteria; comparing, by the hardware processor, the plurality of locations from the history location record that is filtered with the current location at approximately a same time of day as the associated time for the current location; determining, by the hardware processor, that the current location is within a predetermined distance from the historical location at approximately the same time of day; and assigning the location score based the predetermined distance. The predetermined distance can be not more than 1 mile from the historical location. The comparing can comprise selecting a predetermine time frame from the historic location record with which to perform the comparing. The predetermined time frame can be a prior day, a prior week, or a prior month. The predetermined filtering criteria can comprise holidays and weekends. The action can comprises at least one of: viewing a financial account, performing a transaction in the financial account, and communicating with an authorized person managing the financial account. The availability of an action can include among the one or more actions with the online resource that is dependent on the risk assessment score, wherein a lower risk assessment score permits more actions with the online resource.

