Patent ID: 7958546

Claim:
A method of authenticating personal identity, comprising: a person, having a unique personal identity, accessing an identity access management (IAM) system using a hardware computer, said person having a private key to uniquely identify said person: said person using said private key to register with the identity access management system; said person using said identity access management system to indicate an interest in establishing a business relationship with a specified business entity; a user contacting said specified business entity and alleging to have said unique personal identity; and said specified business entity, using another private key that uniquely identifies said specified business entity, contacting the identity access management system and determining if said person having said unique personal identity has used the identity access management system to indicate an interest in establishing a business relationship with the specified business entity; wherein the accessing includes: the person initially registering with the IAM and establishing an IAM account using an IAM website, and specifying information including a name, a home address, an e-mail address, and a specified telephone number, the IAM website providing an initial password to the person via an e-mail; the IAM sending to the person a confirmation of the registration, including an account number, by a paper delivery system to said home address, said confirmation not including said telephone number and said initial password, and wherein said account number is not provided to the person during the initially registering, thereby providing a separation of identifying information at the website and in said confirmation, said confirmation further including instructions for the person to call a given telephone number to activate the IAM account; the person calling the given telephone number; when the person calls the given telephone number, asking the person to enter the account number included in the confirmation, and the initial password provided by the IAM website during the initial registering; when the person enters the account number included in the confirmation and the initial password provided by the IAM website, verifying that the person is calling from the specified telephone number; activating the IAM account only if the person enters the account number included in the confirmation and the initial password provided by the IAM website, and if it is verified that the calling is from the specified telephone number; upon completion of an attempt to activate the IAM account, instructing the person to access the website for further instructions; the person then accessing the website using, the account number and the initial password; and informing the person that the initial password is expired, and the person entering a new password.