Traffic flow analysis mitigation using a cover signal
US8711688B1 · kind B1 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 22, 2011 |
| Grant date | Apr 29, 2014 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 20, 2032 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04K2203/36
- WIPO fieldTelecommunications
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
Network communications face security issues including traffic flow analysis attacks. Such attacks include deduction of information about networks through analysis of transmitted traffic volume or statistics, even if the traffic is encrypted. For example, an adversary may deduce operational information from traffic volume, or its timing. Described herein are security techniques that can provide transmission security with an obfuscating “cover” signal for any contention-based multiple access system by employing signal interference cancellation techniques, but are not so limited. The cover signal is transmitted on the same frequency band used by terminals on the network. Using “known-signal” and/or self-interference cancellation techniques, the cover signal can be removed by authorized terminals that have appropriate cover signal information and timing synchronization. An adversary cannot distinguish between real traffic and the cover signal while authorized terminals can recover transmissions without impact to network capacity.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.