Method and system for secure telecommunications

• US 5,177,785 A
• Filed: 05/24/1991
• Issued: 01/05/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/1991
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Intervoice Limited Partnership A Nevada Limited Partnership Composed of As Its SOLE General Partner Intervoice GP Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Intervoice Incorporated
• Inventors: Itani, Tarek A., Itani, Talal
• Primary Examiner(s): Tarcza, Thomas H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): CAIN, DAVID C
• Application Number:
  US07/705,101
• Time in Patent Office: 592 Days
• Field of Search: 380/41, 380/49, 380/2, 380/6, 380/8
• US Class Current: 380/253
• CPC Class Codes: H04K 1/02 by adding a second signal to make the desired signal unintelligible
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/68 Circuit arrangements for preventing eavesdropping
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/609 Secret communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/42 Systems providing special services or facilities to subscribers specially adapted for wireless communication networks H04W4/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 1/4575 which are transmitted in digital form

Abstract

There is disclosed a method and system for injecting a number of different signal patterns onto a tone encoded telecommunications line for the purpose of preventing unauthorized eavesdropping. The system relies upon the use of an unused column frequency of the DTMF signals and a notched filter to remove that frequency from received transmission. The second technique is the insertion of precise levels of three valid tones. A third method is the modulation of all of the tones yielding side tones which are also in the valid range, and a fourth method is by sending random signature tones on the line, thereby preventing tape recording and playback of the coded tone communcation.

Claims

1. A system for insertion on a communication path between a user sending sensitive data and a receiver at a control point in said path for accepting said sensitive data, said system comprising:

means fully located at said control point of said path for sending on said path known signals having a known on-off cadence;

means for monitoring transmission received from said user for the presence of said known signals; and

means for providing a signal representative of a possible intrusion on said line when said monitored transmission has present thereon said known signals during a known off time of said known signal cadence.

2. The system set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

means for changing said cadence at irregular intervals of time.

3. The system set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

means for changing said known signals at irregular intervals of time.

4. The system set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

means for imposing information content on said signals.

5. The system set forth in claim 1 wherein said signal removing means further comprises:

means for turning off said cadence; and

means operative upon receipt of said known signals after said cadence has been turned off for a period of time for providing a second signal representative of a high degree of probability of an intruder on said line.

6. The system set forth in claim 5 further comprising:

means for determining from repetitive comparisons of said sent and received cadences the probability of an intrusion on said path.

7. The system set forth in claim 1 further comprising:

means for adjusting the power level of said transmitted known signals depending upon the return loss of said communication path.

8. The system set forth in claim 1 wherein said path includes a hybrid circuit at said control point and wherein said hybrid is inserted between said receiver and said path to said user.

9. A system for insertion on a communication path between a user sending sensitive data and a receiver at a control point in said path for accepting said sensitive data, and wherein said sensitive data is transmitted within a frequency spectrum, said system comprising:

means fully located at said control point of said path for modulating any signal received at said control point;

means collocated with said modulating means for retransmitting said modulated signal over said path thereby creating false information signals on said path; and

means concurrently operative with said modulating means for detecting a valid signal irrespective of said modulated signal on said path.

10. The system set forth in claim 9 wherein said frequency spectrum is the DTMF spectrum and wherein said modulation means operates with a modulation frequency at the average frequency separation between valid DTMF signals.

11. The system set forth in claim 10 wherein said modulation frequency is 81 Hz.

12. The system set forth in claim 10 wherein said modulation is performed at a plurality of modulation frequencies.

13. The system set forth in claim 9 wherein said modulated signals are attenuated by a hybrid located between said user and control point.

14. A system for insertion on a communication path between a user sending sensitive data and a receiver at a control point in said path for accepting said sensitive data, wherein said sensitive data is transmitted at one or more of the discrete frequencies within the DTMF frequency spectrum;

and wherein a transmission from said receiver results in a reflected transmission back to the receiver, said reflected transmission having a return loss associated therewith, said system comprising;

means at said control point for applying a plurality of discrete frequencies on said path, each such frequency being identical with a particular discrete DTMF frequency and having a known and specific power level;

means, including the return loss of said communication path, for removing said applied known frequencies from said connection;

means for monitoring said return loss; and

means controlled by said monitoring means for disabling said applying means, when said return loss falls below a specific level.

15. A system for insertion on a communication path between a user sending sensitive data and a receiver at a control point in said path for accepting said sensitive data;

wherein said sensitive data is transmitted at one or more of the discrete frequencies within the DTMF frequency spectrum, said system comprising;

means at said control point for applying to said communication path a frequency corresponding to one of said DTMF frequencies; and

means collocated with said applying means for band- stop filtering said applied frequency from the reflected transmission from said communication path.

