Securing Mobile-Terminated Early Data Transmission via Identity-Based Encryption
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wireless communication networks face challenges in securely transmitting mobile-terminated early data transmissions (MT-EDT) during the random access procedure, which can lead to security breaches and resource wastage.
Innovation Solution
The solution involves scrambling or encrypting downlink messages from network nodes to wireless devices, allowing the devices to descramble or decrypt these messages to obtain necessary parameters for receiving MT-EDT during the random access procedure, thereby enhancing security and preventing unauthorized access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If MT-EDT is transmitted during random access procedure without encryption, then data transmission speed is improved, but security is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing encryption on downlink messages and parameters before transmission during the random access procedure. The network node encrypts the downlink message containing MT-EDT data and relevant parameters using the wireless device's identity (e.g., S-TMSI or IMEI) before sending it, ensuring security is established in advance rather than attempting to secure the transmission after the fact.
2Loss of time
If paging message is used to transmit MT DL data, then early data transmission is achieved, but radio network resources are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the MT-EDT data transmission from the conventional paging message mechanism. Instead of using general paging messages that broadcast to multiple UEs and waste resources, the invention extracts and encrypts only the specific downlink data intended for a particular wireless device, placing it directly in the downlink message during random access. This eliminates the resource waste associated with broadcasting paging messages to multiple devices when only one needs the data.
3Reliability
If downlink message is encrypted with device identity, then security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by using the wireless device's existing identity parameters (S-TMSI or IMEI) as the encryption key. Instead of introducing complex new encryption mechanisms or additional security credentials, the invention leverages parameters that the device already possesses and uses regularly for identification. This changes the encryption approach from using dedicated security keys to using identity-based encryption, simplifying the overall system while maintaining strong security.
Data Source
AI summary
A wireless device receives a downlink message from a network node. The wireless device descrambles or decrypts the downlink message, or one or more fields of the downlink message, to obtain one or more parameters. The wireless device uses the one or more parameters to perform at least one action from any one or more of the following actions: receiving a mobile-terminated, MT, early data transmission, EDT, during a random access procedure; positively or negatively acknowledging the MT-EDT; and receiving a re-transmission of the MT-EDT.