EP1484892A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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Method and system for lawful interception of packet switched network services
Assignee: Nortel Networks Ltd
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Filing: 2004-06-07
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2024-06-07
Abstract
Abstract A method for lawful interception of packet switched network services, comprising the steps of: when a user accesses the network and is identified by a target-ID at a primary interception point of the network, sending the target-ID to an interception management center, checking at the interception management center whether the user is a lawful interception target and sending an encrypted interception instruction set to a secondary interception point, decrypting said interception instruction set at the secondary interception point and performing an interception process in accordance with the interception instruction set, said interception process including the transmission of encrypted interception and dummy data to a mediation device, wherein said dummy data are added for obscuring true interception traffic between the secondary interception point and the mediation device.
Inventors
- 👤 Lothar Reith
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 11:57
CPC Classifications
H; H04; H04L; H04L63/00; H04L63/14; H04L63/1408; H04L63/08; H04L63/083; H04L63/30; H04L63/04; H04L63/0428
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 14
Claim 1
Independent Claim
126 words
A method for lawful interception of packet switched network
services, comprising the steps of: when a user accesses the network and is identified by a target-ID at
a primary interception point of the network, sending the target-ID to an
interception management center, checking at the interception management center whether the user is
a lawful interception target and sending an encrypted interception instruction
set to a secondary interception point, decrypting said interception instruction set at the secondary
interception point and performing an interception process in accordance with
the interception instruction set, said interception process including the
transmission of encrypted interception and dummy data to a mediation device, wherein said dummy data are added for obscuring true interception traffic
between the secondary interception point and the mediation device.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
17 words
The method of claim 1, wherein said secondary interception point is
identical to said primary interception point.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the dummy data are generated at
random.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the dummy data are based on actual
traffic to or from the pertinent user, but this traffic is scrambled such that, even
after decryption, the contents thereof may not be reconstructed at the
mediation device.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
47 words
The method of claim 1, comprising a step of sending a continuous
stream of camouflage packets from the secondary interception point to the
mediation device, said camouflage packets including intercepted data in
accordance with the demand and being filled up with dummy data to their full
length.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
82 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the interception instruction set
includes a "conditional interception instruction", instructing the PSSP to send
intercept related information or to monitor the traffic associated with the target-ID
and start the interception of the complete traffic or a portion of the traffic only
when a certain trigger condition occurs, said trigger condition being one of: usage of certain network or content resources or usage of a certain catchword,
virus signature or bit-pattern specified in the interception instruction set.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
168 words
A system for carrying out the method as claimed in claim 1,
comprising: at least one interception point formed by a node in the network, an interception management center, and a mediation device serving as an interface between the network and
a law enforcement agency for which interception services are provisioned, wherein said at least one interception point is adapted to send a
target-ID of a user accessing the network to said interception management
center, the interception management center is adapted to send to at least
one of said interception points an encrypted interception instruction set to be
decrypted at the interception point and enabling the same to perform an
interception process in the course of which intercepted data are encrypted and
sent to said mediation device, and the at least one interception point is further adapted to generate
dummy data and to encrypt and send either the intercepted data or the dummy
data or a combination of these, such that the occurrence of intercepted data is
obscured.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
37 words
The system of claim 7, wherein the at least one interception point is
formed by a node of the network that is situated at a subscriber edge of the
network, where end users connect to the network.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 7, wherein the interception point is a switch
adapted to connect end users to an IP or Ethernet network.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
23 words
The system of claim 8, wherein the interception point is a switch
adapted to connect end users to an IP or Ethernet network.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
18 words
The system of claim 7, comprising a plurality of interception points
connected to the same interception management center.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
46 words
The system of claim 7, wherein said interception management center
contains means for communicating with said PSSP according to the RADIUS
protocol, and means for intercepting RADIUS messages either directly or using
a tapping device (42) in a way that is transparent to a RADIUS server.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
38 words
The system of claim 7, wherein said interception management center
contains means for communicating with said PSSP according to the RADIUS
protocol, and means for acting as RADIUS proxy server towards the client
PSSP and a RADIUS server.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
16 words
The system of claim 7, wherein said interception management center is
combined with a RADIUS server.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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