Patent ID: 8752145

Claim:
A method for authenticating a user to a remote computing network, comprising: acquiring a picture of the user with a camera of a mobile device; obtaining picture information from the picture of the user; sending the picture information to a server that stores picture information in connection with different users of the remote computing network; receiving a picture match response back from the server, the picture match response indicating whether the picture information from the picture matches the picture information stored on the server; and using the picture match response as part of an authentication operation of the user to the remote computing network, wherein receiving the picture match response includes receiving an UNLOCK instruction from the server, and wherein the method further comprises the mobile device displaying, in response to receiving the UNLOCK instruction, a soft token code to the user for accessing the remote computing network, and wherein the mobile device has a display and the method further comprises: showing an image on the display corresponding to objects toward which the camera is pointing; and superimposing an indicator on the image, the indicator showing the user where to place the user's face relative to the image when acquiring the picture.