Standard telephone equipment (STE) based deployable secure communication system

• US 8,958,416 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2012
• Issued: 02/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Original Assignee: TeleCommunication Systems Inc (Comtech Telecommunications Corporation)
• Inventors: Anspach, Steven S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Scheibel, Robert C
• Application Number:
  US13/628,177
• Publication Number:
  US 20130028418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 873 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/352
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4633 Interconnection of networks using encapsulation techniques, e.g. tunneling
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/164 at the network layer
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/30 for supporting lawful interception, monitoring or retaining of communications or communication related information circuit switched telephony call monitoring H04M3/2281
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/0078 Security; Fraud detection; Fraud prevention
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 7/1245 where a network other than PSTN/ISDN interconnects two PSTN/ISDN networks

Abstract

Sensitive, Standard Telephone Equipment (STE) data is encapsulated into IP packets in a remotely deployed, secure communication system. The IP packets are addressed to a matching IP encapsulator/decapsulator device over the public Internet or other IP protocol network, that then passes it to a similar STE device over an ISDN link for decryption. The present invention is embodied in a system that provides secure Voice-Over-IP (VOIP), video and data network functionality in a single, small size deployable case, to a remote user. Most importantly, the embodiment allows for the routing of bulk encrypted (i.e., secure) data over a public network, e.g., the Internet.

Claims

1. A method of cloaking communications, comprising:

formulating, via an encryption device, a single digitally encrypted secure serial data stream from a non-encrypted data signal;

establishing a first data tunnel for passing encapsulated IP packets of said single digitally encrypted secure serial data stream into encapsulated IP packets addressed to a distant end IP address;

establishing a second data tunnel between a local black side router in a communications module together with said encryption device, and a remote controlled device; and

transmitting said encapsulated IP packets over a public non-secure Internet Protocol (IP) network over said first data tunnel and said second data tunnel;

wherein said first data tunnel masks a unique signature of said encryption device.

2. The method of cloaking communications according to claim 1, further comprising:

establishing said first data tunnel between a local Internet Protocol (IP) encapsulator and a remote IP encapsulator.

3. The method of cloaking communications according to claim 1, wherein:

said non-encrypted data signal is a voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) communication.

4. The method of cloaking communications according to claim 1, wherein:

said public non-secure IP network is an Internet.

5. The method of cloaking communications according to claim 1, wherein:

said local black side router is an ISDN router.

6. The method of cloaking communications according to claim 1, wherein:

said second data tunnel transmits over a satellite terminal.

7. The method of cloaking communications according to claim 1, wherein:

said digitally encrypted secure serial data stream is an ISDN serial data stream containing both voice and data information.

8. A system for cloaking encrypted data communications, comprising:

an encryption device to formulate a single digitally encrypted secure serial data stream from a non-encrypted data signal;

an encapsulator to establish a first data tunnel for passing encapsulated IP packets of said single digitally encrypted secure serial data stream into encapsulated IP packets addressed to a distant end IP address;

a local black side router, in a communications module together with said encryption device, to establish a second data tunnel between said local black side router and a remote controlled device; and

a transmitter to transmit said encapsulated IP packets over a public non-secure data network over said first data tunnel and said second data tunnel;

wherein said first data tunnel masks a unique signature of said encryption device.

9. The system for cloaking encrypted data communications according to claim 8, wherein:

said first data tunnel is established between a local Internet Protocol (IP) encapsulator and a remote IP encapsulator.

10. The system for cloaking encrypted data communications according to claim 8, wherein:

said non-encrypted data signal is a voice-over-Internet protocol (VoIP) communication.

11. The system for cloaking encrypted data communications according to claim 8, wherein:

said public non-secure IP network is an Internet.

12. The system for cloaking encrypted data communications according to claim 8, wherein:

said local black side router is an ISDN router.

13. The system for cloaking encrypted data communications according to claim 8, wherein:

said second data tunnel transmits over a satellite terminal.

14. The system for cloaking encrypted data communications according to claim 8, wherein:

said digitally encrypted serial data stream is an ISDN serial data stream containing both voice and data information.