Out of band encryption
View Patent ↗Embodiments of the invention relate to systems and methods for securing data transmission in networks. Embodiments of the invention further relate to encryption methods that dynamically adjust during the course of data transmission. Further, the encryption methods can adapt dynamically without user intervention. In one embodiment, an encryption scheme can be established, controlled, and monitored via out-of-band communication between transceiver modules.
1. In an optical communication network including a local transceiver module capable of communicating via out-of-band data on a high-speed signal with a remote transceiver module, a method for independently determining an encryption scheme, the method comprising:
initiating high-speed communication between the local transceiver module and the remote transceiver module;
initiating out-of-band communication between the local transceiver module and the remote transceiver module;
performing an authentication handshake using a predetermined public/private key between the local transceiver module and the remote transceiver module via out-of-band communication;
initiating encrypted out-of-band communication between the local transceiver module and the remote transceiver module; and
communicating encryption scheme change information between the local transceiver module and the remote transceiver modules using the encrypted out-of-band communication, wherein the encryption scheme change information is known only to the local transceiver module and the remote transceiver module, and wherein the encryption scheme change information includes instructions to change a wavelength of the high-speed communication to a new wavelength.
2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the encryption scheme change information further includes a new encryption key that is used to encrypt the out-of-band data.
3. The method as recited in claim 2 , wherein the new encryption key is generated at the local transceiver module.
4. The method as recited in claim 3 , wherein the local transceiver module is programmed to generate the new encryption key on a periodic basis or on a random basis.
5. The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:
initiating encrypted high-speed communication between the local and remote transceiver modules.
6. The method as recited in claim 5 , wherein the encryption scheme change information further includes a new encryption key that is used to encrypt the high-speed communication.
7. The method as recited in claim 6 , wherein the new encryption key is generated at the local transceiver module.
8. The method as recited in claim 7 , wherein the local transceiver module is programmed to generate the new encryption key on a periodic basis or on a random basis.
9. The method in accordance with claim 1 , further comprising:
fabricating false high-speed data on one or more wavelengths that are different from the new wavelength of the high-speed communication; and
transmitting the false high-speed data on the one or more wavelengths.
10. A transceiver module comprising:
a transmitter optical subassembly;
a receiver optical subassembly;
an encryption module associated with an encryption key;
a high-speed data control module; and
an out-of-band data control module;
wherein the transceiver is configured to perform the steps of:
initializing high-speed communication with a remote transceiver module coupled to the transceiver module;
initializing encrypted high-speed communication with the remote transceiver module;
initializing out-of-band communication with the remote transceiver module;
performing an authentication handshake using a predetermined public/private key with the remote transceiver module via out-of-band communication;
initializing encrypted out-of-band communication with the remote transceiver module; and
communicating encryption scheme change information with the remote transceiver module using the encrypted out-of-band communication, wherein the encryption scheme change information is known only to the transceiver module and the remote transceiver module, and wherein the encryption scheme change information includes instructions to change a wavelength of the high-speed communication or the encrypted high-speed communication to a new wavelength.
11. The transceiver module as recited in claim 10 , wherein the out-of-band control is an out-of-band detector that extracts out-of band data from double modulated high-speed data.
12. The transceiver module as recited in claim 10 , wherein the encryption scheme change information further includes a new encryption key that is used to encrypt the out-of-band communication.
13. The transceiver module as recited in claim 12 , wherein the transceiver module is further configured to perform the step of generating the new encryption key.
14. The transceiver module as recited in claim 13 , wherein the transceiver module is further configured to perform the step of generating the new encryption key on a periodic basis or on a random basis.
15. The transceiver module as recited in claim 10 , wherein the encryption scheme change information further includes a new encryption key that is used to encrypt the high-speed communication.
16. The transceiver module as recited in claim 15 , wherein the transceiver module is further configured to perform the step of generating the new encryption key.
17. The transceiver module as recited in claim 16 , wherein the transceiver module is further configured to perform the step of generating the new encryption key on a periodic basis or on a random basis.
18. A transceiver module comprising:
a transmitter optical subassembly;
a receiver optical subassembly;
an encryption module associated with an encryption key;
a high-speed data control module; and
an out-of-band data control module;
wherein the transceiver is configured to perform the steps of:
initializing high-speed communication with a remote transceiver module coupled to the transceiver module;
initializing encrypted high-speed communication with the remote transceiver module;
initializing out-of-band communication with the remote transceiver module;
performing an authentication handshake using a predetermined public/private key with the remote transceiver module via out-of-band communication;
initializing encrypted out-of-band communication with the remote transceiver module;
coordinating a change to the encryption scheme with the remote transceiver module using the encrypted out-of-band communication;
fabricating false high-speed data on one or more wavelengths that are different from a wavelength of the encrypted high-speed communication; and
transmitting the false high-speed data on the one or more wavelengths.