SIM Self-Invalidation After Repeated Authentication Failures

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional mobile communication networks lack a proactive mechanism for self-invalidation of subscriber identity modules (SIMs) when faced with repeated incorrect authentication attempts, leading to unauthorized access and inefficient use of network resources.

Innovation Solution

Implementing a self-invalidation mechanism in the SIM that maintains a counter for consecutive incorrect authentication attempts and updates the International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) to a null value when a pre-configured threshold is reached, effectively rendering the SIM invalid.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a SIM card is subjected to repeated incorrect authentication attempts, then unauthorized access may occur and network resources are wasted, but without a self-invalidation mechanism the SIM continues to attempt authentication consuming network resources

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesecurityVSAvoidnetwork resource consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary action by pre-configuring a threshold value for consecutive failed authentication attempts. When this threshold is reached, the SIM card automatically invalidates itself before further unauthorized access attempts can occur, preventing waste of network resources on continued authentication attempts by compromised SIM cards

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by having the SIM card monitor and count consecutive failed authentication attempts. When the count reaches the pre-configured threshold, the SIM receives feedback that it should invalidate its own authentication credentials, creating a closed-loop security mechanism that automatically responds to security threats

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If the SIM card maintains authentication attempts without self-invalidation, then continuous connectivity is attempted, but security vulnerability increases with each failed attempt

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveauthentication attempt continuityVSAvoidsecurity vulnerability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system applies preliminary anti-action by implementing a counter mechanism that tracks failed authentication attempts and automatically triggers SIM invalidation when a threshold is reached. This preemptive measure counteracts the security vulnerability by stopping authentication attempts before they can be exploited for unauthorized access

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Data Source

PatentUS20260006446A1Subscriber identity module self-invalidation

Publication Date: 2026.01.01 T MOBILE INNOVATIONS LLC

AI summary

Embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to systems and methods for self-invalidation of a subscriber identity module (SIM) in a mobile communication device. This mechanism allows the SIM to invalidate itself after detecting a predetermined number of consecutive incorrect authentication attempts, preventing unnecessary attempts to access a network. The system's operations include initiating an authentication session, receiving an authentication request from the network, and verifying the received authentication values against pre-stored values. If incorrect values are detected consecutively, the SIM increments a counter. Once the counter reaches a pre-configured threshold, the SIM updates the international mobile subscriber identity (IMSI) to a null value, rendering the SIM invalid for further use.