Network node authentication

Abstract

An authentication technique is disclosed that uses a distributed secure listing of transactions that includes encrypted data that can be used to authenticate a principal to a verifier.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by a microprocessor and from a computing device of a user, an attribute validation request comprising a set of attributes comprising a set of keys to be validated and an electronic address of or associated with the user of the computing device or the computing device;   providing, by the microprocessor to the computing device, a blockchain address verification request comprising a challenge token;   receiving, by the microprocessor from the computing device, a blockchain address verification reply comprising a signed version of the challenge token, the signed version being signed by a private key associated with the user of the computing device;   successfully validating, by the microprocessor, that the signature of the signed version of the challenge token is associated with the user;   in response to the successful validation of the signature, generating, by the microprocessor and using a crypto-variable, an obfuscated unique identity associated with the user or the computing device made up or derived from the set of attributes;   transmitting, by the microprocessor, the crypto-variable and/or obfuscated unique identity to the computing device of the user; and   causing, by the microprocessor, a digital distributed secure ledger to be updated to include the obfuscated unique identity.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the set of keys comprises one or more key/value pairs for which validation is requested. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the electronic address is an electronic address of the computing device, wherein the private key comprises the electronic address of the computing device, wherein the receiving and providing steps use a private communication channel, wherein the obfuscated unique identity is further made up or derived from a unique identity of the user or other private or secret unique or substantially unique information of or associated with the user or the computing device, and wherein the private key corresponds to one or more electronic addresses of the computing device or the user. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the obfuscated unique identity comprises one or more of an encrypted version of the electronic address of the computing device, an encrypted version of the set of keys, and an encrypted version of a unique identity of the user, and a validity expiration date, wherein the obfuscated unique identity is generated by a crypto-variable. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the crypto-variable is a salt used to enrich a salted hash function and wherein the salt enriched salted hash function generated the obfuscated unique identity and wherein the causing the digital distributed secure ledger to be updated comprises generating a blockchain transaction between first and second public addresses associated with the microprocessor, the transaction comprising the obfuscated unique identity. 
     
     
         6 . A verification system, comprising:
 an arithmetic/logic unit (“ALU”) to perform one or more mathematical operations and compare selected variables;   a register to hold a value from a comparison of selected variables performed by the ALU;   an instruction decoder to provide read and write commands to memory;   an address bus to provide a location address to memory for a read or write operation; and   a data bus to provide or access data for a write or read operation to or from memory, wherein:   as a part of a transaction, the verification system continuously and automatically:   receives, from a computing device of a user, an attribute validation request comprising a set of attributes comprising a set of keys to be validated and an electronic address of or associated with the user of the computing device or the computing device;   provides, to the computing device, a blockchain address verification request comprising a challenge token;   receives, from the computing device, a blockchain address verification reply comprising a signed version of the challenge token, the signed version being signed by a private key associated with the user of the computing device;   successfully validates, by the ALU comparing the received version of the challenge token with a version of the challenge token generated by the ALU using the private key and storing a value based on the comparison in the register, that the signature of the signed version of the challenge token is associated with the user;   in response to the successful validation of the signature, generates, by the ALU and using a crypto-variable, an obfuscated unique identity associated with the user or the computing device made up or derived from the set of attributes;   transmits the crypto-variable and/or obfuscated unique identity to the computing device of the user; and   causes a digital distributed secure ledger to be updated to include the obfuscated unique identity.   
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the set of keys comprises one or more key/value pairs for which validation is requested. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 7 , wherein the electronic address is an electronic address of the computing device, wherein the private key comprises the electronic address of the computing device, wherein the receiving and providing operations use a private communication channel, wherein the obfuscated unique identity is further made up or derived from a unique identity of the user or other private or secret unique or substantially unique information of or associated with the user or the computing device, and wherein the private key corresponds to one or more electronic addresses of the computing device or the user. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the obfuscated unique identity comprises one or more of an encrypted version of the electronic address of the computing device, an encrypted version of the set of keys, and an encrypted version of a unique identity of the user, and a validity expiration date, wherein the obfuscated unique identity is generated by a crypto-variable. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the crypto-variable is a salt used to enrich a salted hash function and wherein the salt enriched salted hash function generated the obfuscated unique identity, and wherein the causing the digital distributed secure ledger to be updated comprises generating a blockchain transaction between first and second public addresses associated with the microprocessor, the transaction comprising the obfuscated unique identity.