Parameterized Authentication

We describe an approach to sensor-based authentication that can adapt to accommodate incomplete, unreliable, or inaccurate input provided to the system. Parameterized Authentication moves beyond the traditional approach to security by acknowledging that identity verification cannot always produce perfect results. Our model addresses such inherent imperfections by introducing a metric, the Authentication Parameter, that captures the overall “quality” of authentication. We define authentication “quality” in terms of sensor trustworthiness and the accuracy of sensor measurements. Using the Authentication Parameter, we are able to enforce and enhance the principle of least privilege by ensuring that the authentication process provides credentials that are sufficient but not stronger than the access level required by the requested operation. This approach is particularly well-suited to meet the demands of a context-aware and pervasive computing environment in which authentication ...

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2004
• Where: ESORICS
• Authors: Michael J. Covington, Mustaque Ahamad, Irfan A. Essa, H. Venkateswaran
• Keywords: Authentication, Authentication Parameter, ESORICS 2004, Parameterized Authentication Moves, Security Privacy