Method and device for secure phone banking

• US 8,571,188 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2006
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Gantman, Alexander, Rose, Gregory G., Choi, Jae-Hee, Noerenberg, John W. II
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US11/611,825
• Publication Number:
  US 20080144787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,510 Days
• Field of Search: 379/90.01, 379/93.02, 379/93.03, 379/142.05, 235/379, 235/380, 235/375, 235/492, 235/382, 705/14, 705/42, 705/44, 705/70, 705/75, 705/72, 705/67
• US Class Current: 379/90.01
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/00 Cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communications; Network security protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/505 signals generated in digital form
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/68 Circuit arrangements for preventing eavesdropping
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 11/00 Telephonic communication systems specially adapted for combination with other electrical systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2203/609 Secret communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/16 with lock-out or secrecy provision in party-line systems

Abstract

A small form-factor security device is provided that may be inserted in series with a telephone line to encrypt dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) tones from a telephone to prevent unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information. A receiving device decrypts the encrypted DTMF tones to receive the original information sent by the telephone. The security device acts as a second factor in a two-factor authentication scheme with a tele-services security server that authenticates the security device.

Claims

1. A method operational on a mobile communication device, comprising:

initiating a call to a tele-services station, wherein an authentication key has been pre-arranged between the mobile communication device and the tele-services station;

receiving a pseudorandom authentication challenge from the tele-services station in response to initiating the call;

sending an authentication response to the tele-services station, wherein the authentication response is a function of the pseudorandom authentication challenge and the authentication key;

requesting sensitive information from the tele-services station; and

receiving the requested sensitive information from the tele-services station if the authentication response is accepted by the tele-services station.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

sending a user identifier to the tele-services station, wherein the user identifier is further used to authenticate the mobile communication device.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the mobile communication device is a mobile phone and the tele-services station is associated with a financial institution.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

generating a session key based on the pseudorandom authentication challenge and the authentication response; and

decrypting the sensitive information using the session key.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensitive information is received as a plurality of dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) tones.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

decrypting the received DTMF tones to obtain the sensitive information.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein decrypting the received DTMF tones includes

converting a first DTMF tone into a first symbol by selecting a first translation table from a plurality of translation tables based on the pseudorandom authentication challenge and the authentication key;

translating the first DTMF tone into a first symbol using the selected first translation table;

converting a second DTMF tone into a second symbol by selecting a second translation table from the plurality of translation tables based on the pseudorandom authentication challenge and the authentication key; and

translating the second DTMF tone into a second symbol using the selected second translation table.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second translation table is obtained by shuffling symbols in the first translation table.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting sensitive information to the tele-services station by encrypting the transmitted sensitive information a plurality of dual tone multi-frequency (DTMF) tones.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein encrypting the plurality of DTMF tones includes

selecting a first translation table from a plurality of translation tables based on the pseudorandom authentication challenge and the authentication key;

converting a first symbol into a first DTMF tone using the selected first translation table;

selecting a second translation table from the plurality of translation tables based on the pseudorandom authentication challenge and the authentication key;

converting a second symbol into a second DTMF using the selected second translation table.

11. A mobile communication device, comprising:

means for initiating a call to a tele-services station, wherein an authentication key has been pre-arranged between the mobile communication device and the tele-services station;

means for receiving a pseudorandom authentication challenge from the tele-services station in response to initiating the call;

means for sending an authentication response to the tele-services station, wherein the authentication response is a function of the pseudorandom authentication challenge and the-authentication key;

means for requesting sensitive information from the tele-services station; and

means for receiving the requested sensitive information from the tele-services station if the authentication response is accepted by the tele-services station.

12. The device of claim 11 further comprising:

means for sending a user identifier to the tele-services station, wherein the user identifier is further used to authenticate the mobile communication device.

13. The device of claim 11 further comprising:

means for generating a session key based on the pseudorandom authentication challenge and the authentication response; and

means for decrypting the sensitive information using the session key.

14. A mobile communication device, comprising:

a communication module for communicating over a wireless communication network; and

a processing circuit coupled to the communication module, the processing circuit configured to

initiate a call to a tele-services station, wherein an authentication key has been pre-arranged between the mobile communication device and the tele-services station;

receive a pseudorandom authentication challenge from the tele-services station in response to initiating the call;

send an authentication response to the tele-services station, wherein the authentication response is a function of the pseudorandom authentication challenge and the-authentication key;

request sensitive information from the tele-services station; and

receive the requested sensitive information from the tele-services station if the authentication response is accepted by the tele-services station.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein the processing circuit is further configured to

generate a session key based on the pseudorandom authentication challenge and the authentication response;

and

decrypt the sensitive information using the session key.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable medium having one or more instructions operational on a security device for securing information transmitted by a telephone, which when executed by a processor causes the processor to:

initiate a call to a tele-services station, wherein an authentication key has been pre-arranged between the mobile communication device and the tele-services station;

receive a pseudorandom authentication challenge from the tele-services station in response to initiating the call;

send an authentication response to the tele-services station, wherein the authentication response is a function of the pseudorandom authentication challenge and the-authentication key;

request sensitive information from the tele-services station; and

receive the requested sensitive information from the tele-services station if the authentication response is accepted by the tele-services station.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 16 having one or more instructions which when executed by a processor causes the processor to further:

generate a session key based on the pseudorandom authentication challenge and the authentication response; and

decrypt the sensitive information using the session key.