Patent ID: 8484700

Claim:
A method of authenticating a user based on a network-wide reputation for the user, said user having a user account associated therewith for accessing one or more online services of the network, said method comprising: collecting reputation feedback associated with the user account, said reputation feedback being based on one or more past transactions between the user and at least one of the online services of the network over a predetermined period of time, said reputation feedback indicating whether or not any of the past transactions constitutes a misuse of the network; executing a machine learning algorithm on the reputation feedback to generate a model representing a likelihood of misuse of the network by the user; in response to receiving a request from the user to perform a present transaction with at least one of the online services of the network, determining from the model a reputation score indicating the likelihood of misuse of the network for the present transaction; when the determined reputation score is not sufficient to grant the user's request to perform the present transaction, requesting the user to solve a proof; granting the user's request to perform the present transaction based on receiving the solved proof; and receiving, from the at least one of the online services, additional reputation feedback based on the requested solved proof and adjusting the model based thereon.