CybersecuritySecure Data Transmission with Ultrasound

Published 22 November 2019

Due to the Internet of Things (IoT), an increasing number of devices have learned to communicate with each other. Ultrasound communication is an entirely new method for data exchange between IoT devices and mobile phones. Researchers have now developed a first open communication protocol including an open-source development kit for ultrasound communication which makes near-field communication safer.

Due to the Internet of Things (IoT), an increasing number of devices have learned to communicate with each other. Ultrasound communication is an entirely new method for data exchange between IoT devices and mobile phones. The communication between these is inaudible and the hardware requirements are kept to a minimum: microphone and loudspeakers.

Researchers of the St. Pölten University of Applied Sciences have now developed a first open communication protocol including an open-source development kit for ultrasound communication by the name of SoniTalk. The technology is available for free and – contrary to similar technologies – focuses on security and data protection. In this way, SoniTalk leaves it up to the users to decide which apps and devices are allowed to communicate via ultrasound, and in which cases.

St. Poelten says thatthe networking of devices in everyday life and in companies is increasing steadily. So far, ultrasound communication has received little attention, although it is a promising technology for ad-hoc data exchange and near-field communication and presents a channel for the secure authentication of devices and persons.

“Individual companies have already developed approaches to ultrasound communication but the technologies are subject to the copyright of these businesses and some of them raise questions concerning the protection of the users’ privacy. This is why an open protocol was urgently needed in order to guarantee secure communication and protect privacy”, explains Matthias Zeppelzauer, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Creative\Media/Technologies at the St. Pölten UAS.

Freely Available Technology and Improved Data Protection
Together with his colleagues Alexis Ringot and Florian Taurer, Zeppelzauer developed such an open and transparent communication protocol for data transmission using ultrasound (Data Over Sound). SoniTalk is freely available as an open-source technology. The development kit of the same name underlying the software was implemented using Java for Android and makes it possible to send and receive any data in the ultrasound frequency range. SoniTalk thus represents an inexpensive alternative to Bluetooth and other radio-based communication technologies such as RFID (radio-frequency identification) and NFC (near-field communication).

“We developed SoniTalk in accordance with the ‘privacy-by-design’ principle. This means that mechanisms for privacy protection were taken into account early on in the design of the system. Users of SoniTalk retain complete control over which app is allowed to send which content, which helps them protect their own privacy”, describes Zeppelzauer.