Message authentication

• US 20050033960A1
• Filed: 02/06/2002
• Published: 02/10/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Solutions and Networks US LLC (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Niemi, Valtteri, Vialen, Jukka
• Application Number:
  US10/476,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20050033960A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 713/170
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/20 Manipulating the length of blocks of bits, e.g. padding or block truncation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless network architectures or network communication protocols for wireless network security H04W12/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/3242 involving keyed hash functions, e.g. message authentication codes [MACs], CBC-MAC or HMAC

Abstract

There is disclosed a technique of providing message authentication in a communication system comprising the steps of: transmitting a first message from a first device to a second device; transmitting a second message from the second device to the first device, the second message including a message authentication code determined using said first and second messages; transmitting a third message from the first device to the second device, the third messages including a message authentication code determined using the third message. The message authentication code of the third message may be additionally based on the second or the second and first messages.

Claims

1. A method of providing message authentication in a communication system comprising the steps of:

transmitting a first message from a first device to a second device;

transmitting a second message from the second device to the first device, the second message including a message authentication code determined using said first and second messages;

transmitting a third message from the first device to the second device, the third message including a message authentication code determined using the third message.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of storing the first message in the first device.

3. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

responsive to receipt of the second message, determining an expected message authentication code using said first and second messages; and

comparing the expected message authentication code to the received message authentication code.

4. A method according to claim 3 further comprising the step of discarding the second message if the expected message authentication code does not match the received message authentication code.

5. A method according to claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

responsive to receipt of the third message, determining an expected message authentication code using said third message; and

comparing the expected message authentication code to the received message authentication code.

6. A method according to claim 5 further comprising the step of discarding the third message if the expected message authentication code does not match the received message authentication code.

7. A method according to claim 1, wherein the third message includes a message authentication code determined using the third message and the second message.

8. A method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of storing the second message in the second drive.

9. A method according to claim 7, further comprising the steps of:

responsive to receipt of the third message, determining an expected message authentication code using said third message and said second message; and

comparing the expected message authentication code to the received message authentication code.

10. A method according to claim 9 further comprising the step of discarding the third message if the expected message authentication code does not match the received message authentication code.

11. A method according to claim 1, wherein the third message includes a message authentication determined using the third message, the second message, and the first message.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of storing said first message in the second device.

13. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

responsive to receipt of the third message, determining an expected message authentication code using said third message, said second message, and said first message; and

comparing the expected message authentication code to the received message authentication code.

14. A method according to claim 13 further comprising the step of discarding the third message if the expected message authentication code does not match the received message authentication code.

15. A method according to claim 1 wherein the first and second devices are elements of a mobile communication system.

16. A method of providing message authentication in a communication system comprising transmitting a plurality of messages between a first device and a second device, wherein a message includes a message authentication code determined using at least said message and another message includes a further message authentication code determined using at least said other message, whereby the number of required message authentication code computations and transmissions may be reduced to two independently of the number of steps of the authentication procedure.

17. A communication system for providing message authentication between two communicating devices, each communicating device having respective transmitting and receiving means, and each communicating device having means for generating a message authentication code, comprising:

in the first device, transmitting a first message from the second device;

in the second device, transmitting a second message to the first device, the second message including a message authentication code determined using said first and second messages;

in the first device transmitting a third message to the second device, the third messages including a message authentication code determined using the third message.

18. A communication system according to claim 17, further including, in the first device:

responsive to receipt of the second message, determining an expected message authentication code using said first and second messages; and

comparing the expected message authentication code to the received message authentication code.

19. A communication system according to claim 17 wherein the second message is discarded if the expected message authentication code does not match the received message authentication code.

20. A communication system according to claim 17 further comprising, in the second device:

responsive to receipt of the third message, determining an expected message authentication code using said third message; and

comparing the expected message authentication code to the received message authentication code.

21. A communication system according to claim 20 wherein the third message is discarded if the expected message authentication code does not match the received message authentication code.

22. A communication system according to claim 17, wherein the first device generates the third message including a message authentication code determined using the third message and the second message.

23. A communications system according to claim 22, wherein responsive to receipt of the third message, the second device determines an expected message authentication code using said third message and said second message;

and compares the expected message authentication code to the received message authentication code.

24. A communications system according to claim 23 wherein the third message if the expected message authentication code does not match the received message authentication code.

25. A communications system according to claim 17 wherein the third message generated by the first device includes a message authentication code determined using the third message, the second message, and the first message.

26. A communication system according to claim 25 wherein responsive to receipt of the third message, the second device determines an expected message authentication code using said third message, said second message, and said first message;

and compares the expected message authentication code to the received message authentication code.

27. A communication system according to claim 26 wherein the second device discards the third message if the expected message authentication code does not match the received message authentication code.

28. A communication system according to claim 17 wherein the first and second device are elements of a mobile communication system.

29. A communication system according to claim 28, wherein the first and second devices are one of a mobile terminal and a network element.

30. A communication system according to claim 28, wherein the mobile communication system comprises a GERAN system.