METHOD, APPARATUS AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR PROVIDING TRUSTED STORAGE OF TEMPORARY SUBSCRIBER DATA

• US 20100014662A1
• Filed: 06/19/2008
• Published: 01/21/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: 2011 Intellectual Property Asset Trust (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: 2011 Intellectual Property Asset Trust (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Jutila, Sami Antti
• Application Number:
  US12/142,362
• Publication Number:
  US 20100014662A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 380/44
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2209/80 Wireless
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/083 involving central third party, e.g. key distribution center [KDC] or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/0897 involving additional devices, e.g. trusted platform module [TPM], smartcard or USB

Abstract

A method for providing trusted storage of temporary subscriber data may include receiving a value indicative of a temporary identity associated with a device, encrypting the value with a randomly generated encryption key to generate an encrypted value, storing the encrypted value in an identity module in removable communication with the device, and storing the encryption key in the device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a value indicative of a temporary identity associated with a device;

encrypting the value with a randomly generated encryption key to generate an encrypted value;

storing the encrypted value in an identity module in removable communication with the device; and

storing the encryption key in the device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising decrypting the encrypted value to generate a decrypted value prior to communicating the decrypted value to a network entity.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein decrypting the encrypted value comprises decrypting the encrypted value based on the stored encryption key.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising clearing the stored encryption key in response to decrypting the encrypted value.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising replacing the stored encryption key with a new encryption key in response to decrypting the encrypted value.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the value comprises receiving one of a temporary mobile subscriber identity (TMSI) or a packet TMSI (PTMSI) at a mobile terminal including the identity module.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein encrypting the value further comprises encrypting at least a portion of location area information in addition to the encrypting of the value.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an indicator indicative of whether the value is encrypted.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising clearing the encryption key in response to detection of removal and replacement of the identity module.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a checksum to verify the value.

11. An apparatus comprising a processor configured to:

receive a value indicative of a temporary identity associated with a device;

encrypt the value with a randomly generated encryption key to generate an encrypted value;

store the encrypted value in an identity module in removable communication with the device; and

store the encryption key in the device.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to decrypt the encrypted value to generate a decrypted value prior to communicating the decrypted value to a network entity.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is configured to decrypt the encrypted value by decrypting the encrypted value based on the stored encryption key.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to clear the stored encryption key in response to decrypting the encrypted value.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to replace the stored encryption key with a new encryption key in response to decrypting the encrypted value.

16. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to receive the value by receiving one of a temporary mobile subscriber identity (TMSI) or a packet TMSI (PTMSI) at a mobile terminal including the identity module.

17. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to encrypt the value further by encrypting at least a portion of location area information in addition to the encrypting of the value.

18. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to provide an indicator indicative of whether the value is encrypted.

19. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to clear the encryption key in response to detection of removal and replacement of the identity module.

20. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the processor is further configured to providing a checksum to verify the value.

21. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code portions stored therein, the computer-executable program code portions comprising:

a first program code portion for receiving a value indicative of a temporary identity associated with a device;

a second program code portion for encrypting the value with a randomly generated encryption key to generate an encrypted value;

a third program code portion for storing the encrypted value in an identity module in removable communication with the device; and

a fourth program code portion for storing the encryption key in the device.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising a fifth program code portion for decrypting the encrypted value to generate a decrypted value prior to communicating the decrypted value to a network entity.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein the fifth program code portion includes instructions for decrypting the encrypted value based on the stored encryption key.

24. The computer program product of claim 22, further comprising a sixth program code portion for clearing the stored encryption key in response to decrypting the encrypted value.

25. The computer program product of claim 22, further comprising a sixth program code portion for replacing the stored encryption key with a new encryption key in response to decrypting the encrypted value.

26. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the first program code portion includes instructions for receiving one of a temporary mobile subscriber identity (TMSI) or a packet TMSI (PTMSI) at a mobile terminal including the identity module.

27. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the second program code portion includes instructions for encrypting the value further comprises encrypting at least a portion of location area information in addition to the encrypting of the value.

28. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising a fifth program code portion for providing an indicator indicative of whether the value is encrypted.

29. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising a fifth program code portion for clearing the encryption key in response to detection of removal and replacement of the identity module.

30. The computer program product of claim 21, further comprising a fifth program code portion for providing a checksum to verify the value.

31. An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving a value indicative of a temporary identity associated with a device;

means for encrypting the value with a randomly generated encryption key to generate an encrypted value;

means for storing the encrypted value in an identity module in removable communication with the device; and

means for storing the encryption key in the device.

32. The apparatus of claim 31, further comprising means for decrypting the encrypted value to generate a decrypted value prior to communicating the decrypted value to a network entity.