Secure wireless communications system and related method

• US 7,987,363 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Issued: 07/26/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Harris Global Communications, Inc. (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Harris Corporation (L3Harris Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chauncey, David, Kuliner, Mitel
• Primary Examiner(s): Moazzami, Nasser
• Assistant Examiner(s): ABEDIN, SHANTO
• Application Number:
  US11/962,318
• Publication Number:
  US 20100031036A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,313 Days
• Field of Search: 713/168, 380/270, 380/274, 455/411, 709/208, 709/223, 726/23
• US Class Current: 713/168
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/08 for authentication of entities cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication H04L9/32
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/1441 Countermeasures against malicious traffic countermeasures against attacks on cryptographic mechanisms H04L9/002
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication

Abstract

A wireless communications system may include wireless communications devices with each including a wireless transceiver and a processor coupled thereto for transmitting and receiving communications and using a challenge-response authentication protocol. The wireless communications devices may also include a master wireless communications device and a slave wireless communications device. The master wireless communications device may transmit a polling message including an unencrypted portion and an initial encrypted challenge portion. The slave wireless communications device may transmit a polling reply message including an unencrypted portion and an initial encrypted response portion based upon receiving the polling message from the master wireless communications device.

Claims

1. A wireless communications system comprising:

a plurality of wireless communications devices with each comprising a wireless transceiver and a processor coupled thereto for transmitting and receiving communications and using a challenge-response authentication protocol;

said plurality of wireless communications devices comprising a master wireless communications device and at least one slave wireless communications device;

said master wireless communications device transmitting a polling message including an unencrypted portion and an initial encrypted challenge portion;

said at least one slave wireless communications device transmitting a polling reply message including an unencrypted portion and an initial encrypted response portion based upon receiving the polling message from said master wireless communications device;

said master wireless communications device filtering out the polling reply message from among a plurality of polling reply messages including spoof polling reply messages;

said master wireless communications device upon receiving the polling reply message thereafter transmitting packets to said at least one slave wireless communications device with each packet comprising a respective different subsequent encrypted challenge portion.

2. The wireless communications system according to claim 1 wherein said at least one slave wireless communications device transmits return packets to said master wireless communications device with each return packet comprising a respective different subsequent encrypted response portion.

3. The wireless communications system according to claim 1 wherein each of said processors performs bit stuffing on the communications to satisfy a data throughput threshold.

4. The wireless communications system according to claim 3 wherein each of said processors performs bit stuffing such that the communications appears as synchronous traffic.

5. The wireless communications system according to claim 1 wherein each of said processors arranges the communications as a plurality of packets with each packet comprising a predetermined number of bits.

6. The wireless communications system according to claim 5 wherein each of said processors breaks down packets of a first number of bits being greater than the predetermined number of bits into a plurality of packets of the predetermined number of bits.

7. The wireless communications system according to claim 5 wherein each of said processors assembles packets of a second number of bits being less than the predetermined number of bits into at least one packet of the predetermined number of bits.

8. The wireless communications system according to claim 1 wherein said processor of said master wireless communications device arranges messages as a plurality of packets with each packet comprising an unencrypted header, at least one of the initial encrypted challenge portion and a different subsequent encrypted challenge portion, and an encrypted payload portion.

9. The wireless communications system according to claim 8 wherein each packet defines a frame structure;

and wherein at least one of the initial encrypted challenge portion and the different subsequent encrypted challenge portion is arranged between the unencrypted header and the encrypted payload portion.

10. The wireless communications system according to claim 1 wherein said processor of said at least one slave wireless communications device arranges messages as a plurality of packets with each packet comprising an unencrypted header, at least one of the initial encrypted response portion and a different subsequent encrypted response portion, and an encrypted payload portion.

11. The wireless communications system according to claim 1 wherein each of said wireless transceivers comprises an IEEE 802.16 WiMAX transceiver.

12. A master wireless communications device in a wireless communications system including a plurality of wireless communications devices, at least one thereof being a slave wireless communications device, the wireless communications devices transmitting and receiving communications and using a challenge-response authentication protocol, the master wireless communications device comprising:

a wireless transceiver; and

a processor coupled to said wireless transceiver for

transmitting a polling message including an unencrypted portion and an initial encrypted challenge portion,

receiving a polling reply message from the at least one slave wireless communications device including an unencrypted portion and an initial encrypted response portion based upon receiving the polling message, and

thereafter transmitting packets to the at least one slave wireless communications device with each packet comprising a respective different subsequent encrypted challenge portion, and receiving return packets from the at least one slave wireless communications device with each return packet comprising a respective different subsequent encrypted response portion.

13. The master wireless communications device according to claim 12 wherein said processor performs bit stuffing on the communications to satisfy a data throughput threshold.

14. The master wireless communications device according to claim 12 wherein said processor arranges the communications as a plurality of packets with each packet comprising a predetermined number of bits.

15. The master wireless communications device according to claim 14 wherein said processor breaks down packets of a first number of bits being greater than the predetermined number of bits into a plurality of packets of the predetermined number of bits.

