5G RRC Message MAC-I Verification Before AS Security Activation

The patent applies preliminary action by introducing MAC-I verification before AS security activation. The UE performs integrity checks on RRC messages using MAC-I codes received in system information or previous RRC messages, even before the full AS security mechanism is activated. This preliminary security measure prevents false base station attacks during the vulnerable initial connection phase without requiring the complete AS security infrastructure to be in place first.

The patent applies local quality by selectively applying MAC-I verification to specific RRC messages rather than all messages. The verification is performed on critical messages such as RRCSetup, RRCResume, and other messages received before AS security activation. This targeted approach ensures that the most vulnerable and important messages are protected while avoiding the overhead of verifying every single RRC message, thus balancing security enhancement with processing efficiency.