METHOD FOR MANAGING IDENTITY BY A TRANSMITTING ENTITY IN A 3GPP MCS NETWORK

Abstract

A method implemented by a client transmitting entity included in a 3GPP MCS (3rd Generation Partnership Program Mission Critical Services) standard network, the client transmitting entity being configured to transmit a plurality of contents intended for at least one client receiving entity included in the network, the client transmitting entity and the client receiving entity being affiliated with a same communication group, the method including generating, by the client transmitting entity, a group user key identifier, the group user key identifier being specific to the communication group and being used to encrypt the content, the generation being repeated each time a predetermined event takes place.

Claims

1. A method implemented by a client transmitting entity included in a network according to the 3GPP MCS standard, the client transmitting entity being configured to transmit a plurality of contents intended for at least one client receiving entity included in the network, the client transmitting entity and the client receiving entity being affiliated with a same communication group, the method comprising generating, by the client transmitting entity, a group user key identifier, the group user key identifier being specific to the communication group and being used to encrypt the content, the generating being repeated each time a predetermined event takes place.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: encrypting the content to be transmitted, the content being encrypted by the client transmitting entity, encrypting the content being based on a master key according to the Secure Real Time Protocol, the master key comprising a group master key identifier and the group user key identifier generated, transmitting at least one frame to the receiving entity, according to the SRTP protocol, the at least one frame comprising the content encrypted.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of frames are transmitted, each frame of the plurality of frames comprising a part of the content encrypted, the master key being included in the header of a first frame of the plurality of frames.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined event is a start and/or end of a predetermined time interval, the group user key identifier being used to encrypt each of a plurality of contents transmitted during the predetermined time interval.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined event is the transmission of a new content.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the group user key identifier is randomly generated.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication group is an MCPTT group and the content is a voice communication or an MCVideo group and the content is a video or an MCData group and the content is a textual data set or a file.

8. A communication network according to the 3GPP MCS (3rd Generation Partnership Program Mission-Critical System) standard, the communication network comprising: a client transmitting entity configured to implement the method according to claim 1, a client receiving entity configured to receive the content encrypted and master key transmitted by the transmitting entity.

9. (canceled)

10. A non-transitory computer-readable medium, comprising machine readable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0035] The figures are set forth by way of illustrating and in no way limiting purposes of the invention.

[0036] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a network comprising entities configured to implement the method according to the invention,

[0037] FIG. 2 shows an example of implementation of the method according to the invention,

[0038] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of a method according to the invention,

[0039] FIGS. 4A and 4B represent a schematic representation of a first embodiment of the method according to the invention,

[0040] FIG. 4C shows a schematic representation of a second embodiment of the method according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] Unless otherwise specified, a same element appearing in different figures has a single reference.

[0042] FIG. 1 shows a schematic representation of a network comprising entities configured to implement the method according to the invention.

[0043] In particular, the network represented in FIG. 1 comprises a transmitting entity E configured to implement the method according to the invention, and a receiving entity R.

[0044] The network represented in FIG. 1 is a network according to the 3GPP MCS standard, that is it is implemented following the specifications defined by the 3GPP MCS standard.

[0045] FIG. 3 shows a schematic representation of the method according to the invention. The method represented in FIG. 3 is a method for managing identity according to the invention within the network of FIG. 1.

[0046] The network of FIG. 1 comprises a communication group G. The transmitting entity E is affiliated with the communication group G. The receiving entity R is also affiliated with the same communication group G. The communication group G is an MCPTT, MCVideo or MCData communication group as defined in the state of the art.

[0047] The transmitting entity E and the receiving entity R may be client or server, participant or non-participant, entities or any other entity defined by the 3GPP MCS standard. The transmitting entity E and the receiving entity R are devices comprising at least a processor and a memory, the memory comprising instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to implement an action assigned to the entity. For example, the entities may be user devices such as mobile phones, tablets, computers, or any other device usable by a user, or may be computers or devices having the role of a server for the purpose of the 3GPP MCS standard.

[0048] The method 1 according to the invention represented in FIG. 3 allows the transmitting entity E to dynamically modify its identity, which identity will be used to encrypt at least one content intended for the receiving entity R. For this, the transmitting entity E comprises at least one identity generation module Gen, making it possible to implement the generation step 11 of the method 1 according to the invention represented in FIG. 3. This module is preferably a software module, implemented by the processor of the transmitting entity.

[0049] The invention uses the following key identifiers: [0050] Group user key identifier GUK-ID: this identifier is a key identifier specific to a user of the transmitting entity E and specific to the communication group G. Thus, this key can be seen as a “session key” in the SRTP protocol, as defined in RFC 3711. An identifier of this key, which does not have to remain secret, allows the retrieval of this key, which has to remain secret. This user key is used to encrypt content in the 3GPP MCS standard in the presence of endpoint diversity. [0051] Group master key identifier GMK-ID: This identifier is a group master key identifier specific to the communication group G. In the presence of endpoint diversity, this group master key GMK is used in combination with the group user key GUK to encrypt content as defined in section 7.4.2 of TS 33.180 technical specification. [0052] Master key identifier MKI: This identifier is a master key identifier comprising, in the presence of endpoint diversity, the group user key identifier GUK-ID, and the group master key identifier GMK-ID.

[0053] The method 1 according to the invention represented in FIG. 3 comprises at least one step 11 of generating a group user key identifier GUK-ID. This group user key identifier GUK-ID is generated, according to the invention, each time a predetermined event occurs. Thus, it is not possible for a receiving entity R to link the different communications transmitted by the transmitting entity E to the same transmitting entity E, since its normally fixed group user key identifier GUK-ID is regularly modified.

