Network Slice Authentication Gating for Connection Requests
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication systems lack efficient mechanisms to manage network slice specific authentication and authorization, leading to potential security vulnerabilities and inefficiencies in network resource allocation.
Innovation Solution
Implementing an apparatus that receives and processes network slice specific authentication and authorization requests, determining the user equipment's support for such authentication, and making connection decisions based on the outcome of these procedures, utilizing locally stored information and network servers for status verification and updating authentication records.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If network slice specific authentication and authorization is implemented, then network security is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The authentication and authorization procedure is segmented into distinct phases: initial authentication, network slice selection, and network slice specific authorization. This segmentation allows each phase to be handled independently, improving security without overwhelming the device with a monolithic complex procedure.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus performs preliminary actions by establishing basic connectivity and performing initial authentication before proceeding to network slice specific authorization. This preliminary setup creates a foundation that simplifies the subsequent authorization process by already having user identity and basic permissions established.
2Measurement precision
If network slice specific authentication and authorization procedures are performed for each connection request, then access control precision is improved, but processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Network slice specific authorization is performed in advance during the initial connection setup or registration phase. The authorization status and permitted network slices are determined beforehand and stored in the apparatus, eliminating the need to repeat the full authorization procedure for each subsequent connection request.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus maintains and updates authorization status information in storage, providing feedback on the user's authorized network slices. This feedback mechanism allows the apparatus to quickly determine whether a connection request should be granted without performing complete re-authentication, thus reducing processing time while maintaining precision.
3Speed
If authentication status information is stored locally in the apparatus, then access speed is improved, but information security risk increases
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus acts as an intermediary that stores and manages authorization status information locally for rapid access decisions, while maintaining secure communication channels with the user equipment. The local storage enables fast access speed, while the intermediary role ensures that sensitive information is handled securely and can be validated against network records when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The apparatus stores copies of authorization status information and network slice permission data locally in storage. These copies enable rapid access decisions without repeatedly querying the network, improving speed while the copy mechanism allows for selective updating and validation to maintain security.
4Productivity
If the apparatus determines network slice authorization for each user equipment, then resource allocation efficiency is improved, but computational load increases
Solution Approach 1:
The apparatus performs self-service by maintaining its own authorization status information and network slice permission records in local storage. When a connection request is received, the apparatus can independently determine authorization status by checking its own stored information, eliminating the need for complex real-time computations or frequent external queries, thus reducing computational load while maintaining efficient resource allocation.
Solution Approach 2:
Authorization determinations and resource allocation decisions are made in advance based on stored authorization status information. The apparatus preliminarily establishes which network slices each user equipment is authorized to access, allowing for efficient resource allocation without performing heavy computational analysis for each individual connection request.
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided an apparatus comprising receiving, from a user equipment, a request for a network connection, the request comprising information indicating whether the user equipment supports network slice specific authentication and authorization; determining whether a network slice associated with the requested connection is subject to network slice specific authentication and authorization; determining, based on the request, whether the user equipment supports network slice specific authentication and authorization; and responsive to determining that the network slice is subject to network slice specific authentication and authorization and determining that the user equipment supports network slice specific authentication and authorization, accepting or rejecting the request based on information indicating the outcome of a network slice specific authentication and authorization procedure for the user equipment for the network slice associated with the requested connection.