Method and apparatus for protecting sensitive data

1. A method comprising:

at a first processor disposed at a session border controller, receiving an inbound communication from a telecommunications carrier, the inbound communication comprising RTP-voice data and non-voice data in accordance with an SIP protocol;

sending the non-voice data from the first processor of the session border controller to a second processor;

sending the RTP-voice data from the first processor of the session border controller to a third processor disposed at a voice processing device (VPD);

at the second processor, receiving a sensitive-data-alert-message from a fourth processor disposed at a sensitive data signaling device (SDSD);

in response to the sensitive-data-alert-message, at the second processor modifying the received non-voice data by removing a set of sensitive data from the non-voice data to produce a set of modified-non-voice data;

sending the set of modified-non-voice data from the second processor to the third processor disposed at the VPD; and

wherein the first processor disposed at the session border controller, the second processor, and the fourth processor disposed at the SDSD are secured during operation in compliance with a sensitive data security standard.

2. A method comprising:

receiving a communication comprising voice data and non-voice data at a first processor disposed at a session border controller;

sending the non-voice data from the first processor to a second processor;

sending the voice data from the first processor to a third processor disposed at a voice processing device (VPD);

receiving a sensitive-data-alert-message at the second processor from a fourth processor disposed at a sensitive data signaling device (SDSD);

in response to the sensitive-data-alert-message from the fourth processor, producing a set of modified-non-voice data at the second processor by removing a set of sensitive data contained within the non-voice data;

sending the set of modified-non-voice data from the second processor to the third processor.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the first processor, the second processor, and the fourth processor are secured in accordance with a sensitive data security standard.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the third processor is not secured in accordance with the sensitive data security standard.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the communication comprising non-voice data is a communication conforming to an SIP protocol.

6. The method of claim 2 , and further comprising:

sending the set of sensitive data removed from the non-voice data to the fourth processor disposed at the SDSD.

7. The method of claim 6 , and further comprising:

sending the set of sensitive data from the SDSD to a tokenization server.

8. The method of claim 6 , and further comprising:

sending the set of sensitive data from the SDSD to a payment processing gateway.

9. The method of claim 6 , and further comprising:

encrypting the set of sensitive data at the second processor before sending the encrypted set of sensitive data to the fourth processor disposed at the SDSD.

10. A system comprising:

a first processor disposed at a session border controller;

a second processor;

a third processor disposed at a voice processing device (VPD);

a fourth processor disposed at a sensitive data signaling device (SDSD);

wherein the first processor is configured to receive a communication comprising voice data and non-voice data;

wherein the first processor is further configured to send the non-voice data from the first processor to the second processor;

wherein the first processor is also configured to send the voice data to the third processor;

wherein the second processor is configured to receive a sensitive-data-alert-message from the fourth processor;

wherein the second processor is configured to respond to the sensitive-data-alert-message from the fourth processor by producing a set of modified-non-voice data by removing a set of sensitive data contained within the non-voice data;

wherein the second processor is configured to send the set of modified-non-voice data to the third processor.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first processor, the second processor, and the fourth processor are secured in accordance with a sensitive data security standard.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the third processor is not secured in accordance with the sensitive data security standard.

13. The system of claim 10 , wherein the communication comprising non-voice data is a communication conforming to an SIP protocol.

14. The system of claim 10 , wherein the second processor is configured to send the set of sensitive data removed from the non-voice data to the fourth processor disposed at the SDSD.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the fourth processor is configured to send

the set of sensitive data from the SDSD to a tokenization server.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the fourth processor is configured to send

the set of sensitive data from the SDSD to a payment processing gateway.