Cipher key setting system, access point, and cipher key setting method

• US 20050238172A1
• Filed: 04/11/2005
• Published: 10/27/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Buffalo Incorporated (Melco Holdings Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Buffalo Incorporated (Melco Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Tamura, Yoshiteru
• Application Number:
  US11/103,007
• Publication Number:
  US 20050238172A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/270
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/105 Multiple levels of security
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/205 involving negotiation or determination of the one or more network security mechanisms to be used, e.g. by negotiation between the client and the server or between peers or by selection according to the capabilities of the entities involved negotiation of communication capabilities H04L69/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/67 Risk-dependent, e.g. selecting a security level depending on risk profiles
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/12 WLAN [Wireless Local Area Networks]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/08 Access point devices

Abstract

Disclosed is a cipher key setting system wherein the access point detects the terminals connected to the wireless LAN through the access point itself repeatedly at each predetermined time, reviews the adopted cipher systems when there are replacements of the terminals participating in the wireless LAN and a decrease in the number of the terminals, and adopts a cipher system according to the guideline ‘selecting the cipher system of the highest security level among the cipher systems that the devices building up the network can commonly adopt’. The system prevents the security setting from being maintained at a needlessly low level, after a certain terminal withdrew from the network or after some terminals were replaced.

Claims

1. A cipher key setting system that sets a cipher system and a cipher key used for enciphering prior to communication wireless communication data exchanged by wireless between a wireless LAN access point and a terminal with a wireless LAN interfacing device, wherein:

the terminal comprises;

a cipher system transmitting means on the terminal side that transmits to the access point by wireless cipher systems that the terminal can adapt itself to, and

a cipher system selecting means on the terminal side that detects a cipher system adopted by the access point and selects the detected cipher system; and

the access point comprises;

a connected terminal detecting means that specifies terminals participating in a wireless LAN and detects whether there are any variations in the terminals participating therein, and

a cipher system selecting means on the access point side that, when the connected terminal detecting means detects that there have been variations in the terminals participating in the wireless LAN, adopts to select a specified cipher system according to a predetermined criterion among the cipher systems that the access point can adapt itself to and the terminals participating in the wireless LAN can commonly adapt themselves to.

2. A cipher key setting system according to claim 1, wherein, when the connected terminal detecting means detects that there have been variations in the terminals participating in the wireless LAN, and when the terminals participating in the wireless LAN can commonly adapt themselves to a cipher system of a higher security level compared to the cipher system being adopted thus far, the cipher system selecting means on the access point side selects the cipher system of the higher security level.

3. A cipher key setting system according to claim 2, wherein the connected terminal detecting means specifies the terminals participating in the wireless LAN repeatedly at each predetermined time on the basis of identification information inherent in the terminals each, compares the specified identification information inherent in the terminals each with the identification information inherent in the terminals each that were acquired by a previous specifying operation of the terminals, and thereby detects that the number of the terminals participating in the wireless LAN decreases.

4. A cipher key setting system according to claim 3, wherein the connected terminal detecting means specifies the terminals participating in the wireless LAN repeatedly at each predetermined time on the basis of identification information inherent in the terminals each, compares the specified identification information inherent in the terminals each with the identification information inherent in the terminals each that were acquired by a previous specifying operation of the terminals, and thereby detects that there are replacements in the terminals participating in the wireless LAN.

5. A cipher key setting system according to claim 4, wherein:

the access point comprises a cipher key transmitting means on the access point side that transmits to a terminal by wireless cipher systems narrowed by the cipher systems transmitted by the cipher system transmitting means on the terminal side and cipher keys used in each of the narrowed cipher systems, of the cipher systems that the access point can adapt itself to; and

the terminal comprises a cipher key storing means on the terminal side that stores each of the cipher keys corresponding to each of the cipher systems transmitted from the access point in a predetermined storage area.

6. A cipher key setting system according to claim 5, wherein the cipher key transmitting means on the access point side performs processing that transmits the narrowed cipher systems and the cipher keys used in each of the narrowed cipher systems to the terminal, only once when the cipher systems are transmitted by the cipher system transmitting means of the terminal concerned on the terminal side.

7. A cipher key setting system according to claim 6, wherein, when switching an adopted cipher system accompanied with the variations in the terminals participating in the wireless LAN, the cipher system selecting means on the access point side switches a station ID in correspondence with the switching of the adopted cipher system.

8. A cipher key setting system according to claim 7, wherein:

the cipher key transmitting means on the access point side specifies different station IDs to each of the cipher systems that the access point can adapt itself to, and transmits to the terminals by wireless the specified station IDs together with the cipher keys in correspondence with each of the narrowed cipher systems, and

the cipher system selecting means on the terminal side acquires the station IDs from connectable access points, and when the acquired station IDs have a station ID coincident with the station IDs stored in advance by the cipher key storing means on the terminal side, adopts the cipher system and the cipher key corresponding to the station ID.

9. A cipher key setting system according to claim 8, wherein, when it becomes impossible to maintain the wireless communication with the access point based on the specified station ID, the cipher system selecting means on the terminal side newly acquires the station IDs from the connectable access points, and when the newly acquired station IDs have a station ID coincident with the station IDs stored in advance, adopts the cipher system and the cipher key corresponding to the station ID.

10. A wireless LAN access point that adapts itself to a plurality of cipher systems in the wireless LAN communication, comprising:

for setting a cipher system and a cipher key used in enciphering communication data prior to performing wireless communications with a terminal provided with a wireless LAN interfacing device,

a connected terminal detecting means that specifies terminals participating in a wireless LAN and detects whether there are any variations in the terminals participating therein, and

a cipher system selecting means on the access point side that, when the connected terminal detecting means detects that there have been variations in the terminals participating in the wireless LAN, adopts to select a specified cipher system according to a predetermined criterion on the basis of data relating to the cipher systems transmitted in advance by wireless from a plurality of terminals that the terminals can adapt themselves to, among the cipher systems that the access point can adapt itself to and the terminals participating in the wireless LAN can commonly adapt themselves to.

11. A cipher key setting method that sets a cipher system and a cipher key used for enciphering prior to communication wireless communication data exchanged by wireless between a wireless LAN access point and a terminal with a wireless LAN interfacing device, wherein:

the terminal transmits to the access point by wireless cipher systems that the terminal can adapt itself to,

the access point specifies terminals participating in a wireless LAN through the access point and detects whether there are any variations in the terminals participating therein, and when detecting that there have been variations in the terminals participating in the wireless LAN, adopts to select a specified cipher system according to a predetermined criterion among the cipher systems that the access point can adapt itself to and the terminals participating in the wireless LAN can commonly adapt themselves to, and

the terminal detects the cipher system adopted by the access point and selects the detected cipher system.