IDENTIFY A SECURE END-TO-END VOICE CALL

• US 20080141331A1
• Filed: 12/07/2006
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Narendra, Hosahalli Nanjappa, Kohli, Sandeep Singh, Kumarasamy, Parameswaran, Parameswaran, Kavithadevi, Tasker, Michael Edric
• Granted Patent: US 7,852,783 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/65 Network streaming protocols, e.g. real-time transport protocol [RTP] or real-time control protocol [RTCP]

Abstract

We describe a system embodiment comprising generating a Secure Real-Time Transport Protocol (SRTP) encapsulated packet and including a secure media indicator into the SRTP encapsulated packet. The method further comprises inserting the SRTP encapsulated packet into an SRTP voice stream associated with an active call between a source and a destination endpoint and indicating an end-to-end secure call between the source and destination endpoints responsive to the secure media indicator.

And we describe a method embodiment comprising transmitting a request message from a source endpoint to a destination endpoint participating in an active call and setting a secure media flag in the request message at each node in a signaling path associated with the active call. The method further comprises returning a response message from the destination endpoint to the source endpoint responsive to the request and indicating an end-to-end secure call between the two endpoints.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating a Secure Real-Time Transport Protocol (SRTP) encapsulated packet;

including a secure media indicator into the SRTP encapsulated packet;

inserting the SRTP encapsulated packet into an SRTP voice stream associated with an active call between a source and a destination endpoint;

indicating an end-to-end secure call between the source and destination endpoints responsive to the secure media indicator.

2. The method of claim 1 comprising

encrypting the SRTP encapsulated packet;

and

including an encryption key in the SRTP encapsulated packet.

3. The method of claim 1 comprising:

periodically inserting the SRTP encapsulated packet into the SRTP voice stream.

4. The method of claim 1 where the including the secure media indicator includes identifying the source endpoint as an IP phone.

5. The method of claim 1 comprising:

digitally signing the SRTP encapsulated packet with a digital certificate issued by a certificate authority that is common to both the source and destination endpoints, where the digital certificate indicates the source and destination endpoints are part of a same trust domain.

6. The method of claim 1 comprising:

signing the SRTP encapsulated packet with a certificate identifying the source endpoint as an IP phone.

7. The method of claim 1 where the indicating the end-to-end secure call includes displaying a secure call icon.

8. The method of claim 1 where including the secure media indicator comprises including the secure media indicator in a payload type of the SRTP encapsulated packet.

9. A system comprising:

a source endpoint to generate an SRTP packet including a security indicator and to insert the SRTP packet into an SRTP voice packet stream;

a destination endpoint to detect an end-to-end secure call between the destination and source endpoints responsive to the security indicator.

10. The system of claim 9 where the SRTP packet includes an encryption key used to encrypt the SRTP packet.

11. The system of claim 9 where the SRTP packet includes a type identifier to identify a type of the source endpoint.

12. The system of claim 9 where the source endpoint is configured to periodically insert the SRTP packet into the SRTP voice packet stream.

13. The system of claim 9 where the destination endpoint is configured to validate the SRTP packet upon reception.

14. The system of claim 9 where the SRTP encapsulated packet includes the security indicator in a payload type.

15. The system of claim 9 where the destination endpoint is configured to display a security icon responsive to the security indicator.

19. The method of claim 15 where indicating the end-to-end secure call includes enabling a secure call icon in the source or destination endpoints if the secure media flag indicates no non-secure segment in the signaling path between the source and destination endpoints.

16. A method, comprising:

transmitting a request message from a source endpoint to a destination endpoint participating in an active call;

setting a secure media flag in the request message at each node in a signaling path associated with the active call;

returning a response message from the destination endpoint to the source endpoint responsive to receiving the request at the destination endpoint;

indicating an end-to-end secure call between the source and destination endpoints along the signaling path of the active call responsive to the secure media flag.

17. The method of claim 16 comprising transmitting the request message during one of initial call establishment, mid-call, or after call establishment.

18. The method of claim 16 where the request and response messages traverse the signaling path associated with the active call.

20. Software encoded in one or more computer-readable media and when executed operable to:

generate a Secure Real-Time Transport Protocol (SRTP) packet when a source endpoint is in a secure mode, the SRTP packet including a secure media indicator in its payload type;

periodically insert the SRTP encapsulated packet into an SRTP voice packet stream associated with an active call between the source endpoint and a destination endpoint; and

determine an end-to-end secure call between the source and destination endpoints responsive to the secure media indicator.

22. The software of claim 22 operable to enable displaying an icon indicating having determined the secure end-to-end call between the source and destination endpoints.

21. The software of claim 22 where the SRTP packet includes:

an encryption key to decrypt the SRTP packet at the destination endpoint; and

a type indicator to indicate a type of the source endpoint.