Authentication method and apparatus using one time pads

摘要

An authentication method is provided between entities (10A; 10B) having matching one-time pads each with multiple OTP blocks. From the standpoint of a first one (10A) of the entities, the method involves sending (20S) a challenge that it has generated (20) by subjecting a first OTP block to a randomly-selected member of a first family of hashing functions. Each member of the first hashing-function family is associated with a respective member of a second family of hashing functions. On receiving back a response, the first entity (10A) tests (26) whether the response originates from the second entity (10B) by seeking a match between the response and a reference value generated (25) by subjecting a predetermined said OTP block to the member of the second hashing-function family that is associated with the member of the first hashing-function family used to generate the challenge.