Patent ID: 8590021

Claim:
A method performed by a computing device for passively authenticating a user, comprising: detecting, by the computing device, an attribute of a single action; receiving, by the computing device, at least one of a confidence level or one or more confidence factors required to authenticate the user, wherein: the confidence level comprises a threshold level required for passive authentication, or the confidence factors comprise one or more of: detectable user events and detectable user physical characteristics; examining, by the computing device, the detected attribute of the single action to determine either a difference level between the detected attribute and a previously stored attribute of a similar action or to determine a presence of security factors corresponding to one or more confidence factors; determining, by the computing device, whether the difference level is within the confidence level, or whether the security factors match the one or more confidence factors to a predetermined degree; and if the difference level is within the confidence level or if the security factors match the one or more confidence factors to a predetermined degree, passively authenticating, by the computing device, the user without requiring the user to actively authenticate.