Detection of telephone number spoofing

• US 20070081648A1
• Filed: 09/28/2005
• Published: 04/12/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Arlington Technologies, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology Corporation Miami Lakes FLA US
• Inventors: Abramson, Sandra, Milton, Stephen
• Granted Patent: US 7,974,395 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 379/161
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/2066 Call type detection of indication, e.g. voice or fax, mobile of fixed, PSTN or IP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/436 Arrangements for screening incoming calls , i.e. evaluating the characteristics of a call before deciding whether to answer it based on the calling party profile H04M3/42059; based on location H04M3/42348; based on presence H04M3/42365; diversion H04M3/54

Abstract

An apparatus and method are disclosed that enables detecting the spoofing of a telephone number. To validate the identity of a calling terminal, some techniques in the prior art rely on exchanging data that only the legitimate calling system and the called system know about. In contrast, the illustrative embodiment of the present invention validates the identity of the calling terminal by assessing characteristics other than the calling terminal'"'"'s telephone number, such as the telephone type and the signaling protocol. By using characteristics other than telephone number to validate the identity, the data-processing system of the illustrative embodiment makes it more difficult to spoof a legitimate telephone'"'"'s number.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a telephone number and a telephone type for a first telephone; and

granting a privilege to said first telephone based on whether or not said telephone type agrees with what is expected for said telephone number.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said privilege comprises establishing a call with a data-processing system.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said privilege further comprises calling a second telephone through said data-processing system.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said data-processing system is a private branch exchange, and wherein said second telephone is off-premises in relation to said private branch exchange.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a call attempt from said first telephone; and

ending said call attempt when said telephone type is different from what is expected for said telephone number.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said first telephone is an Internet Protocol-capable telephone.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the granting of said privilege is also based on the signaling protocol that said first telephone uses to originate a call.

8. A method comprising:

receiving a telephone number and a signaling protocol for a first telephone; and

granting a privilege to said first telephone based on whether or not said signaling protocol agrees with what is expected for said telephone number.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein said privilege comprises establishing a call with a data-processing system.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said privilege further comprises calling a second telephone through said data-processing system.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said data-processing system is a private branch exchange, and wherein said second telephone is off-premises in relation to said private branch exchange.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving a call attempt from said first telephone; and

ending said call attempt when said signaling protocol is different from what is expected for said telephone number.

13. The method of claim 8 wherein said signaling protocol is based on a protocol other than the Integrated Services Digital Network protocol set.

14. The method of claim 8 wherein the granting of said privilege is also based on the telephone type of said first telephone.

15. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of identifiers that identifies a first telephone, wherein said plurality of identifiers comprises a telephone number; and

granting a privilege to said first telephone based on whether or not the ordering of said identifiers within said plurality agrees with what is expected for said telephone number.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein said privilege comprises establishing a call with a data-processing system.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said privilege further comprises calling a second telephone through said data-processing system.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said data-processing system is a private branch exchange, and wherein said second telephone is off-premises in relation to said private branch exchange.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

receiving a call attempt from said first telephone; and

ending said call attempt when the ordering of said identifiers within said plurality is different from what is expected for said telephone number.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the granting of said privilege is also based on the telephone type of said first telephone.