1. Field of Invention
The invention generally relates to authentication, and more particularly to digital authorization of entities using sound.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the growth of electronic commerce, use of public communication infrastructure, such as the Internet, to access various secure networks, systems and/or applications has also grown. For example, users may gain access to banks (online or by automatic teller machines (ATM)), a private network such as an intranet, a secure server or database, and/or other virtual private network (VPN) over a public communication infrastructure by digital authentication.
However, with the introduction of a system of communication wherein face-to-face contact is not possible, opportunities for fraudulent or unauthorized access have increased. Misappropriated identity in the hands of wrongdoers may cause damage to individuals, organizations or other entities.
To prevent unauthorized access, various security schemes have been developed to verify user or entity identification such that only authorized entities are given access. One technique for user authentication and access control can be implemented by a access code generating device, such as a token. Here, a unique access code is periodically generated displayed to a user. Typically, the access code is generated from an algorithm that is based on a secure information and the current time. The user is then required to input the currently displayed access code to gain access.
In some systems, a password is also required to gain access. These types of systems are known as the two-factor authentication. Two-factor authentication is typically based on something that a user has, for example the token, and something that a user knows, such as the password. Because both pieces of information are used to authenticate a user, systems implementing the two-factor authentication may be less susceptible to attacks than a single-factor authentication.
While a token as described above may prevent unauthorized access, it is cumbersome because users must manually enter each access code during each access. Also, errors are more likely to occur due to the manual input of the access code. In some systems, a user is required to input the access code more than once during each access, which increases the inconvenience and possibility of errors. Furthermore, because the access code may be based on time and is continuously displayed, a constant computation may be required by the token, thereby shortening the battery life of the token.
Therefore, there is a need for a more efficient, more convenient and/or more secure way to implement a control access system using a device.