16. The master wireless communications device according to claim 14 wherein said processor assembles packets of a second number of bits being less than the predetermined number of bits into at least one packet of the predetermined number of bits.

17. A slave wireless communications device in a wireless communications system including a plurality of wireless communications devices, at least one thereof being a master wireless communications device, the wireless communications devices transmitting and receiving communications and using a challenge-response authentication protocol, the slave wireless communications device comprising:

a wireless transceiver; and

a processor coupled to said wireless transceiver for

receiving a polling message from the at least one master wireless communications device including an unencrypted portion and an initial encrypted challenge portion,

transmitting a polling reply message including an unencrypted portion and an initial encrypted response portion based upon receiving the polling message, and

thereafter receiving packets from the at least one master wireless communications device with each packet comprising a respective different subsequent encrypted challenge portion, and transmitting return packets to the at least one master wireless communications device with each return packet comprising a respective different subsequent encrypted response portion.

18. The slave wireless communications device according to claim 17 wherein said processor performs bit stuffing on the communications to satisfy a data throughput threshold.

19. The slave wireless communications device according to claim 17 wherein said processor arranges the communications as a plurality of packets with each packet comprising a predetermined number of bits.

20. The slave wireless communications device according to claim 19 wherein said processor breaks down packets of a first number of bits being greater than the predetermined number of bits into a plurality of packets of the predetermined number of bits;

and wherein said processor assembles packets of a second number of bits being less than the predetermined number of bits into at least one packet of the predetermined number of bits.

21. A method of operating a wireless communications system comprising a plurality of wireless communications devices for transmitting and receiving communications and using a challenge-response authentication protocol, the wireless communications devices comprising a master wireless communications device and at least one slave wireless communications device, the method comprising:

transmitting from the master wireless communications device a polling message including an unencrypted portion and an initial encrypted challenge portion;

transmitting from the at least one slave wireless communications device a polling reply message including an unencrypted portion and an initial encrypted response portion based upon receiving the polling message from the master wireless communications device;

the master wireless communications device filtering out the polling reply message from among a plurality of polling reply messages including spoof polling reply messages; and

upon the master wireless communications device receiving the polling reply message, thereafter transmitting packets to the at least one slave wireless communications device with each packet comprising a respective different subsequent encrypted challenge portion.

22. The method according to claim 21 further comprising transmitting from the at least one slave wireless communications device return packets to the master wireless communications device with each return packet comprising a respective different subsequent encrypted response portion.

23. The method according to claim 21 further comprising performing bit stuffing on the communications to satisfy a data throughput threshold.

24. The method according to claim 21 further comprising arranging the communications as a plurality of packets with each packet comprising a predetermined number of bits.

25. The method according to claim 24 further comprising breaking down packets of a first number of bits being greater than the predetermined number of bits into a plurality of packets of the predetermined number of bits, and assembling packets of a second number of bits being less than the predetermined number of bits into at least one packet of the predetermined number of bits.

26. A wireless communications system comprising:

a plurality of wireless communications devices with each comprising a wireless transceiver and a processor coupled thereto for transmitting and receiving communications and using a challenge-response authentication protocol;

said plurality of wireless communications devices comprising a master wireless communications device and at least one slave wireless communications device;

said master wireless communications device transmitting a polling message including an unencrypted portion and an initial encrypted challenge portion;

said at least one slave wireless communications device transmitting a polling reply message including an unencrypted portion and an initial encrypted response portion based upon receiving the polling message from said master wireless communications device;

said master wireless communications device upon receiving the polling reply message thereafter transmitting packets to said at least one slave wireless communications device with each packet comprising a respective different subsequent encrypted challenge portion;

said at least one slave wireless communications device transmitting return packets to said master wireless communications device with each return packet comprising a respective different subsequent encrypted response portion.

27. The wireless communications system according to claim 26 wherein each of said processors performs bit stuffing on the communications to satisfy a data throughput threshold.

28. The wireless communications system according to claim 27 wherein each of said processors performs bit stuffing such that the communications appears as synchronous traffic.

29. A method of operating a wireless communications system comprising a plurality of wireless communications devices for transmitting and receiving communications and using a challenge-response authentication protocol, the wireless communications devices comprising a master wireless communications device and at least one slave wireless communications device, the method comprising:

transmitting from the master wireless communications device a polling message including an unencrypted portion and an initial encrypted challenge portion;

transmitting from the at least one slave wireless communications device a polling reply message including an unencrypted portion and an initial encrypted response portion based upon receiving the polling message from the master wireless communications device; and

upon the master wireless communications device receiving the polling reply message, thereafter transmitting packets to the at least one slave wireless communications device with each packet comprising a respective different subsequent encrypted challenge portion, and transmitting from the at least one slave wireless communications device return packets to the master wireless communications device with each return packet comprising a respective different subsequent encrypted response portion.

30. The method according to claim 29 further comprising performing bit stuffing on the communications to satisfy a data throughput threshold.

31. The method according to claim 29 further comprising arranging the communications as a plurality of packets with each packet comprising a predetermined number of bits.