Patent ID: 8644353

Claim:
A method for embedding a covert side channel communication in an overt communication transmitted over a network using a packet stream comprising: a. encoding one or more bits of a side channel communication by: i. selecting more than one group of related packets from the overt communication being transmitted on a network, each group of packets including a same number of packets, the related packets being consecutive as well as non-consecutive packets; and ii. relating a packet of one group to a packet of another group to form a pair of packets; and iii. delaying the timing of at least one packet from each pair of packets; b. decoding a bit from the side channel communication by: i. determining inter-packet delays that are the difference in timing between two packets in the pair of packets from the overt communication; ii. determining at least one inter-packet delay difference between two or more determined inter-packet delays; and iii. converting the at least one interpacket delay difference into at least one bit.