Patent ID: 6421768
Filing Date: 2002-07-16
Classification: G06F,H04L

Abstract:
A method for transferable authentication, by which a user accessing a first computer can be authenticated to a second computer remote from said first computer, without necessarily requiring the user to explicitly identify himself to said second computer, comprising the steps of:a) at a user's computer, accessing said first computer; b) authenticating said user to said first computer; c) receiving from said first computer a cookie including said first computer's digital voucher of a user characteristic, said voucher being cryptographically assured by said first computer, said user characteristic being encrypted and incorporated into said digital voucher by said first computer using a session key confidential to said first computer and said second computer but unknown to said user, said session key being cryptographically assured using an asymmetric key of at least one of said first computer and said second computer; d) transmitting said cryptographically assured session key to said second computer via said user's computer; and e) sending at least a portion of said cookie, including said voucher, to said second computer configured to: (1) authenticate said voucher without necessarily requiring said user to explicitly identify himself to said second computer; (2) extract said user characteristic from said voucher; and (3) perform an action based on said user characteristic.