Security method for the verification of an information retrieval request

• US 9,191,819 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2014
• Issued: 11/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vodafone Holding GmbH (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Original Assignee: Vodafone Holding GmbH (Vodafone Group PLC)
• Inventors: Sauder, Oliver, Nestler, Lars, Sporton, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, DANH C
• Application Number:
  US14/532,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20150126156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 378 Days
• Field of Search: 455/411, 455/418, 455/433
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/101 Access control lists [ACL]
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/08 Access security
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/08 Mobility data transfer

Abstract

The invention is related to security method for the verification of an Information Retrieval Request (10) which requests a transmission of data (20) from a Location Register Server (LR) to a Sending Entity (30) in a Mobile Communication Network (100), comprising the following steps: receive an Information Retrieval Request (10) from the Sending Entity (20); extract at least one Specification Code (12) for specifying the Sending Entity (20) and/or a Mobile Subscriber (MS) out of the Information Retrieval Request (10); compare the extracted at least one Specification Code (12) to a Verification List (14); based on the result of the comparison with the Verification List (14), allow or prohibit the transmission of data (20) requested in the Information Retrieval Request (10).

Claims

1. A security method for the verification of an Information Retrieval Request (10) which requests a transmission of data (20) from a Location Register Server (LR) to a Sending Entity (30) in a Mobile Communication Network (100), comprising the following steps:

receiving an Information Retrieval Request (10) from the Sending Entity (20),

extracting at least one Specification Code (12) for specifying the Sending Entity (20) and/or a Mobile Subscriber (MS) out of the Information Retrieval Request (10),

comparing the extracted at least one Specification Code (12) to a Verification List (14),

based on the result of the comparison with the Verification List (14), allowing or prohibiting the transmission of data (20) requested in the Information Retrieval Request (10).

2. The security method according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one Specification Code (12) for specifying the Sending Entity (30) and at least one Specification Code (12) for specifying the Mobile Subscriber (MS) is extracted, wherein all extracted Specification Codes (12) are compared to a Verification List (14).

3. The security method according to claim 1, characterized in that the Information Retrieval Request (10) comprises a Provide Subscriber Information Request (PSI) which requests a transmission data (20) in form of Subscriber Information (SI) stored in the Visited Location Register Server (VLR).

4. The security method according to claim 2, characterized in that the Information Retrieval Request (10) comprises a Provide Subscriber Information Request (PSI) which requests a transmission data (20) in form of Subscriber Information (SI) stored in the Visited Location Register Server (VLR).

5. The security method according to claim 1, characterized in that after receiving the Information Retrieval Request (10) the Information Retrieval Request (10) is decoded as to the at least one Specification Code (12).

6. The security method according to claim 1, characterized in that the Verification List (14) comprises allowed Specification Codes (12) and/or prohibited Specification Codes (12).

7. The security method according to claim 1, characterized in that the steps of the extracting, the comparing and the allowing/prohibiting are carried out before a work routine for handling the Information Retrieval Request (10) is started.

8. The security method according to claim 1, characterized in that at least two Specification Codes (12) are extracted, in particular all available Specification Codes (12) are extracted.

9. The security method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the case of a prohibition of the transmission of the data (20) requested by the Sending Entity (30) at least one of the following further steps is carried out:

sending a Prohibition Message (40) to the Sending Entity (30)

sending a Warning Message (50) to a Home Location Register Server (HLR), in particular comprising the extracted at least one Specification Code (12).

10. The security method according to claim 1, characterized in that in the case of a prohibition of the transmission of the data (20) requested by the Sending Entity (30) the Verification List (14) is adapted.

11. A computer program product being stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, comprising the following:

computer readable program means, initiating the computer to receive an Information Retrieval Request (10) from a Sending Entity (30),

computer readable program means, initiating the computer to extract at least one Specification Code (12) for the Sending Entity (30) and/or a Mobile Subscriber (MS) out of the Information Retrieval Request (10),

computer readable program means, initiating the computer to compare the extracted at least one Specification Code (12) to a Verification List (14),

computer readable program means, initiating the computer, based on the result of the comparison with the Verification List (14), to allow or prohibit the transmission of data (20) requested in the Information Retrieval Request (10).

