NCJ Number
44886
Journal
Assets Protection Volume: 2 Issue: 4 Dated: (WINTER 1977) Pages: 9-13
Date Published
1977
Length
5 pages
Annotation
THE VULNERABILITY OF DATA COMMUNICATION TO ELECTRONIC INTERCEPTION IS ASSESSED, AND METHODS OF MAKING DATA COMMUNICATIONS SECURE DURING TRANSMISSION ARE EXAMINED.
Abstract
DATA ARE TRANSMITTED FROM ONE LOCATION TO ANOTHER VIA TELEPHONE LINES OR TERRESTRIAL OR SATELLITE MICROWAVE SYSTEMS. IT IS DURING TRANSMISSION THAT DATA ARE MOST VULNERABLE TO THEFT OR INTERCEPTION. THE EQUIPMENT AND KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED BY THE INTERCEPTOR DEPENDS ON THE KIND OF TELECOMMUNICATIONS TRAFFIC (VOICE, DATA, ETC.), THE KIND OF SYSTEM TO BE INTERCEPTED, AND THE STAGE IN THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM AT WHICH THE INTERCEPTION IS TO BE MADE. THE DATA SCRAMBLER IS ONE OPTION FOR SECURING DATA DURING TRANSMISSION. A SCRAMBLER ACCEPTS INFORMATION IN INTELLIGIBLE FORM AND, THROUGH CRYPTOGRAPHIC TRANSFORMATION, RENDERS THE INFORMATION UNINTELLIGIBLE. WHEN DATA ARE TRANSMITTED AS NUMBERS, THE TRANSFORMATION INVOLVES CHANGING THOSE NUMBERS INTO A DIFFERENT SET. EITHER FIXED OR CONTINUALLY CHANGING CODES CONTROL THE TRANSFORMATION PROCESS. A SCRAMBLER INSTALLED AT THE RECEIVING POINT REVERSES THE PROCEDURE OF THE TRANSMITTING SCRAMBLER, MAKING THE DATA INTELLIGIBLE ONCE AGAIN. SCRAMBLERS SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR COMPUTER DATA, TELETYPE, TELEPHONES, AND OTHER COMMUNICATIONS DEVICES ARE AVAILABLE. THREE SCRAMBLERS ARE ILLUSTRATED AND DISCUSSED. A GLOSSARY OF DATA SECURITY TERMS IS PROVIDED, AS IS A DIAGRAM DEPICTING THE PROCEDURES AND EQUIPMENT REQUIRED FOR INTERCEPTING ALL FORMS OF TRAFFIC FROM ALL MODES OF ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATION USED BY ELECTRONIC COMMON CARRIERS. (LKM)