Surveillance device detection with countermeasures

• US 8,340,252 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2009
• Issued: 12/25/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Early Rescue Solutions LLC
• Original Assignee: Early Rescue Solutions LLC
• Inventors: Vasquez, Hector, Kuttner, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAN, QUOC DUC
• Application Number:
  US12/493,522
• Publication Number:
  US 20100008477A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,275 Days
• Field of Search: 379/7, 379/15.05, 379/22.03, 379/24, 379/26.02, 379/27.02, 379/27.03, 379/27.06, 379/161, 379/168, 379/184
• US Class Current: 379/7
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2201/18 Comparators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/2272 Subscriber line supervision circuits, e.g. call detection circuits

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a method and apparatus for detecting surveillance devices on a telephone line and deployment of countermeasures therefor. The apparatus comprises a line monitoring circuit for evaluating whether the phone is off hook or ringing. A test generation circuit produces a test signal to be injected into a line and issues test commands. A signal response analysis circuit compares a test signal response to a baseline signal response and reports an anomaly when the difference between a test signal response and a baseline signal response exceeds a threshold. Additionally, an anomaly may be reported when an unusual signal is detected, such as a clock. A detection management circuit issues countermeasures to the anomaly based on programmed responses.

Claims

1. An apparatus for detecting surveillance devices on a telephone line comprising:

a case having at least one line input, at least one line output, a communications output, and a controller;

the controller having a central processing unit and a memory storage and configured to;

(a) instruct a test signal to be transmitted to at least one user-selectable line;

(b) compare a test signal response from one of the user-selectable lines with a baseline signal response;

(c) report a change in the line state of one of the user-selectable lines when the difference between the test signal response and the baseline signal response exceeds a threshold; and

(d) issue a countermeasure based upon countermeasure settings; and

a switch matrix, the switch matrix configured to inject the test signal into the at least one of the user-selectable lines, break a connection with at least one of the user-selectable lines, extract the test signal response from at least one of the user-selectable lines, and terminate a connection with one of the user-selectable lines when the controller issues a termination command.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the countermeasure is selected from the group consisting of alerting a user that one of the user-selectable lines is compromised via a text message, alerting a user that one of the user-selectable lines is compromised via an email message, alerting a user that one of the user-selectable lines is compromised via a wireless display device, and issuing a command to terminate a connection with one of the user selectable lines.