System and method for protecting emergency response services in telecommunication networks from attack

• US 20080052399A1
• Filed: 08/28/2006
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Nguyen, Nhut
• Granted Patent: US 8,190,753 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0807 using tickets, e.g. Kerberos cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using tickets or tokens H04L9/3213
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/12 Applying verification of the received information cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for data integrity or data verification H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2242/04 for emergency applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/38 Graded-service arrangements, i.e. some subscribers prevented from establishing certain connections queuing arrangements H04Q3/64
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/006 Networks other than PSTN/ISDN providing telephone service, e.g. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) , including next generation networks with a packet-switched transport layer H04L65/00 takes precedence; aspects not specific to the type of network H04M3/00; special services in those networks H04M3/42
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/084 using delegated authorisation, e.g. open authorisation [OAuth] protocol
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/90 Services for handling of emergency or hazardous situations, e.g. earthquake and tsunami warning systems [ETWS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/50 for emergency connections

Abstract

The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for protecting emergency response services in telecommunications systems from attack. In one example, a system may include a network, a token generator, and a token validator. The network may be configured to communicate with a client via a network interface. The token generator is coupled to the network and configured to generate at least one token based on information associated with the client. The token contains sufficient information for the network to independently validate the client when an emergency response service request is sent by the client to the network. The token validator is coupled to the network and configured to perform a validation process on the token when the token is sent by the client to the network over the network interface. The network is configured to connect the emergency response service request only if the token is validated.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

sending information identifying a terminal device to a token generator within a communication network;

generating at least one token by the token generator based on the information, wherein the token is for use by the terminal device when placing an emergency call and contains sufficient validation information to uniquely identify the terminal device in the communication network;

sending the token to the terminal device;

receiving the token from the terminal device with a request from the terminal device to establish the emergency call;

attempting to validate, by a token validator within the communication network, the token prior to establishing the emergency call; and

establishing the emergency call only if the attempt to validate the token is successful.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising authenticating the terminal device within the communication network, wherein the information identifying the terminal device is obtained during the authentication.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising discarding the request from the terminal device if the attempt to validate the token is not successful.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a replacement token if the attempt to validate the token is successful; and

sending the replacement token to the terminal device for use for another emergency call.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

modifying the token if the attempt to validate the token is successful; and

sending the modified token to the terminal device for use for another emergency call.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the request includes the token.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the token is only received from the terminal device if the emergency call is to be established using a packet based technology.

8. A method comprising:

receiving a request for a connection to an emergency response service from a terminal device;

receiving a token from the terminal device, wherein the token uniquely identifies the terminal device in a communication network without the need for other communications between the terminal device and the communication network;

determining by the communication network whether the token is valid; and

connecting the terminal device to the emergency response service only if the token is valid.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein determining by the communication network whether the token is valid includes evaluating the token using a predefined validation process.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

generating a replacement token only if the token is valid; and

sending the replacement token to the terminal device.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

determining whether the request for the emergency response service is valid; and

generating the replacement token only if the request is valid.

12. A method for use with a terminal device comprising:

receiving at least one token from a communication network, wherein the token includes validation information uniquely associated with the terminal device that is sufficient to identify the terminal device to the communication network without additional information from the terminal device;

storing the token in a memory;

retrieving the token from the memory; and

sending the token to the communication network when requesting a connection to an emergency response service.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising determining whether an outgoing call is attempting to connect to the emergency response service, wherein the token is only sent if the outgoing call is attempting to connect to the emergency response service.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising issuing a notification if the memory does not contain at least one token.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the token is sent only when requesting the connection to the emergency response service using a packet based technology.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the packet based technology includes Voice over Internet Protocol technology.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the token is included in a request message sent when requesting the connection to the emergency response service.

18. A system comprising:

a network configured to communicate with a client via a network interface;

a token generator coupled to the network and configured to generate at least one token based on information associated with the client, wherein the token contains sufficient information for the network to independently validate the client when an emergency response service request is sent by the client to the network; and

a token validator coupled to the network and configured to perform a validation process on the token when the token is sent by the client to the network over the network interface, wherein the network is configured to connect the emergency response service request only if the token is validated.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the token generator and the token validator are contained within the network.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the network includes a packet based communication technology.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the packet based communication technology includes Voice over Internet Protocol technology.

22. The system of claim 18 wherein the token is linked to one of a plurality of users of the client.

23. The system of claim 18 wherein the token is generated using a hashing process.

24. The system of claim 18 wherein the token is generated using a nonce.