Secure transmission system

• US 5,253,294 A
• Filed: 04/18/1983
• Issued: 10/12/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/1983
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T, Inc.
• Original Assignee: AT&T, Inc.
• Inventors: Maurer, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cangialosi, Salvatore
• Application Number:
  US06/485,491
• Time in Patent Office: 3,830 Days
• Field of Search: 375/2.1, 375/2.2, 178/22.08, 178/22.1, 178/22.13-22.16, 178/22.19, 380/29, 380/44, 380/45, 380/21
• US Class Current: 380/264
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0819 Key transport or distribution, i.e. key establishment techniques where one party creates or otherwise obtains a secret value, and securely transfers it to the other(s) network architectures or network communication protocols for key distribution in a packet data network H04L63/062
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/16 the keys or algorithms being changed during operation

Abstract

In a secure digital transmission system that may utilize the Data Encryption Standard, the message signal is encrypted according to a predetermined algorithm and a key. The key is selected from a library of key material according to a key index signal. The key index signal, which is transmitted to all stations that must decrypt the message signal and therefore subject to interception, is itself encrypted at each station to form the library addresses for key selection. Even though the key selection process is initiated by a transmitted signal, security remains high because in the key selection chain, clear text and associated cypher text are not available for analysis. The key for encrypting the key index signal may itself be selected in a similar manner, thereby cascading the system any number of times for further security. A pseudorandom bit stream generated and encrypted at each station and initialized by the transmitted key index signal can address the key library to provide continually changing key.

Claims

1. A secure transmission system having a transmitting terminal (10) for encrypting and transmitting a message signal and a receiving terminal (30) for receiving and decrypting said message signal, said transmitting terminal comprising:

message encryption means (11) for encrypting a message signal according to a predetermined algorithm and a key (14),

first key library means (16) containing a number of possible key elements in excess of the number of elements in said key, and

first key selection means for selecting said key from said first key library according to a key index available to both said transmitting and said receiving terminals,

said receiving terminal comprising,

second key library means (36) similar to said first key library means,

second key selection means for selecting said key according to said key index, and

message decryption means (31) for decrypting said encrypted message signal with the use of said key

CHARACTERIZED IN THAT

said transmitting and receiving terminals each further comprise key index encryption means (17,37) for encrypting said key index, said key being selected according to said encrypted key index.

2. A secure transmission system as in claim 1, wherein said message encryption means (111) and said message decryption means (211) each implement the Data Encryption Standard (DES).

3. A secure transmission system as in claim 1, further comprising random number generating means (11) for generating a train of random bits, wherein said key index is the selective output of said random number generating means.

4. Apparatus (110,130) for reversibly translating a message signal between clear text and cypher text comprising,

means for generating a first pseudorandom bit stream (144,244),

first encryption means (111,211) for encrypting said first pseudorandom bit stream according to a predetermined algorithm and a key,

key library memory means (116,216) for storing possible key elements,

key selection means for selecting said key from the contents of said key library memory according to an accessible key index, and

modulo-two addition means (148,248) for adding said encrypted bit stream to said message signal to translate clear text into cypher text and cypher text into clear text,

CHARACTERIZED IN THAT

said apparatus further comprises key index encryption means (117,217) inaccessibly connected to said key library memory, said key being selected according to said encrypted key index.

5. Apparatus as in claim 4, wherein said first encryption means implement the Data Encryption Standard.

6. Apparatus as in claim 4, wherein said key index is the selected output of a random number generator.

7. Apparatus as in claim 5, wherein said key index encryption means implement the Data Encryption Standard.

8. Apparatus as in claim 7, further comprising means (170,270) for generating a pseudorandom key index bit stream for encryption by said key index encryption means, and

buffer storage means (119,219) connected between said key index encryption means and said key library memory means for temporarily storing said encrypted key index bit stream in the form of addresses for said key library until needed by said first encryption means to provide running key.

9. Apparatus as in claim 7, wherein said key index encryption means encrypts said key index according to a day key having a longer life than said key, and further comprising day key library memory means (162,262) said day key being selected from said day key library according to a day key index.

10. Apparatus as in claim 8, wherein said means for generating a first pseudorandom bit stream and said means for generating a pseudorandom key index bit stream are initialized according to the output of a random number generator (168).

11. Apparatus as in claim 9, wherein said day key index is the selective output of a random number generator (168).

12. Apparatus as in claim 11, further comprising no repeat means (158) connected between said random number generator and said day key library memory means for accumulating the output of said random number generator into addresses for said day key library memory means, and discarding repeated addresses to form said day key index.

13. Apparatus for encrypting a message signal according to an available key index comprising:

encryption means (11) for encrypting said message signal according to a predetermined algorithm and a key (14),

key library memory means (16) for storing possible key elements, and

key index encryption means (17) for encrypting said key index to form addresses of said key library memory means, said addresses thereby selecting said key for said encryption means.

14. Apparatus for decrypting a message signal, said message signal having been encrypted according to a predetermined algorithm and a key, said key having been selected from the contents of a first key library according to an encrypted key index comprising:

decryption means for decrypting said message according to an inverse algorithm of said predetermined algorithm and said key,

a second key library substantially identical to said first key library,

key index encryption means for encrypting said key index, and

key selection means for selecting said key for said decryption means from said second key library according to said key index.