3.3 Trojan Programs in Mobile Communication Systems
227
1995
A new product emerges in the market—PGPfone, a protected phone system by the
PGP developer Philip Zimmerman [7].
1999
Alex Biryukov and Adi Shamir, who is quoted in this book many times, publish the
report on the first successful attack on the algorithm A5/1 used in the GSM standard
for data protection.
Israeli programmers have detected a hole in the security system of the mobile
phone communication, which allowed any user who had a PC with 128 Mb RAM
and a large hard drive decrypt phone conversations or transferred data.
2006
Creation of ZRTP, a cryptographic encryption key negotiation protocol, which is
used in voice-over IP networks (VOIP). It describes the Diffie–Hellman method of
obtaining keys for the secure real-time transport protocol (SRTP). ZRTP negotiates
the keys in the RTP channel used for audio/video communication, i.e., it doesn’t
require a dedicated communication channel. The protocol was designed by Phil
Zimmermann, the author of Pretty Good Privacy, Jon Callas, and Alan Johnston.
Figure 3.6 shows an example of its operation.
Karsten Nohl, an authoritative member of the German hacker group CCC (Chaos
Computer Group), first announced at the group conference that he had managed to
hack the data coding algorithm used in GSM networks.
Nohl posted the results of his work on the Internet, uploading the book of codes to
a torrent tracker. According to his words, it was supposed to push mobile operators to
reconsider the measures used to protect cellular communication provided by them.
Software for decryption of conversations in GSM networks was presented at the
BlackHat conference in the same year [8].
The hackers immediately responded by presenting the corresponding tool
(Kraken) for hacking of the encryption algorithm in GSM networks [9].
2009
Creation of Zfone—software for safe communication of voice information via the
Internet. This software ensured the possibility of private conversations with anyone
at any time and place. The Zfone project was founded by Philip Zimmerman, the
creator of Pretty Good Privacy (PGP)—widely known encryption software. Companies Svitla Systems, Soft Industry, and Ukrainian Hi-tech Initiative took part in
developing the project [10].
227
1995
A new product emerges in the market—PGPfone, a protected phone system by the
PGP developer Philip Zimmerman [7].
1999
Alex Biryukov and Adi Shamir, who is quoted in this book many times, publish the
report on the first successful attack on the algorithm A5/1 used in the GSM standard
for data protection.
Israeli programmers have detected a hole in the security system of the mobile
phone communication, which allowed any user who had a PC with 128 Mb RAM
and a large hard drive decrypt phone conversations or transferred data.
2006
Creation of ZRTP, a cryptographic encryption key negotiation protocol, which is
used in voice-over IP networks (VOIP). It describes the Diffie–Hellman method of
obtaining keys for the secure real-time transport protocol (SRTP). ZRTP negotiates
the keys in the RTP channel used for audio/video communication, i.e., it doesn’t
require a dedicated communication channel. The protocol was designed by Phil
Zimmermann, the author of Pretty Good Privacy, Jon Callas, and Alan Johnston.
Figure 3.6 shows an example of its operation.
Karsten Nohl, an authoritative member of the German hacker group CCC (Chaos
Computer Group), first announced at the group conference that he had managed to
hack the data coding algorithm used in GSM networks.
Nohl posted the results of his work on the Internet, uploading the book of codes to
a torrent tracker. According to his words, it was supposed to push mobile operators to
reconsider the measures used to protect cellular communication provided by them.
Software for decryption of conversations in GSM networks was presented at the
BlackHat conference in the same year [8].
The hackers immediately responded by presenting the corresponding tool
(Kraken) for hacking of the encryption algorithm in GSM networks [9].
2009
Creation of Zfone—software for safe communication of voice information via the
Internet. This software ensured the possibility of private conversations with anyone
at any time and place. The Zfone project was founded by Philip Zimmerman, the
creator of Pretty Good Privacy (PGP)—widely known encryption software. Companies Svitla Systems, Soft Industry, and Ukrainian Hi-tech Initiative took part in
developing the project [10].