Patent ID: 7913088

Claim:
A method for authenticating, by a second user using a first processor-based subsystem, the identity of a first user using a second processor-based processor-based subsystem, that includes a challenge communication from the second user to the first user, a response communication from the first user to the second user, and a verification by the second user, comprising the following steps implemented using said first and second processor-based subsystems: selecting a ring R, an ideal q of R, and a hash function; generating elements f and g of the ring R, and generating an element f −1 that is an inverse of f in the ring R modulo q; generating a public key that includes h, where h is equal to a product that can be derived using g and f −1 ; generating a private key from which f and g can be derived; generating a challenge communication C by the second user; generating a challenge digest m by applying the hash function to the challenge communication C; generating a response communication s by digitally signing the message digest m using the private key; verifying the response communication s by verifying one or more specified conditions using the hash function, the response communication s, challenge communication C and the public key.