Secondary Cell DRB Allocation for Secure Handover Access
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication apparatuses face security risks when switching between secondary nodes due to identical input parameters for security protection, leading to potential vulnerabilities in data transmission.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where different Data Radio Bearer (DRB) IDs are allocated to the same candidate cell during different access moments, using distinct root keys and DRB IDs for ciphering and integrity protection, ensuring unique security parameters for each access.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If the same security protection parameters are used for all candidate cells, then the configuration is simple and consistent, but security risks arise when switching between cells
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by assigning different security protection parameters to different candidate cells. Each candidate cell is configured with unique security parameters including distinct root keys and DRB ID lists, ensuring that security characteristics are localized to each cell rather than being uniform across all cells. This resolves the contradiction by making security parameters cell-specific (improving security) while maintaining a systematic configuration approach (managing complexity).
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements parameter changes by varying the security parameters across different candidate cells. Specifically, each candidate cell has different root keys and DRB identifier lists, which changes the security parameters from static and uniform to dynamic and differentiated. This parameter differentiation ensures that even though the overall configuration method remains consistent, the actual security parameters change per cell, thereby improving security without overwhelming complexity.
2Reliability
If multiple DRB IDs are allocated to the same candidate cell, then security protection is enhanced through unique parameters, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the security parameter space into distinct segments for different candidate cells. Each candidate cell receives a dedicated segment with its own root key and DRB ID list, preventing parameter reuse across cells. This segmentation approach enhances security by ensuring isolation of security parameters while managing complexity through a systematic segmentation framework rather than ad-hoc parameter assignment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements preliminary action by pre-configuring multiple DRB IDs and root keys for each candidate cell before actual communication occurs. The network side apparatus prepares and provides the communication apparatus with complete security parameter sets including multiple DRB ID lists and corresponding root keys in advance. This preliminary preparation enables enhanced security through multiple parameters while reducing operational complexity by eliminating the need for real-time parameter generation.
Data Source
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Figure 2
AI summary
This application provides a communication method and a communication apparatus, to improve communication security between the communication apparatus and a secondary node. The method includes: A reconfiguration message received by the communication apparatus from a network side includes configuration information of at least two candidate cells, and the at least two candidate cells include a first candidate cell and a second candidate cell. When accessing the first candidate cell, the communication apparatus selects an unused DRB ID from a plurality of DRB IDs carried in the configuration information of the first candidate cell, to protect communication data transmitted between the communication apparatus and the first candidate cell through a first DRB.