Steering Of Roaming Security Using Symmetric-Key Secured Packets
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing steering of roaming (SoR) procedure is vulnerable to security threats, as visited public land mobile networks (VPLMNs) may tamper with information to prevent UEs from roaming to other networks, compromising the integrity and security of the SoR process.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a security mechanism that uses symmetric keys to protect and verify enhanced SoR-related information through secured packets at various network nodes, including UEs, UICCs, UDMs, AUSFs, and SoR application function nodes, ensuring integrity and authenticity of the SoR procedure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the VPLMN prevents the roaming UE from moving away to maintain the UE on the VPLMN, then the VPLMN can retain the roaming UE on its network, but the integrity and security of the SoR procedure is compromised due to potential tampering of SoR information
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary anti-action by pre-protecting the SoR information with integrity protection mechanisms before the VPLMN can potentially tamper with it. The UE generates an integrity protection value based on the received SoR information and verifies it later, preventing undetected tampering. This anticipatory measure counteracts the potential harmful action of VPLMN tampering.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by creating a verification loop where the UE calculates an integrity protection value from the received SoR information, stores it, and later verifies the information against this value. This feedback mechanism allows the UE to detect any tampering that occurs during storage or transmission, ensuring the integrity of the SoR procedure.
2Reliability
If symmetric keys are used to protect SoR information in secured packets, then the security and integrity of the SoR procedure is enhanced, but the device complexity increases due to key management requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by using the same symmetric key for multiple purposes: generating the integrity protection value, encrypting the SoR information in the secured packet, and verifying the integrity. This multi-functional use of the key simplifies key management compared to using separate keys for each function, reducing the overall complexity while maintaining security.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the integrity protection and encryption functions into a single secured packet mechanism using the same symmetric key. By merging these security functions and their associated keys into one unified approach, the patent reduces the number of separate key management operations needed, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining comprehensive security.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods and apparatus are disclosed for protecting information for a SoR procedure initiated by a user equipment (UE). A method comprises, creating at a UE, a first secured packet which is protected with one or more keys, wherein the first secured packet comprises enhanced steering of roaming (SoR) related information for triggering a SoR procedure; and sending from the UE to a first visited public land mobile network (VPLMN), a message comprising the first secured packet. Each of the one or more keys is a symmetric key, which is available for the UE and a home public land mobile network (HPLMN) of the UE before a primary authentication of an initial registration to the first VPLMN.