Secure telecommunications

• US 9,591,479 B1
• Filed: 06/22/2016
• Issued: 03/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/14/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wickr Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Leavy, Thomas Michael, Kasabwala, Dipakkumar R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Schwartz, Darren B
• Application Number:
  US15/190,136
• Time in Patent Office: 258 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0428 wherein the data content is protected, e.g. by encrypting or encapsulating the payload
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/061 for key exchange, e.g. in peer-to-peer networks cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key agreement H04L9/0838
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/062 for key distribution, e.g. centrally by trusted party cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving a central third party H04L9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0876 based on the identity of the terminal or configuration, e.g. MAC address, hardware or software configuration or device fingerprint
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/18 using different networks or channels, e.g. using out of band channels cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for key distribution involving distinctive intermediate devices or communication paths H04L9/0827; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for authentication using a plurality of channels H04L9/3215
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0643 Hash functions, e.g. MD5, SHA, HMAC or f9 MAC
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0822 using key encryption key
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0833 involving conference or group key network architectures or network communication protocols for key management in group communication in a packet data network H04L63/065
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0861 Generation of secret information including derivation or calculation of cryptographic keys or passwords
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0891 Revocation or update of secret information, e.g. encryption key update or rekeying
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3066 involving algebraic varieties, e.g. elliptic or hyper-elliptic curves
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/033 of the user plane, e.g. user's traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/041 Key generation or derivation
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/69 Identity-dependent

Abstract

The present disclosure describes techniques for configuring and participating in encrypted audio calls, audio conferences, video calls, and video conferences. In particular, a call initiator generates a meeting identifier and a first meeting key, which are encrypted using a first encryption key and distributed to one or more participants of the call. The one or more participants decrypt the meeting identifier and the first meeting key, and use that information to participate in the encrypted call. Further, participants respond to the encrypted communication data by encrypting their reply data with the first meeting key. The call initiator decrypts the reply data using the first meeting key.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a processor configured to;

initialize a secure telecommunication by generating a meeting identifier and a first meeting key;

generate a first encryption key;

encrypt the meeting identifier and the first meeting key using the first encryption key;

transmit a secure telecommunication request to one or more receivers via a control channel, wherein the secure telecommunication request includes at least one of the encrypted meeting identifier and the encrypted first meeting key, and wherein at least one of the first meeting key and the first encryption key is generated by obtaining ephemeral environmental noise from a kernel operation executing on an initiating client'"'"'s device;

encrypt communication data using the first meeting key; and

transmit the encrypted communication data to the one or more receivers via a communication channel; and

a memory coupled to the processor and configured to provide the processor with instructions.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the meeting identifier is generated by hashing at least one property associated with the secure telecommunication.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first meeting key is generated by applying multiple rounds of a hash function to a first set of pseudorandom bytes derived from an initiating client'"'"'s device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first encryption key is generated by applying multiple rounds of a hash function to a second set of pseudorandom bytes derived from the initiating client'"'"'s device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the communication data is selected from a group consisting of:

a video call, an audio call, a video conference, and a conference call.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

generate a second meeting key;

generate a second encryption key;

encrypt the second meeting key using the second encryption key; and

transmit the encrypted second meeting key to a subset of the one or more receivers.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the processor is further configured to:

encrypt communication data using the second meeting key; and

transmit the encrypted communication data to the subset of the one or more receivers via the communication channel.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to:

transmit the encrypted communication data and the meeting identifier to a communication server when transmitting the encrypted communication data to the one or more receivers.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

encrypt the first encryption key with a key-encrypting key unique to each of the one or more receivers;

encrypt the encrypted first encryption key with a device key unique to each of the one or more receivers to produce a twice-encrypted first encryption key; and

transmit the twice-encrypted first encryption key to the one or more receivers in the secure telecommunication request.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive encrypted response data from one or more receivers via the communication channel;

decrypt the encrypted response data using the first meeting key; and

provide the decrypted response data to a user.

