SECURE NETWORK CONNECTION ALLOWING CHOICE OF A SUITABLE SECURITY ALGORITHM

• US 20120117619A1
• Filed: 06/23/2010
• Published: 05/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lenovo Innovations Ltd Hong Kong (Lenovo Group Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Roger, Vincent, Prasad, Anand Raghawa, Jactat, Caroline, Vallee, Antoine
• Granted Patent: US 9,027,081 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 726/2
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/205 involving negotiation or determination of the one or more network security mechanisms to be used, e.g. by negotiation between the client and the server or between peers or by selection according to the capabilities of the entities involved negotiation of communication capabilities H04L69/24
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/02 Protecting privacy or anonymity, e.g. protecting personally identifiable information [PII]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/037 of the control plane, e.g. signalling traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/10 Integrity

Abstract

The invention provides for a method for use in a mobile radio communications device network connection procedure and including the step of, at a network, sending to a mobile radio communications device a list of a plurality of security algorithms supported in the network and so as to allow choice of a suitable algorithm irrespective of the degree of update that the device may have experienced.

Claims

1. A method for use in a mobile radio communications device network connection procedure, the method including the step of, at a network, sending to a mobile radio communications device a list of a plurality of security algorithms supported in the network.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the list comprises a prioritized list.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein an indication of a security algorithm as selected from network-prioritized list of security algorithms at the mobile radio communications device is indicated to the network.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein said indication is included within a handover confirm signal.

5. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the handover confirm signal is unciphered and integrity protected with the selected security algorithm.

6. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein an indication of the selected security algorithm is included within registration update request signalling if the mobile radio communication device does not support an old security algorithm.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the registration update request signalling is integrity protected with the selected security algorithm.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1, further including the step of, at the mobile radio communications device, signalling a list comprising supported security algorithms.

9. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein the list includes unsupported security algorithms.

10. A method as claimed in claim 8, wherein registration update request signalling is employed to include said list if the mobile radio communications device supports the old security algorithm.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10, further including the step of selecting, at the network, a security algorithm indicated in the mobile radio communications device signalling as a supported algorithm.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the algorithm selected at the network is indicated within security mode signalling to the mobile radio communications device.

13. A mobile radio communications device arranged for a network connection procedure and to receive signalling from a network providing a list of security algorithms supported by the network.

14. (canceled)

15. A mobile radio communications network device arranged for signalling to a mobile radio communications device arranged to operate within the network a list of supported security algorithms.

16. (canceled)