Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to a method and systems operable or arranged to reduce detectability of an encryption key used in a communication network to encrypt messages transmitted between a base station and a mobile station over the air. One or more bits are determined in each case at random positions in the messages. Subsequently, random bit errors are generated in the messages in each case by inverting the bits prior to transmitting the message over the air. Introducing random bit errors into the messages corresponds to artificially lowering transmission quality, which makes it harder for an eavesdropper to detect the encryption key from well-known messages, while a legitimate receiver may correct the random bit errors by using conventional forward error correction features.

Abstract: Aspects of the present invention relate to a method and systems operable or arranged to reduce detectability of an encryption key used in a communication network to encrypt messages transmitted between a base station and a mobile station over the air. One or more bits are determined in each case at random positions in the messages. Subsequently, random bit errors are generated in the messages in each case by inverting the bits prior to transmitting the message over the air. Introducing random bit errors into the messages corresponds to artificially lowering transmission quality, which makes it harder for an eavesdropper to detect the encryption key from well-known messages, while a legitimate receiver may correct the random bit errors by using conventional forward error correction features.