ciphering indicator

asked 2014-11-15 13:01:06 +0200

mlatu
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updated 2015-09-04 05:38:51 +0200

Jfish
761 ●21 ●35 ●39

Since Google won't do this ( issue is from 2009 https://code.google.com/p/android/issues/detail?id=5353 ) i thought maybe the folks at jolla would be happy to be unlike and support security and confidentiality which is why i copied their issue text here:

Jolla should support displaying whether any cipher (A5/...) is active, or if the voice call is currently unencrypted. GSM encryption may not be present if the user is on a network that does not support encryption, if the user is on a misconfigured network or if the user is the target of an attacker. Providing a ciphering indicator is a required part of the GSM specification and an increasingly important feature with the proliferation of virtual base transceiver stations (VBTS) which could be used for the interception of voice transmissions.

Some phones, including the Sony-Ericsson T610 and Nokia 6300, provide this functionality. These phones will give a visual indication of network encryption status in the user interface. Some opensource phone platforms, including Openmoko, provide a limited interface for developers to obtain data about network encryption.

The GSM 02.07 specification (Version 7.1.0 Release 1998) lists a table of required and optional features of MS (mobile stations):

"B.1.26 Ciphering Indicator

The ciphering indicator feature allows the ME to detect that ciphering is not switched on and to indicate this to the user, as defined in GSM 02.09.

The ciphering indicator feature may be disabled by the home network operator setting data in the "administrative data" field (EFAD) in the SIM, as defined in GSM 11.11.

If this feature is not disabled by the SIM, then whenever a connection is in place, which is, or becomes unenciphered, an indication shall be given to the user.

Ciphering itself is unaffected by this feature, and the user can choose how to proceed."

source: http://www.3gpp.org/ftp/Specs/archive/02_series/02.07/0207-710.zip