Importance

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Abstract

The present invention is directed to a hardware authentication system for a public key communications network. The public key network includes at least one user terminal and at least one hardware authentication terminal coupled by a communications medium. The authentication terminal generates and stores a plaintext message M, and generates from this message M a ciphertext message C by transforming the plaintext message M with the public key of the user terminal. The authentication terminal is further adapted to transmit the ciphertext message C by way of the medium to the user terminal. The user terminal is adapted to receive the enciphered or ciphertext message C from the hardware authentication terminal, and transform that ciphertext message with its private key to obtain a plaintext message M'. The user terminal is further adapted to transmit the plaintext message M' by way of the medium to the authentication terminal. The authentication terminal also is adapted to receive the plaintext message M' from the user terminal and compare that received plaintext message M' with the stored plaintext message M. Upon identifying that the messages M and M' match., the authentication terminal generates an authentic user signal indicating that the user terminal is the hardware terminal associated with the public key. In some forms of the invention, the authentication terminal also, or alternatively, may authenticate whether or not a remote terminal includes a digital computer operating under the control of a specific software program.

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First Claim