A secure Internet Protocol (IP) telephony system, apparatus, and methods
are disclosed. Communications over an IP telephony system can be secured
by securing communications to and from a Cable Telephony Adapter (CTA).
The system can include one or more CTAs, network servers, servers
configured as signaling controllers, key distribution centers (KDC), and
can include gateways that couple the IP telephony system to a Public
Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). Each CTA can be configured as secure
hardware and can be configured with multiple encryption keys that are
used to communicate signaling or bearer channel communications. The KDC
can be configured to periodically distribute symmetric encryption keys to
secure communications between devices that have been provisioned to
operate in the system and signaling controllers. The secure devices, such
as the CTA, can communicate with other secure devices by establishing
signaling and bearer channels that are encrypted with session specific
symmetric keys derived from a symmetric key distributed by a signaling
controller.
