diff --git a/airtime_mvc/application/modules/rest/helpers/RestAuth.php b/airtime_mvc/application/modules/rest/helpers/RestAuth.php
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5f5597536
--- /dev/null
+++ b/airtime_mvc/application/modules/rest/helpers/RestAuth.php
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+<?php
+
+class RestAuth
+{
+	public function verifyAuth($checkApiKey, $checkSession)
+	{
+		//Session takes precedence over API key for now:
+		if ($checkSession && $this->verifySession())
+		{
+			return true;
+		}
+	
+		if ($checkApiKey && $this->verifyAPIKey())
+		{
+			return true;
+		}
+	
+		$resp = $this->getResponse();
+		$resp->setHttpResponseCode(401);
+		$resp->appendBody("ERROR: Incorrect API key.");
+			
+		return false;
+	}
+	
+	public function getOwnerId()
+	{
+		try {
+			if ($this->verifySession()) {
+				$service_user = new Application_Service_UserService();
+				return $service_user->getCurrentUser()->getDbId();
+			} else {
+				$defaultOwner = CcSubjsQuery::create()
+									->filterByDbType('A')
+									->orderByDbId()
+									->findOne();
+				if (!$defaultOwner) {
+					// what to do if there is no admin user?
+					// should we handle this case?
+					return null;
+				}
+				return $defaultOwner->getDbId();
+			}
+		} catch(Exception $e) {
+			Logging::info($e->getMessage());
+		}
+	}
+	
+	private function verifySession()
+	{
+		$auth = Zend_Auth::getInstance();
+		if ($auth->hasIdentity())
+		{
+			return true;
+		}
+		return false;
+	}
+	
+	private function verifyAPIKey()
+	{
+		//The API key is passed in via HTTP "basic authentication":
+		// http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basic_access_authentication
+		$CC_CONFIG = Config::getConfig();
+	
+		//Decode the API key that was passed to us in the HTTP request.
+		$authHeader = $this->getRequest()->getHeader("Authorization");
+		$encodedRequestApiKey = substr($authHeader, strlen("Basic "));
+		$encodedStoredApiKey = base64_encode($CC_CONFIG["apiKey"][0] . ":");
+	
+		if ($encodedRequestApiKey === $encodedStoredApiKey)
+		{
+			return true;
+		} else {
+			return false;
+		}
+	
+		return false;
+	}
+	
+}
\ No newline at end of file