Roaming Authentication Message Protection in Untrusted Mobile Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mobile communication systems lack an architecture that enables secure communication for terminals roaming outside their home operator network when the home network does not trust the visited network, leading to potential threats such as eavesdropping and manipulation of messages.
Innovation Solution
Introduce a mechanism where authentication and service provisioning messages are concealed and integrity-protected between the terminal and the home network, using a split architecture for AMF and SMF, with separate vAMF and hAMF, and UPFSP in the U-plane protocol stack to ensure secure communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the terminal transmits authentication and service provisioning messages in plaintext to the visited network, then the communication process is simple and fast, but the messages are vulnerable to eavesdropping and manipulation by the untrusted visited network
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the authentication and service provisioning messages into multiple components, applying different security processing to different parts. The message is divided into a first part containing sensitive authentication information that requires concealment and integrity protection, and a second part that can be transmitted more openly, reducing overall processing complexity while maintaining security for critical data.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary security processing layer that selectively applies concealment and integrity protection only to specific sensitive portions of messages rather than the entire message. This intermediary mechanism identifies and protects only the critical authentication and service provisioning elements, reducing the computational burden compared to full-message encryption while maintaining reliability.
2Reliability
If the terminal applies concealment and integrity protection to all messages, then message security is improved, but the processing time and computational resources increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by selectively applying concealment and integrity protection only to the first part of messages containing sensitive authentication and service provisioning information, rather than processing the entire message. This partial processing approach maintains communication security for critical data while significantly reducing the time and computational resources required compared to full-message security processing.
3Reliability
If the system uses a unified trust model where HPLMN trusts VPLMN, then the network architecture is simple, but it cannot provide security when roaming in untrusted networks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by implementing different trust assumptions and security mechanisms for different parts of the network architecture. The terminal device locally determines which messages require enhanced security processing based on the untrusted nature of the visited network, while the overall network architecture maintains compatibility with existing trusted roaming scenarios. This localized security approach enables roaming security in untrusted networks without completely redesigning the entire network architecture.
Data Source
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AI summary
A terminal includes: a control unit configured to conceal and integrity-protect a first message relating to authentication control or service provisioning control with respect to a network node apparatus that handles mobility control or connection control; and a transmission unit configured to include the first message that is concealed and integrity-protected in a second message relating to mobility control or connection control and to transmit the second message to a network.