2. The Problem The need for voice encryption is well known in the Government and Military There is a latent demand in the Corporate and private sector to protect calls over the public network against interception This latent demand is being encouraged by reports in the Press of industrial espionage and reports of prominent figures being embarrassed by interception of their mobile calls Eisfor products encrypt telephone calls over public networks end-to-end so that any intercepted call cannot be understood
3. Press Reports Vodafone fined £53m over Greek phone tapping affair Vodafone was last night ordered to pay an unprecedented €76m (£53m) in fines for its role in an espionage scandal that saw the mobile phones of Greece's political, business and military elite being tapped in the run-up to and after the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. Observer (London) December 15 2006 Italy arrests 12 more in T.Italia wiretap case MILAN, March 22 (Reuters) - Italian authorities have arrested 12 more people in connection with an investigation into illegal wiretapping by Telecom Italia staff and others, judicial sources told Reuters on Thursday. The investigation began last year, and in September magistrates arrested several people including Telecom Italia's former head of security, GiulianoTavaroli. Reuters March 22 2007 Role of Telecom Firms in Wiretaps Is Confirmed WASHINGTON, Aug. 23 — The Bush administration has confirmed for the first time that American telecommunications companies played a crucial role in the National Security Agency’s domestic eavesdropping program after asserting for more than a year that any role played by them was a “state secret.” New York Times August 24 2007 Three quizzed over royal phone tap claims Former royal aide Dickie Arbiter said there was considerable sensitivity within the royal family over phone interceptions following the infamous “squidgy-gate” episode in the 1990s. He told Sky News: “If you cast your mind back there were several phone tappings, mainly of mobiles. “This goes a stage further and if this is phone tapping landlines then this is a very serious offence. “There is a lot of sensitivity after these incidents with mobile telephones. Observer (London) Ausust 8 2006
4. Enhanced GSM Security The GSM network introduced a significantly higher level of security than previously existed in the older analogue cellular systems. The GSM network can provide a secure encryption facility only on the air interface between the mobile handset (ME) and the base-station (BTS). This encryption is switched on at the network operator’s discretion. BSC P PSTN,ISDN, PSPDN CSPDN BTS BSC MSC BTS Um Abis A Base Station Subsystem Network Subsystem BTS Base Transceiver Station BSC Base Station Controller MSC Mobile Switching Centre Encrypted communications However, the high level of privacy in the GSM network does not extend in the other public telecommunication networks that may be used to carry a call. User data (voice, data or fax), passes completely unencrypted through the non-GSM network portion of a call.
5. Even if the GSM encryption is switched on……. GSM phone encryption "can be cracked“ The encryption system that protects the almost 900 million users of GSM cell phones from instant eavesdropping or fraud is no longer impregnable, cryptologists claim. Researchers at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology in Haifa say they have found a way to defeat the security system, exploiting a flaw in the way the encryption is applied. With GSM, the voice is encoded digitally. But, before this data is encrypted, it is corrected to help compensate for any interference or noise, says Eli Biham, who led the Technion team. This gives an opportunity for a "man in the middle" attack, in which the call is intercepted between the handset and the network base station. New Scientist September 4 2003 Interception equipment is readily available for all algorithms used within GSM, Thuraya and VOIP.
6. The solution BSC BSC BTS BTS BSC BSC MSC BTS BTS Encrypted communications PSTN VoIP Our products provide customers who are looking for the highest level of privacy with the additional protection of safeguarding their conversations over the entire network including the non-GSM portion. User conversationwill be encrypted on a peer-to-peer level, that is, encryption will occur in the calling party handset, and decryption will occur only at the called party’s handset.
32. Purpose To gain better knowledge of corporate market for voice encryption products, in terms of: - current awareness in the corporate sector about voice encryption products - probable usage of the products - expressed need for encryption - pricing preferences
33. Methodology Methodology Telephone survey: Called 40 senior managers in different industries living in 12 EFTA countries Duration: approx. 30 min Structured questions: Asked all persons the same 15 questions
34. Methodology (continued) Management of responses: Some of the question were unprompted, but most of them were prompted. Description of respondents: All the persons interviewed are employed in middle/senior management positions
35. Conclusion Corporate market largely unaware of voice encryption products There is a sizeable demand for voice encryption Greatest demand is to encrypt Voice and data
37. When you think about confidential call, what are your concerns? Who are listening to us and what will they use the information for I need secure communication Is it safe to use GSM or fixed phone for confidential conversation Need to be very careful Difficult to do business when you are never sure if someone is listening to you What to say and not to say Is it to day possible to make a secure conversation over GSM/Fixed line Is anybody listening to us? People have eavesdropping as a profession. It is big business How can I make my call secure?
38. I’d like you to think about a confidential phone call that you have made recently. Describe your thoughts and emotions. Before: Do not think to much about it. Who needs this information that I am in a process of communicating? Concerned that the message goes through in the manner that I want Less concerned now than before No secure phone today, so what can I do? I always plan my phone calls in advance, what to say and not to say It is a part of my daily business I need to be very careful, not mention names and numbers I stand in places where nobody can hear what I am saying
39. I’d like you to think about a confidential phone call that you have made recently. Describe your thoughts and emotions. During: Who is listening now? Need to stick to the agreed agenda and plan Very concerned about the tapping possibilities After: Who did tap into our conversation? How can we improve talking securely? No thoughts at all Did I get the message through to the other side? Did I say too much? Was there others on the line?
40. I will read you a list of words, please tell me the first thing that comes into your mind. Emotion: Human Concerned about people In sales-weakness Angry Feelings Thinking My wife Cry and laughter Good Personal relations Encryption: Security Talk freely FBI and CIA Safety Coded Intelligence Strange letters and numbers Data security Secure communication Be careful
41. I will read you a list of words, please tell me the first thing that comes into your mind. Talk: Meeting Too much talk My wife Waist of time-action is productivity A lot of words Females Conversation Information Speech Security: Safety Positive Guards Encryption Warm blanket Privacy Data security Good feeling Safe talking Good to have when talking
42. I will read you a list of words, please tell me the first thing that comes into your mind. Privacy: Home Secure Family Comfort Be by yourself Not to be disturbed Nice to have Encryption Trust: Friends Family Honesty Scarce commodity Commitment Must be earned Need to have for living Confidence in a person
43. I will read you a list of words, please tell me the first thing that comes into your mind. Innovate: Creativity Future New Winners Entrepreneurs Bright people To succeed New thoughts New products Safe: Home Security Bank Where to put the money To be careful Trust To talk secure Good feeling Helmet and safety belt
44. I will read you a list of words, please tell me the first thing that comes into your mind. Service: Sales Very important-missing it in our society Hotel & Restaurants Friendly Added value Customer care Hand shake Satisfaction When you buy something Commerce
59. If secure/safe communication is very important for you, why haven’t you done it before? Do not know where to buy these products Did not know that they existed Not advertised to my knowledge Lack of availability Where to buy, I do not want to go to a “spy” shop Is it legal to use? Gives me bad “vibrations” , like FBI and CIA Our (telecoms) company did not buy us one, so they probably do not think to much about these issues Until clients ask for usage of this, we will not buy it
61. Please use a scale from 1-5, where 1 is least important and 5 is most important to you and answer following questions. Knowing that you can make confidential phone call, without eavesdropping: In the office:average score 4.9 At home: average score 3.5 Out traveling: average score 4.8 Keep business calls confidential: average score 4.9 Keeping personal calls confidential: average score 3.2
62. How often would you use the following (1 is always and 3 is seldom)? Secure GSM : average score 1.1 Secure desktop phone: average score 1.4 Secure fax: average score 2.5