Secure Communication Systems, Methods, and Devices

• US 20110302408A1
• Filed: 06/03/2011
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Morrigan Partners Limited
• Original Assignee: Morrigan Partners Limited
• Inventors: McDermott, Trevor, Bruton, Robert
• Application Number:
  US13/152,960
• Publication Number:
  US 20110302408A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/153
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0464 using hop-by-hop encryption, i.e. wherein an intermediate entity decrypts the information and re-encrypts it before forwarding it
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/065 for group communications cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key management involving conference or group key H04L9/0833
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/104 in the network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1053 IP private branch exchange [PBX] functionality entities or arrangements circuit switched PBXs H04M3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1104 Session initiation protocol [SIP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/03 Protecting confidentiality, e.g. by encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/04 Key management, e.g. using generic bootstrapping architecture [GBA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/71 Hardware identity

Abstract

In par, the invention relates to a secure communication system. The system includes a voice call processing server; a user database in communication with the server; and a security gateway in communication with the server and the database, wherein the gateway transmits an encrypted signaling key and at least one encrypted media key in response to validating a mobile device using configuration data stored in the database, wherein the server tracks call traffic encrypted using the at least one media key, the call traffic routed using the Internet.

Claims

1. A secure communication system, the system comprising:

a memory device; and

a processor in communication with the memory device, wherein the memory device comprises instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to;

validate a first mobile device;

transmit a second key to the first mobile device; and

initiate a secure internet-based voice call between the first mobile device and a second previously validated mobile device.

2. The system of claim 1 further comprising a conferencing module configured to cause the processor to execute instructions that cause the processor to initiate a secure connection between the first mobile device and two or more mobile devices for a secure conference call in response to selection of an icon on a user interface of the first mobile device.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the instructions that when executed by the processor further cause the processor to transmit a fourth key to the second mobile device in response to a third key sent from the mobile device.

4. The system of claim 3 wherein the instructions that when executed by the processor further cause the processor to delete or cause the deletion of the second key and the fourth key after the secure internet-based voice call terminates.

5. The system of claim 3 further comprising a private branch exchange server, wherein the processor and memory device is disposed therein.

6. The system of claim 3 further comprising a database executing in the memory device and in communication with the processor, the database comprising registered user information for a secure service and information relating to mobile devices of such users.

7. The system of claim 6 further comprising a secure VoIP gateway comprising an entropy module, a random number generator, and a network sampling module, wherein the entropy module receives signals obtained by the network sampling module and generates an entropy amount, the random number generator receiving and seeded by the entropy amount, wherein the random number generator generates at least one of a first key, the second key, a third key, or a fourth key.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the first mobile device comprises a memory, a mobile processor, an audio input, and an a secure application stored in memory, the secure application comprising a low bandwidth codec stored in memory that operates with the processor to encode voice signals received from the audio input and to encrypt such encoded voice signals using the second key.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the instructions that cause the processor to validate a first mobile device perform such validation in response to a first key sent from the first mobile device or a unique mobile device identifier such as the first mobile device'"'"'s standard number, the first mobile device'"'"'s International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI), or the first mobile device'"'"'s Unique Device Identifier (UDID) and a configuration PIN registered to the user of the first mobile device.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a security module selected from the group consisting of a secure voicemail module configured to received encrypted voicemail messages on a mobile device;

a secure text messages module configured to send and receive encrypted text messages on a mobile device; and

a secure storage module configured to store secure text, voice, and other data on a mobile device.

11. A secure communication system, the system comprising:

a voice call processing server;

a user database in communication with the server; and

a security gateway in communication with the server and the database, wherein the gateway transmits an encrypted signaling key and at least one encrypted media key in response to validating a mobile device using configuration data stored in the database, wherein the server tracks call traffic encrypted using the at least one media key, the call traffic routed using the Internet.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein the call traffic is encoded using a low bandwidth codec such that the encrypted call traffic can be transmitted over a 2G network.

13. The system of claim 11 wherein the encrypted signally key is generated by a random number generator seeded with noise collected with respect to a communication channel of the Internet.

14. A method of conducting a secure communication between a first mobile device and a second mobile device, the method comprising the steps of:

transmitting a first request for a first secure communication from a first mobile device to a secure VoIP gateway;

transmitting a first key from the first mobile device to the secure VoIP gateway;

receiving, by the first mobile device, a second key from the secure VoIP gateway; and

encrypting a first communication using the second key to obtain a first encrypted communication.

15. The method of claim 14 further comprising the step of transmitting the first encrypted communication to a second mobile device.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the first communication is selected from the group consisting of a text message, an email message, a voice signal, and a voicemail message.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the first communication is an encoded voice signal.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the encoded voice signal was encoded using a low bandwidth codec.

19. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of deleting the first key and the second key after the first secure communication terminates between the first and the second mobile devices.

20. The method of claim 15 further comprising the steps of using a media stream to transmit one of the first or second keys and using a SIP signaling stream to transmit the other of the first or second keys.