16. The system set forth in claim 15 wherein said applied frequency is the fourth column frequency of said DTMF discrete frequencies.

17. The system set forth in claim 15 further comprising:

means for applying said frequency only when any frequency within said DTMF bandwidth is present on said communication path.

18. A system for insertion on a communication path between a user sending sensitive data and a receiver at a control point in said path for accepting said sensitive data;

wherein said sensitive data is transmitted at one or more of the discrete frequencies within the DTMF frequency spectrum; and

wherein a transmission from said receiver results in a reflected transmission back to said receiver, said reflected transmission having a return loss associated therewith, said system comprising;

means at said control point for applying the following signals to said communication path;

a) a signature signal having a non-DTMF frequency and a controllable cadence;

b) a modulating frequency signal for modulating any detected signal to create extra transmitted frequencies;

c) a plurality of discrete DTMF signals having a known power level coordinated with the loss characteristics of said communication path hybrid; and

d) a frequency corresponding to a non-used one of said DTMF frequencies;

means at said control point for monitoring said received signals for a comparison of transmitted signature signal cadence with said received signals;

means, including the return loss of said communication connection from a user, for removing said applied known frequencies from said path; and

means for band stop filtering said applied non-used DTMF frequency from the reflected transmission from said communication path.

19. The system set forth in claim 18 further comprising:

means for changing said cadence from time to time.

20. The system set forth in claim 18 further comprising:

means for determining from repetitive comparisons of said sent and received cadences the probability of an intrusion on said path.

21. The system set forth in claim 18 wherein said modulation means operates to modulate with a frequency at the average frequency separation between valid DTMF signals.

22. The system set forth in claim 21 wherein said modulation frequency is 81 Hz.

23. The system set forth in claim 21 wherein said modulation is performed at a plurality of modulation frequencies.

24. The system set forth in claim 18 wherein said applied frequency is the fourth (`D`) column frequency of said DTMF discrete frequencies.

25. The system set forth in claim 18 further comprising:

means for applying said used DTMF frequency only when power is present on said communication path.

26. A system for insertion on a communication path between a user sending sensitive data and a receiver at a control point in said path for accepting said sensitive data, and wherein said sensitive data is transmitted within a frequency spectrum, and wherein a transmission from either said sender or said sending receiver results in a reflected transmission back to the sending party, said system comprising:

means for sending on said path one or more known signals having a known cadence;

means for comparing said transmitted signal cadence with any received signal cadence; and

means for providing an indication of tampering when the transmitted signal cadence does not match any received cadence.

27. The system in claim 26 wherein said comparing means is operative during the off time of said signal cadence plus a line delay compensation time.

28. The system set forth in claim 26 further comprising:

means for changing said cadence aperiodically.

29. The system set forth in claim 26 further comprising:

means for changing said signals aperiodicaly.

30. The system set forth in claim 26 further comprising:

means for imposing information content on said signal.

31. The system set forth in claim 26 further comprising:

means for determining from repetitive comparisons of said sent and received cadences the probability of an intrusion on said path.

32. The system set forth in claim 26 further comprising:

means for modulating any frequency transmitted on said path thereby creating false information signals.

33. The system set forth in claim 32 wherein said frequency spectrum is the DTMF spectrum and wherein said modulation means operates with a modulation frequency at the average frequency separation between valid DTMF signals.

34. The system set forth in claim 33 wherein said modulation frequency is 81 Hz.

35. The system set forth in claim 33 wherein said modulation is performed at a plurality of modulation frequencies.

36. The system set forth in claim 26 wherein said frequency spectrum is the DTMF spectrum and wherein said system further comprises:

means for applying a plurality of discrete frequencies on said path, each such frequency being identical with a particular discrete DTMF frequency and having a known and specific power level;

means, including the return loss of said communication path, for removing said applied known frequencies from said path;

means for monitoring said return loss; and

means controlled by said monitoring means for disabling said applying means, when said return loss fails below a specific level.

37. The system set forth in claim 26 wherein said frequency spectrum is the DTMF spectrum and wherein said system further comprises:

means for applying to said communication path a frequency corresponding to one of said DTMF frequencies; and

means for band-stop filtering said applied frequency from the reflected transmission from said communication path.

38. The system set forth in claim 37 wherein said applied frequency is the fourth column frequency of said DTMF discrete frequencies.

39. The system set forth in claim 37 further comprising:

means for applying said frequency only when any frequency within said DTMF bandwidth is present on said communication path.

