Patent ID: 8745698

Claim:
A system comprising: a communication interface configured to receive an electronic request to access a financial account requiring authentication that a person is authorized to access the financial account; and a processor operatively coupled to the communication interface and configured to use the communication device to: access a datastore maintained by the institution, the datastore comprising information gathered by the institution about use of the financial account or behaviors of an authorized person when using the financial account; determine that there is insufficient information in the datastore to generate one or more authentication questions for a request requiring authentication; use the communication interface to communicate with a third-party provider of authentication questions or information about an authorized person that can be used to generate one or more authentication questions; generate authentication questions based at least in part on the electronic request and information about the financial account, wherein the authentication questions generated include one or more of financial behavior, financial history, or financial transaction associated with the financial account; provide authentication questions each time a request is received requiring authentication to access or use the financial account, wherein the processor is configured to provide the authentication questions such that the authentication questions are not repeated in two or more consecutive requests; track an amount of time between providing the authentication questions generated and receiving answer responses in response to the authentication questions provided; determine whether the amount of time is less than or equal to a first predetermined threshold period; in response to determining the amount of time is less than or equal to the first threshold period, authorize access to the financial account based on the answer responses received for the authentication questions; in response to determining the amount of time is greater than the first threshold period but less than or equal to a second threshold period, provide an additional authentication question; and in response to determining the amount of time is greater than the second threshold period, reject the request to access the financial account.