BEHAVIORAL STOCHASTIC AUTHENTICATION (BSA)

Methods and systems for authenticating a user and a consumer electronic device (CED) to a financial services provider (FSP) for purposes of communications initiated from the device and needing security, such as purchases and financial transactions, are provided. The FSP may compile information about a user's behavior from various sources, both public and private, including the CED. The information may be of a stochastic nature, being gathered by sampling user data and behavior at chosen times. The information may include indicators of user behavior—such as the user using the device to check various accounts and web-pages—and data from the device—such as GPS location. Based on the compiled stochastic information, and using a sliding scale, a throttling mechanism, acceptance variation, and pinging information, the FSP can compare current information from the device with what is known about the user and the device to provide a more accurate and reliable authentication process.