Patent ID: 9083689
Filing Date: 2015-07-14
Classification: H04L

Abstract:
1. A machine-implemented method for authenticating a user over a network comprising: transmitting a query for client information from an authentication server to a client device, the client information including information related to authentication devices coupled to the client device; analyzing, by a policy filter at the client device, the query to determine an appropriate privacy class to be used for providing the client information to the authentication server, wherein a privacy class is defined based on a risk that the client information uniquely identifies a user or client device; wherein the policy filter determines a subset of the client information based on the determined privacy class, where each privacy class specifies a different subset of the client information usable to identify the user and authentication device information usable to identify the client device, where the privacy class is selected from a group consisting of multiple privacy levels such that higher privacy levels divulge less information about the user or the client device to perform authentication; providing, by the client device, the subset of the client information to the authentication server, the subset of the client information including the information related to the authentication devices coupled to the client device; and using the subset of the client information within an authentication framework to provide user authentication services over the network.