960007 - Need for GSM call encryption indicator

Status: RESOLVED WONTFIX

(Firefox OS Graveyard :: Gaia::Dialer, defect)

Description

[marta]

I have copied the bug description from Android issue tracker. The case is the same for Firefox, as we should follow the standards.

We 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

Comment 1

[Wilfred Mathanaraj [:WDM]]

is this feature part of the current privacy feature work submitted for review? if not lets remove this from the meta bug 1069915 and track separately for future work.

Comment 2

[marta]

Oh, that is a mistake, probably just ticked one box too many. No this is not a part of the PP.

Comment 3

[Doug Sherk (:drs) (inactive)]

Wilfred, is this something we should put in our backlog?

Comment 4

[BMO Automation]

Firefox OS is not being worked on