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Challenge Token-based Authentication – CTA

Authors:
Ghassan Kbar

Keywords: wireless; authentication; security

Abstract:
A new technique for highly securing the wired and wireless local area network using a Challenge Token-based Authentication as a second authentication factor is presented. This technique is based on two authentication factors, which is in addition to the first factor "user name and password", it also uses the client soft token that will be stored in a mobile phone or USB. The soft token will be obtained during registration and will never be transmitted during the authentication process. This token will be used by a mobile Client Program to generate a secure Authentication Server (AS) public key in order to respond to the AS's challenge. This new authentication mechanism addresses the vulnerabilities existed in the existing weak authentication method that is based only on first authentication factor. It would also solve the Denial of Service attack existed in the second authentication factor techniques because a secure server public key is used instead of well known server public key such as the one used in Extensible Authentication Protocol, and Wireless Application Protocol. In addition it reduces the complexity and associated cost existed in the mobile phone authentication technique since there is no need to send sms messages to authenticate the clients. In addition, the session key will be exchanged using the derived secure AS public key that is correlated to the soft token. This makes the security parameters known only to authentication server, and valid supplicants. Attackers would be unlikely able to know the token and other security keys since the token is only exchanged during registration through a trusted party. Moreover, the use of 2 authentication factors would make the security system stronger and more relevant to sensitive applications particularly for banks.

Pages: 294 to 300

Copyright: Copyright (c) IARIA, 2011

Publication date: June 19, 2011

Published in: conference

ISSN: 2308-4219

ISBN: 978-1-61208-140-3

Location: Luxembourg City, Luxembourg

Dates: from June 19, 2011 to June 24, 2011