Patent ID: 8868919

Claim:
A method for identification and verification of a user at a client platform in a client/server, computer-networking system that implements an authentication server, the method using an authentication credential as a shared secret with the authentication server, the authentication credential comprising a data set identifying an enumerated pattern of fields on a frame of reference, the fields in the enumerated pattern having locations on the frame of reference and numbered positions in the enumerated pattern; the method comprising: using a data processing machine or data processing machines, establishing one or more communication channels to the authentication server, and sending a user identifier via said one or more communication channels to the authentication server; receiving a session specific instance of the frame of reference as a result of successful identification of the user identifier by the authentication server, from the authentication server, from an application synchronized with a logical function used to produce an instance at the authentication server or from a combination of the authentication server and an application, the session-specific instance of the frame of reference having fields filled with a session-specific content, wherein the session-specific content comprises characters that are members of a set of characters; rendering an interface on a display including a graphical representation of the session-specific instance of the frame of reference; using an authentication challenge including a plurality of challenge characters from said set of characters, to determine a subset of session-specific numbered positions in the enumerated pattern of fields at which said plurality of challenge characters match the characters in said session-specific instance of the frame of reference; sending authentication response data via said one or more communication channels to the authentication server, the response data identifying said session-specific numbered positions in the enumerated pattern, said session specific numbered positions being usable by the authentication server as part of a verification process; and receiving a signal via said one or more communication channels from the authentication server that indicates completion of the verification process.