[0054] For example, as represented in FIG. 2, a frame T1 will be transmitted comprising content C1 encrypted with a first group user key identifier GUK-ID1 and then a frame T2 will be transmitted comprising content C2 encrypted with another group user key identifier GUK-ID2. The two frames T1 and T2 cannot be linked, by the receiving entity R, to the transmitting entity E since the group user key identifiers GUK-ID1 and GUK-ID2 having served to encrypt the contents C1 and C2 respectively and transmitted in the frames T1 and T2 respectively are different and not linked to the identity of the transmitting entity E.

[0055] Preferably, the group user key identifier GUK-ID generated in step 11 is randomly generated. Alternatively, the group user key identifier GUK-ID may be generated according to a predetermined data set, it being important that these data are not linked to the transmitting entity E so that it cannot be identified as the transmitter of the content encrypted with the group user key identifier GUK-ID.

[0056] The method according to the invention also comprises a step 12 of encrypting the content C included in the frame T sent to the receiving entity R. The encryption 12 of the content C is performed by the transmitting entity E. The encryption is based on the group user key identifier GUK-ID generated last, that is in the last implementation of the generation step 11, and on the group master key identifier GMK-ID. The encryption 12 is performed using a master key according to the Secure Real Time Protocol (SRTP) at RFC3711 and according to the TS 33.180 technical specification, point 7.5.1, the master key being identified by its master key identifier MKI.

[0057] The method 1 according to the invention then comprises a step 13 of transmitting at least one frame T according to the SRTP protocol, from the transmitting entity E to the receiving entity R, the frame T comprising the content C encrypted in step 12 with the group user key identifier GUK-ID generated in step 11. The frame T also includes as a header the master key identifier MKI comprising the group user key identifier GUK-ID generated in step 11 and the group master key identifier GMK-ID. The frame T is then transmitted to the receiving entity R, which uses the information included in the master key identifier MKI and the information available to it by virtue of the network topology and context to decrypt the content C.

[0058] In one alternative, the content C encrypted is split into several parts and distributed and sent in a plurality of frames. In this alternative, the master key identifier MKI may only be included in the header of the first frame of the plurality of frames. This saves bandwidth, while still allowing the content to be decrypted.

[0059] Step 11 is repeated each time a predetermined event takes place. Steps 12 and 13 are repeated when a content C is to be transmitted. The invention only makes sense when a plurality of contents C are to be transmitted. Indeed, in the case of the transmission of a single content C, the security problem does not exist.

[0060] According to the invention, the event leading to a new generation 11 may be: [0061] the start or end of a predetermined time interval, or [0062] a floor or start of a communication.

[0063] The first case is represented in FIGS. 4A and 4B and the second case is represented in FIG. 4C.

[0064] FIGS. 4A and 4B represent a first embodiment, that is the case where the predetermined event is a function of a predetermined time interval. This time interval has for example a duration Δt, the duration of the interval being predetermined, that is set in advance by configuration, for example by virtue of a parameter included in the memory of the transmitting entity E or retrieved from another remote device. The predetermined interval has a duration expressed for example in seconds, minutes, hours or days. Preferably, the predetermined interval is chosen so as to limit the possibilities of identifying a same transmitting entity E, thus so as not to cover, with the same group user key identifier GUK-ID, more than a few content transmissions, for example not more than two content C transmissions or no more than ten content transmissions, or no more than a percentage of the average number of content transmissions over a given period, for example 10%, so as to change ten times the group user key identifier GUK-ID for sending all contents C over said given period.

[0065] When, as represented in FIGS. 4A and 4B, the event is a function of a time interval, the step 11 of generating the group user key identifier GUK-ID may be performed for each new interval, for example at the start or end of each interval. The generation step 11 is then performed periodically.

[0066] In FIG. 4A, the step 11 of generating the group user key identifier GUK-ID is performed four times at times T0 to T3, while the steps of encrypting the content with the group user key identifier GUK-ID and transmitting 13 the frame comprising the content encrypted and the master key identifier MKI comprising the group user key identifier GUK-ID are performed only twice.

[0067] In FIG. 4B, the step 11 of generating the group user key identifier GUK-ID is performed twice at times T0 and T1, while the steps of encrypting the content with the group user key identifier GUK-ID and transmitting 13 the frame comprising the content encrypted and the master key identifier MKI comprising the group user key identifier GUK-ID are performed twice, with the same group user key identifier GUK-ID. These two communications can be linked to the same transmitting entity E, but without having knowledge of its identity. The group user key identifier GUK-ID thereby acts as a “pseudonym”. A new group user key identifier GUK-ID is then generated in step 11 performed at time T1, and subsequent communications (not represented) will not be linkable to the first two communications.

[0068] In this first embodiment, generating 11 the group user key identifier GUK-ID is not directly linked to the transmission of content from the transmitting entity E to the receiving entity R, since it is performed according to a time condition.

[0069] In one alternative to the first embodiment, the duration of the predetermined interval may be variable, that is Δt is not fixed.

[0070] FIG. 4C represents a second embodiment in which the predetermined event is dependent on the initiation of a communication. In this second embodiment, generating 11 the group user key identifier GUK-ID is performed on each floor in MCPTT, on each video content transmission in MCVideo, or on each text or file data transmission in MCData. Thus, in this second embodiment, the receiving entity R cannot gather any communication with others and cannot link them with the transmitting entity E. The receiving entity R can still decrypt the content since it receives, in the master key identifier MKI, the group user key identifier GUK-ID used to encrypt the content with the group master key identifier GMK-ID.