Forensic toolkit and method for accessing data stored on electronic smart cards

• US 8,161,537 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2010
• Issued: 04/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Radio Tactics Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Radio Tactics Ltd.
• Inventors: Gill, Andrew James, Maitland, Neil James
• Primary Examiner(s): Arani, Taghi
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Jason
• Application Number:
  US12/885,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20110010765A1
• Time in Patent Office: 578 Days
• Field of Search: 726/9, 713/193, 713/194, 455/410, 455/411, 455/558
• US Class Current: 726/9
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/2295 Parent-child type, e.g. where parent has control on child rights
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4097 using mutual authentication between devices and transaction partners
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0247 Calculate past, present or future revenues
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0873 Details of the card reader
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

A tool kit for accessing data stored on an electronic SMART card is provided, the kit comprising a SMART card reader and recorder, at least one storage card, and a control card. The card reader and recorder is operative to read and copy the electronic SMART card onto the storage card, and to read the control card, the storage card comprising a storage card security key. The control card comprises code generation means operative to generate a control card security key, copying of the electronic SMART card onto the storage card being prevented unless the control card security key is verified against the storage card security key.

Claims

1. An access storage card for accessing data contained on a mobile phone handset for use as forensic evidence, the access storage card comprising means to store a copy of a mobile phone SIM or USIM card on the access storage card to enable the access storage card to communicate with a mobile phone handset when the access storage card is inserted into the mobile phone handset such that mobile phone data on the copy of the mobile phone SIM or USIM card stored on the access storage card and mobile phone data stored on the mobile phone handset can be accessed, yet data transfer between one or both of the storage card and the mobile handset, and any mobile phone network is prevented, wherein the access storage card comprises an altered copy of the mobile phone SIM or USIM card, wherein the copy is altered such that the authentication procedure that normally occurs between a mobile phone SIM or USIM card in a mobile phone and a mobile phone network is disrupted, and wherein the mobile phone network authenticates the mobile phone SIM or USIM card by requesting a secret integer and verifying the requested secret integer against a prestored expected integer, the copy of the mobile phone SIM or USIM card on the access storage card is altered such that the secret integer is prevented from being supported on the access storage card.

2. The access storage card of claim 1 wherein the copy is altered so as not to be allocated any access control classes, the access storage card being such that, when the copy of the mobile phone SIM or USIM card is activated in a mobile phone handset, one or both of the copy of the mobile phone SIM or USIM card and the mobile phone handset is prevented from accessing any of the mobile phone networks.

3. The access storage card of claim 1 comprising means to prevent writing of files to the storage card without a correct security key being verified against an access storage card security key.

4. The access storage card of claim 3 wherein the access storage card is operative to prevent acceptance of the correct security key more than once and thus prevents writing of files to the storage card more than once.

5. The access storage card of claim 1 comprising prestored data indicative of the date the storage card was manufactured.

6. The access storage card of claim 1 wherein the access storage card comprises a prestored random index integer specific to the access storage card, the access storage card further comprising a prestored encrypted security key derived from entering the random index integer and the storage card security key into an encryption algorithm.

7. A method of copying a mobile phone SIM or USIM card onto an access storage card so that the access storage card can be used to access data contained on a mobile phone handset for use as forensic evidence, the method comprising a step of altering the copy of the mobile phone SIM or USIM card such that, when the storage card is inserted into and used with a mobile phone handset, data transfer between at least one of the copy of the mobile phone SIM or USIM card stored on the storage card and the mobile phone handset, and any mobile phone network, is prevented, the method further comprising a step of altering the copy of the mobile phone SIM or USIM card such that when the copy of the mobile phone SIM or USIM card stored on the storage card is used in a mobile phone handset, the authentication procedure that normally occurs between a mobile phone SIM or USIM card in a mobile phone and a mobile phone network is disrupted, and the method comprising a further step, where the mobile phone network authenticates the mobile phone SIM or USIM card by requesting a secret integer and verifying the requested secret integer against a prestored expected integer, of preventing the secret integer being supported on the storage card.

8. The method of claim 7 comprising a step of altering the copy of the mobile phone SIM or USIM card made on the storage card so as not to allocate any access control classes to the copy, such that, when the copy of the mobile phone SIM or USIM card is used in a mobile phone handset, the copy of the mobile phone SIM or USIM is prevented from accessing any of the mobile phone networks.

9. The method of claim 7 comprising a step of creating means on the storage card to prevent writing of files to the storage card more than once.

10. An electronic data processor operative to perform the method of claim 7.