METHOD AND ARRANGEMENT FOR AUTHENTICATION PROCEDURES IN A COMMUNICATION NETWORK

• US 20080009265A1
• Filed: 12/22/2006
• Published: 01/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Original Assignee: Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson
• Inventors: Barriga, Luis, Fernandez-Alonso, Susana
• Granted Patent: US 7,865,173 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/411
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0815 providing single-sign-on or federations
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0823 using certificates cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving certificates H04L9/3263
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/069 using certificates or pre-shared keys

Abstract

The present invention is related to an authentication method and arrangements in a communication system including a Subscriber (50) with a terminal (51), an Operator Node (52) and a Service Provider Node (53), which authentication method is based on an SLA agreement between the Operator (OP) and the Service Provider (SP). The method includes that the Subscriber (50) with terminal (51) performs (5) strong authentication with the Operator Node (52) acting as Registration Authority OP(RA). After the strong authentication is performed by the Operator Node (52) a Mobile Strong Authentication Assertion MSAA is generated (6) and transmitted to the Service Provider Node (53) for validation. By this method the authentication is being delegated from the Service Provider to the Mobile Operator.

Claims

1. An authentication method in a communication system including a Subscriber with a terminal, an Operator Node and a Service Provider Node, which authentication method is based on an SLA agreement between the Operator and the Service Provider, the method is characterized by the following steps:

the Subscriber with terminal performing strong authentication with the Operator Node acting as Registration Authority;

generating by the Operator Node a Mobile Strong Authentication Assertion MSAA;

transmitting the generated MSAA to the Service Provider Node and

validating in the Service Provider node the MSAA.

2. The authentication method according to claim 1 is further characterized by the following steps prior to the performing step:

sending a service request to the Service Provider Node from the terminal, the request includes the Operator Node identity;

checking in the Service Provider Node that the Operator node identity relates to an Operator having an SLA agreement with the Service Provider and

if there is an SLA agreement then sending the Service Provider node Identity to the terminal and

sending a Request for strong authentication to the Operator Node, the request includes the Service Provider Node Identity.

3. The authentication method according to claim 1 is further characterized by the following steps prior to the performing step:

sending a propose to subscribe for a service from the Operator Node to the terminal and

sending accept information on the propose from the terminal to the Operator Node.

4. The authentication method according to claim 1 is further characterized in that the transmitting of the generated MSAA to the Service Provider Node is done via the terminal.

5. The authentication method according to claim 1 is further characterized in that the strong authentication is performed in accordance with the authentication context according to the SLA agreement with the Service Provider.

6. The authentication method according to claim 1 characterized by the following steps if the MSAA is valid then

registering in the Service Provider Node the subscriber and

delivering the service from the Service Provider Node to the terminal of the subscriber.

7. The authentication method according to claim 6 characterized in that the registering is followed by

generating in the Service Provider Node a user certificate which user certificate is being transmitted to the terminal and stored in the terminal.

8. An authentication method in an Operator Node within a communication system including a subscriber having a trust relation with the operator and a Service Provider Node, which authentication method is based on an SLA agreement between the Operator OP and the Service Provider the method including the following steps:

receiving a Request for authentication, the request includes the Service Provider Node Identity;

checking what authentication context is used for the received Service Provider Node;

performing authentication in accordance with the authentication context for the received Service Provider Node;

generating a Mobile Strong Authentication Assertion MSAA and

transmitting the generated MSAA to the Service Provider node, whereby the Operator Node is acting as Registration Authority for the Service Provider.

9. An arrangement in an Operator Node OP within a communication system including a subscriber having a trust relation with the operator and a Service Provider Node SP (53), the Service Provider having an SLA agreement with the Operator OP the arrangement is characterized in:

an SLA database for checking what authentication context to be used for a service request;

an Authentication unit for performing of the authentication in accordance with the authentication context and

an MSAA generator for generation of the MSAA and sending it to the Service Provider Node, whereby the Operator Node act as Registration Authority for the Service Provider.

10. An arrangement in an Operator Node according to claim 9 wherein the SLA database includes information about the authentication context to be used for a specific Service Provider Identity.

11. An authentication method in a Service Provider Node within a communication system including also a subscriber with a terminal and an Operator Node the method is based on an SLA agreement with the Operator characterized by the following steps:

receiving a service request from the terminal, the request includes the Operator Node identity;

checking in the Service Provider node that the Operator node identity relates to an operator having an agreement with the Service Provider;

if there is an agreement then;

sending information to the terminal about the Service Provider

receiving an MSAA generated by the Operator;

validating of the received MSAA;

registering the user and

delivering the service to the terminal.

12. An authentication method in a Service Provider Node according to claim 11 characterized in that the service is a certificate and the registering of the user is followed by generation of a user certificate which is delivered to the terminal.

13. An authentication method in a Service Provider Node according to claim 11 characterized in that the service is a subscription.

14. A Service Provider Node within a communication system including a subscriber having a trust relation with an operator, the Service Provider having an SLA agreement with the Operator, the arrangement is characterized in:

a validation unit for validation of a received Mobile Strong Authentication Assertion;

a registration unit for registering the subscriber upon validation of the MSAA;

whereby the Service Provider utilize the Operator for authentication of the subscriber.

15. A Service Provider Node according to claim 14 characterized in that the validation unit includes an SLA/Operator database for determining the authentication context for the applicable SLA agreement.