11. A method comprising:

initializing a secure telecommunication by generating a meeting identifier and a first meeting key;

generating a first encryption key;

encrypting the meeting identifier and the first meeting key using the first encryption key;

transmitting a secure telecommunication request to one or more receivers via a control channel, wherein the secure telecommunication request includes at least one of the encrypted meeting identifier and the encrypted first meeting key, and wherein at least one of the first meeting key and the first encryption key is generated by obtaining ephemeral environmental noise from a kernel operation executing on an initiating client'"'"'s device;

encrypting communication data using the first meeting key; and

transmitting the encrypted communication data to one or more receivers via a communication channel.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating the meeting identifier by hashing at least one property associated with the secure telecommunication.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating the first meeting key by applying multiple rounds of a hash function to a first set of pseudorandom bytes derived from an initiating client'"'"'s device.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating the first encryption key by applying multiple rounds of a hash function to a second set of pseudorandom bytes derived from the initiating client'"'"'s device.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the communication data is selected from a group consisting of:

a video call, an audio call, a video conference, and a conference call.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

generating a second meeting key;

generating a second encryption key;

encrypting the second meeting key using the second encryption key; and

transmitting the encrypted second meeting key to a subset of the one or more receivers.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

encrypting communication data using the second meeting key; and

transmitting the encrypted communication data to the subset of one or more receivers via the communication channel.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein transmitting the encrypted communication data to one or more receivers via the communication channel further comprises:

transmitting the encrypted communication data and the meeting identifier to a communication server.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

encrypting the first encryption key with a key-encrypting key unique to each of the one or more receivers;

encrypting the encrypted first encryption key with a device key unique to each of the one or more receivers to produce a twice-encrypted first encryption key; and

transmitting the twice-encrypted first encryption key to the one or more receivers in the secure telecommunication request.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving encrypted response data from one or more receivers via the communication channel;

decrypting the encrypted response data using the first meeting key; and

providing the decrypted response data to a user.

21. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, perform the steps of:

initializing a secure telecommunication by generating a meeting identifier and a first meeting key;

generating a first encryption key;

encrypting the meeting identifier and the first meeting key using the first encryption key;

transmitting a secure telecommunication request to one or more receivers via a control channel, wherein the secure telecommunication request includes at least one of the encrypted meeting identifier and the encrypted first meeting key, and wherein at least one of the first meeting key and the first encryption key is generated by obtaining ephemeral environmental noise from a kernel operation executing on an initiating client'"'"'s device;

encrypting communication data using the first meeting key; and

transmitting the encrypted communication data to one or more receivers via a communication channel.

22. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, further comprising instructions for:

generating the meeting identifier by hashing at least one property associated with the secure telecommunication.

23. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, further comprising instructions for:

generating the first meeting key by applying multiple rounds of a hash function to a first set of pseudorandom bytes derived from an initiating client'"'"'s device.

24. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, further comprising instructions for:

generating the first encryption key by applying multiple rounds of a hash function to a second set of pseudorandom bytes derived from the initiating client'"'"'s device.

25. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, wherein the communication data is selected from a group consisting of:

a video call, an audio call, a video conference, and a conference call.

26. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, further comprising instructions for:

generating a second meeting key;

generating a second encryption key;

encrypting the second meeting key using the second encryption key; and

transmitting the encrypted second meeting key to a subset of the one or more receivers.

27. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 26, further comprising instructions for:

encrypting communication data using the second meeting key; and

transmitting the encrypted communication data to the subset of one or more receivers via the communication channel.

28. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, further comprising instructions for:

transmitting the encrypted communication data and the meeting identifier to a communication server when transmitting the encrypted communication data to one or more receivers.

29. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, further comprising instructions for:

encrypting the first encryption key with a key-encrypting key unique to each of the one or more receivers;

encrypting the encrypted first encryption key with a device key unique to each of the one or more receivers to produce a twice-encrypted first encryption key; and

transmitting the twice-encrypted first encryption key to the one or more receivers in the secure telecommunication request.

30. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 21, further comprising instructions for:

receiving encrypted response data from one or more receivers via the communication channel;

decrypting the encrypted response data using the first meeting key; and

providing the decrypted response data to a user.