12. The computer program product according to claim 11 characterized in that it comprises computer readable program means, initiating the computer to carry out the method comprising:

receiving the Information Retrieval Request (10) from the Sending Entity (20);

extracting the at least one Specification Code (12) for specifying the Sending Entity (20) and/or a Mobile Subscriber (MS) out of the Information Retrieval Request (10);

comparing the extracted at least one Specification Code (12) to a Verification List (14);

based on the result of the comparison with the Verification List (14), allowing or prohibiting the transmission of data (20) requested in the Information Retrieval Request (10).

13. A security device (200) for the verification of an Information Retrieval Request (10) which requests a transmission of data (20) from a Location Register Server (LR) to a Sending Entity (30), comprising:

a Receiving Module (210) for receiving an Information Retrieval Request (10) from a Sending Entity (20),

an Extraction Module (220) for extracting at least one Specification Code (12) for the Sending Entity (20) and/or a Mobile Subscriber (MS) out of the Information Retrieval Request (10),

a Comparison Module (230) for comparing the extracted at least one Specification Code (12) to a Verification List (14) and

a Verification Module (240) for prohibiting or allowing the transmission of the data (20) requested in the Information Retrieval Request (10) based on the result of the comparison.

14. The security device (200) according to claim 13, characterized in that the Receiving Module (210) and/or the Extraction Module (220) and/or the Comparison Module (230) and/or the Verification Module (240) are configured to carry out a method comprising:

receiving the Information Retrieval Request (10) from the Sending Entity (20);

extracting the at least one Specification Code (12) for specifying the Sending Entity (20) and/or a Mobile Subscriber (MS) out of the Information Retrieval Request (10);

comparing the extracted at least one Specification Code (12) to a Verification List (14);

based on the result of the comparison with the Verification List (14), allowing or prohibiting the transmission of data (20) requested in the Information Retrieval Request (10).

15. The security device (200) according to claim 13, characterized in that it is configured to be placed in a Location Register Server (LR) and/or in a Signaling Transfer Point (STP) in the communication line between the Sending Entity (20) and the Location Register Server (LR).

16. The security device (200) according to claim 14, characterized in that it is configured to be placed in a Location Register Server (LR) and/or in a Signaling Transfer Point (STP) in the communication line between the Sending Entity (20) and the Location Register Server (LR).

17. A mobile communication network (100) for communication between mobile stations (300) comprising a Home Location Register Server (HLR) and multiple Location Register Servers (LR) characterized in that the Location Register Servers (LR) and/or Signal Transfer Points (STP) to the Location Register Servers (LR) comprise a Security Device (200) comprising:

a Receiving Module (210) for receiving an Information Retrieval Request (10) from a Sending Entity (20),

an Extraction Module (220) for extracting at least one Specification Code (12) for the Sending Entity (20) and/or a Mobile Subscriber (MS) out of the Information Retrieval Request (10),

a Comparison Module (230) for comparing the extracted at least one Specification Code (12) to a Verification List (14) and

a Verification Module (240) for prohibiting or allowing the transmission of the data (20) requested in the Information Retrieval Request (10) based on the result of the comparison.

18. The mobile communication network (100) according to claim 17, the Security Device (200) characterized in that the Receiving Module (210) and/or the Extraction Module (220) and/or the Comparison Module (230) and/or the Verification Module (240) are configured to carry out a method comprising:

receiving the Information Retrieval Request (10) from the Sending Entity (20);

extracting the at least one Specification Code (12) for specifying the Sending Entity (20) and/or a Mobile Subscriber (MS) out of the Information Retrieval Request (10);

comparing the extracted at least one Specification Code (12) to a Verification List (14);

based on the result of the comparison with the Verification List (14), allowing or prohibiting the transmission of data (20) requested in the Information Retrieval Request (10).

19. The mobile communication network (100) according to claim 17, the Security Device (200) characterized in that it is configured to be placed in a Location Register Server (LR) and/or in a Signaling Transfer Point (STP) in the communication line between the Sending Entity (20) and the Location Register Server (LR).

20. The mobile communication network (100) according to claim 18, the Security Device (200) characterized in that it is configured to be placed in a Location Register Server (LR) and/or in a Signaling Transfer Point (STP) in the communication line between the Sending Entity (20) and the Location Register Server (LR).