Patent ID: 8095977

Claim:
An authentication method comprising: detecting a smart card communicatively coupled to a computer via a communication link; establishing a trusted computing base in the computer for preventing spoofing of a personal identification number (PIN) dialog box; prompting a user to enter a personal identification number; receiving in the trusted computing base, a first personal identification number entered by the user; and using the trusted computing base for securely transferring data between the computer and the smart card for verifying in the smart card, that the first personal identification number entered by the user is the same as a second personal identification number stored in the smart card, the secure transfer comprising: the trusted computing base requesting a session ticket from the smart card; generating in the smart card, a first session ticket and a first session key, wherein the first session key is generated by utilizing as a seed, the second personal identification number stored in the smart card; encrypting the first session ticket with the first session key; transmitting the encrypted first session ticket from the smart card to the trusted computing base; generating inside the trusted computing base, a second session key by utilizing as a seed, the first personal identification number entered by the user; using the second session key for decrypting the encrypted first session ticket received from the smart card; transmitting the decrypted first session ticket from the trusted computing base to the smart card; comparing the decrypted first session ticket received in the smart card to the first session ticket originally generated in the smart card; if the comparison indicates a successful match, authenticating the first personal identification number entered by the user; and if the comparison fails to indicate the successful match, disallowing authentication.