Patent ID: 7603556
Filing Date: 2009-10-13
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A method for authentication of a requesting device by an authenticating device, the requesting device and the authenticating device each being operative to carry out a one-way hash operation and to carry out a key-based encryption operation, the authenticating device storing a hash of a defined password generated by applying the one-way hash operation to the defined password, the authenticating device being further operative to carry out a key-based decryption operation for decrypting values obtained from the key-based encryption operation, the method comprising the steps of: the requesting device receiving a user password and carrying out the one-way hash operation on the user password to obtain a hash of the user password, the authenticating device determining and transmitting a challenge to the requesting device; the requesting device receiving the challenge and defining a requesting encryption key by carrying out the one-way hash operation on a combination of the challenge and the hash of the user password, the requesting device carrying out the key-based encryption operation using the requesting encryption key to encrypt the user password, the requesting device transmitting a response comprising the encrypted user password to the authenticating device, the authenticating device receiving the response and defining an authenticating encryption key by carrying out the one-way hash operation on a combination of the challenge and the hash of the defined password; the authenticating device using the authenticating encryption key in the key-based decryption operation to decrypt the response to obtain a decrypted user password and carrying out the one-way hash operation on the decrypted user password; the authenticating device comparing the hash of the decrypted user password with the hash of the defined password to authenticate the requesting device when the comparison indicates a match.