VERIFYING A LAWFUL INTERCEPTION SYSTEM

• US 20090254651A1
• Filed: 04/03/2008
• Published: 10/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: At&T Delaware Intellectual Property, Inc. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sheppard, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,975,046 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 709/224
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/30 for supporting lawful interception, monitoring or retaining of communications or communication related information circuit switched telephony call monitoring H04M3/2281

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer-readable media provide for verifying a lawful interception system. A first file and a second file are received. The first file is formed by recording data traffic at a computer as the data traffic generated at the computer is transmitted from the computer to a remote network via a broadband remote access server (BRAS), saving the recorded data traffic as a first packet capture and flat file export (PCAP) file, and exporting packet summary lines from the first PCAP file. The second file is formed by intercepting the data traffic as the data traffic egresses from a mediation system to a law enforcement agency (LEA) system, saving the intercepted data traffic as a second PCAP file, and exporting packet summary lines from the second PCAP file. The first file is compared with the second file to verify an accuracy of the mediation system

Claims

1. A method for verifying a lawful interception system, comprising:

receiving a first file, the first file being formed by recording data traffic at a computer as the data traffic generated at the computer is transmitted from the computer to a remote network via a broadband remote access server (BRAS), saving the recorded data traffic as a first packet capture and flat file export (PCAP) file, and exporting packet summary lines from the first PCAP file;

receiving a second file, the second file being formed by intercepting the data traffic as the data traffic egresses from a mediation system to a law enforcement agency (LEA) system, saving the intercepted data traffic as a second PCAP file, and exporting packet summary lines from the second PCAP file; and

comparing the first file with the second file to verify an accuracy of the mediation system.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the first file with the second file to verify an accuracy of the mediation system comprises:

importing the first file and the second file into a spreadsheet application; and

determining whether data frames in the data traffic recorded by the computer are equivalent to data frames in the data traffic captured by the mediation system by comparing the first file and the second file via the spreadsheet application.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the first file with the second file to verify an accuracy of the mediation system comprises:

importing the first file and the second file into a spreadsheet application; and

determining a difference between a time at which each data frame in the data traffic is recorded by the computer and a time at which each data frame in the data traffic is captured by the mediation system via the spreadsheet application.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the data traffic is generated at the computer by generating a ping request to an Internet protocol address and a domain name server lookup to a uniform resource locator.

5. A system for verifying a lawful interception system, comprising:

a memory for storing a program containing code for verifying a lawful interception system;

a processor functionally coupled to the memory, the processor being responsive to computer-executable instructions contained in the program and operative to;

receive a first file, the first file being formed by recording data traffic at a computer as the data traffic generated at the computer is transmitted from the computer to a remote network via a broadband remote access server (BRAS), saving the recorded data traffic as a first packet capture and flat file export (PCAP) file, and exporting packet summary lines from the first PCAP file,

receive a second file, the second file being formed by intercepting the data traffic as the data traffic egresses from a mediation system to a law enforcement agency (LEA) system, saving the intercepted data traffic as a second PCAP file, and exporting packet summary lines from the second PCAP file, and

compare the first file with the second file to verify an accuracy of the mediation system.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein to compare the first file with the second file to verify an accuracy of the mediation system, the processor is further operative to:

import the first file and the second file into a spreadsheet application, and

determine whether data frames in the data traffic recorded by the computer are equivalent to data frames in the data traffic captured by the mediation system by comparing the first file and the second file via the spreadsheet application.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein to compare the first file with the second file to verify an accuracy of the mediation system, the processor is further operative to:

import the first file and the second file into a spreadsheet application, and

determine a difference between a time at which each data frame in the data traffic is recorded by the computer and a time at which each data frame in the data traffic is captured by the mediation system via the spreadsheet application.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the data traffic is generated at the computer by generating a ping request to an Internet protocol address and a domain name server lookup to a uniform resource locator.

9. A computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon for execution by a processor to provide a method for verifying a lawful interception system, the method comprising:

receiving a first file, the first file being formed by recording data traffic at a computer as the data traffic generated at the computer is transmitted from the computer to a remote network via a broadband remote access server (BRAS), saving the recorded data traffic as a first packet capture and flat file export (PCAP) file, and exporting packet summary lines from the first PCAP file;

receiving a second file, the second file being formed by intercepting the data traffic as the data traffic egresses from a mediation system to a law enforcement agency (LEA) system, saving the intercepted data traffic as a second PCAP file, and exporting packet summary lines from the second PCAP file; and

comparing the first file with the second file to verify an accuracy of the mediation system.

10. The computer-readable of claim 9, wherein comparing the first file with the second file to verify an accuracy of the mediation system comprises:

importing the first file and the second file into a spreadsheet application; and

determining whether data frames in the data traffic recorded by the computer are equivalent to data frames in the data traffic captured by the mediation system by comparing the first file and the second file via the spreadsheet application.

11. The computer-readable of claim 9, wherein comparing the first file with the second file to verify an accuracy of the mediation system comprises:

importing the first file and the second file into a spreadsheet application; and

determining a difference between a time at which each data frame in the data traffic is recorded by the computer and a time at which each data frame in the data traffic is captured by the mediation system via the spreadsheet application.

12. The computer-readable of claim 9, wherein the data traffic is generated at the computer by generating a ping request to an Internet protocol address and a domain name server lookup to a uniform resource locator.