40. A security system including:

a user source for sending secure and non-secure information;

a control system for accepting, decoding and processing said secure and non-secure information;

a communication path connecting said user source and said control system, said control system including;

means for sending over said communication path known signals having a known on-off cadence;

means for monitoring transmission received from said user for the presence of said known signals; and

means for ending communication over said path from said user to said control system when said monitored transmission contains known cadence signals during the off period of said signal cadence.

41. The system set forth in claim 40 wherein said off-period includes a period after said on-time equal to the communication path reflected signal delay time.

42. A security system including:

a user source for sending secure and non-secure information;

a control system for accepting, decoding and processing said secure and non-secure information;

a communication path connecting said user source and said control system, said control system including;

means for modulating any signal received at said control point;

means collocated with said modulating means for retransmitting said modulated signal over said path thereby creating false information on said path; and

means concurrently operative with said modulating means for detecting a valid signal irrespective of said modulated signal on said path.

43. A security system including:

a user source for sending secure and non-secure information;

a control system for accepting, decoding and processing said secure and non-secure information;

a communication path connecting said user source and said control system, said control system including;

means for applying a plurality of discrete frequencies on said path, each such frequency being identical with a particular discrete DTMF frequency and having a known and specific power level;

means, including the return loss of said communication path, for removing said applied known frequencies from said connection;

means for monitoring said return loss; and

means controlled by said monitoring means for disabling said applying means, when said return loss falls below a specific level.

44. A security system including:

a user source for sending secure and non-secure information;

a control system for accepting, decoding and processing said secure and non-secure information;

a communication path connecting said user source and said control system, said control system including;

means for applying to said communication path a frequency corresponding to one of said DTMF frequencies; and

means collocated with said applying means for band-stop filtering said applied frequency from said communication path.

45. A method for detecting transmission security breaches on a communication path between a user sending data and a receiver at a control point in said path for accepting said data, said method comprises the steps of:

sending on said path known signals having a known on-off cadence;

monitoring transmission received from said user for the presence of said known signals; and

providing a signal representative of a possible intrusion on said line when said monitored transmission has present thereon said known signals during a known off time of said known signal cadence.

46. The method set forth in claim 45 further comprising the step of:

changing said cadence aperiodically.

47. The method set forth in claim 45 further comprising the step of:

changing said known signal aperiodically.

48. The method set forth in claim 45 further comprising the step of:

imposing information content on said signal.

49. The method set forth in claim 45 further comprising the step of:

determining from repetitive comparisons of said sent and received cadences the degree of probability of a said breach.

50. A method for detecting transmission security breaches on a communication path between a user sending data and a receiver at a control point in said path for accepting said data, said method comprises the steps of:

modulating any signal received at said control point;

retransmitting said modulated signal over said path thereby creating false information signals on said path; and

detecting simultaneously with said signal modulation a valid signal irrespective of said modulated signal on said path.

51. The method set forth in claim 50 further comprising the step of:

attenuating said modulated signals by a hybrid located between said user and said control point.

52. The method set forth in claim 50 wherein said frequency spectrum is the DTMF spectrum and wherein said modulation step operates with a modulation frequency at the average frequency separation between valid DTMF signals.

53. The method set forth in claim 52 wherein said modulation frequency is 81 Hz.

54. The method set forth in claim 50 further comprising the step of:

performing said modulation at a plurality of modulation frequencies.

55. A method for detecting transmission security breaches on a communication path between a user sending data and a receiver at a control point in said path for accepting said data, said method comprises the steps of:

applying a plurality of discrete frequencies on said path, each such frequency being identical with a particular discrete DTMF frequency and having a known and specific power level;

removing, via the return loss of said communication path, said applied known frequencies from said connection;

monitoring said return loss; and

disabling, under control of said monitoring means, said applying step when said return loss fails below a specific level.

56. A method for detecting transmission security breaches on a communication path between a user sending data and a receiver at a control point in said path for accepting said data, said method comprises the steps of:

applying to said communication path a frequency corresponding to a specific DTMF frequency; and

band-stop filtering said applied frequency from the reflected transmission from said communication path.

57. The method set forth in claim 56 wherein said applied frequency is the fourth column frequency of the DTMF discrete frequencies.

58. The method set forth in claim 56 further comprising the step of:

applying said frequency only when any frequency within said DTMF bandwidth is present on said communication path.

59. A security system including:

a user source for sending secure and non-secure information;

a control system for accepting, decoding and processing said secure and non-secure information;

a communication path connecting said user and said control system, said control system including;

means for sending over said communication path a plurality of different security control signals, some of said security control signals being in-band with said secure information from said user source and some of said security control signals being a modulated version of any signal on said path; and

means concurrently operative with said sending of said security control signals for extracting valid information sent from said user source regardless of said security control signals on said path.