Shahabuddin, Rahaman, Rehman, Ahmad, and Khan
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The HE mainly contains the HLR and AC, and the SN consists of the parts of the core
network that are directly involved in setting up connections.
In terms of access security, the SN network elements of interest are the PDSN,
which handles packet‐switched traffic, and the circuit switched nodes VLR/MSC. An
operator with a physical access infrastructure will normally have both HE and SN
nodes [8].
1.5.7 Security in UMTS
The UMTS security architecture is grouped together in five different sets of features, as
shown in the Figure 1.9. The description of these groups of features is given as:
1) Network access security: provides the subscriber with secure access to the 3G services,
and gives protection against attacks to the radio interface;
2) Network domain security: allows all the subscribers to be able to securely exchange
signaling data and provides protection against attacks to the wireline network;
3) User domain security: deals with secure access to mobile stations;
4) Application domain security: makes sure that applications in the user and provider
domain are able to communicate with each other securely;
5) Visibility and configurability of security: provides security information to the users,
as to which security features are in place, and whether a certain security feature
requires activation or not.
The network access security features described above can be further classified
into the following two categories. The categories with their description are
explained below:
1) User authentication: is the property of the network that provides service confirming
the validity of the identity of the user, and
2) Network authentication: is the property that the user validates, which is connected
to a serving network with is authorized by the user’s home network.
Application Stratum
Provider Application
Home
stratum/Serving
stratum
HE
Transport stratum
SN
AN
ME
USIM
(II)
(I)
(I)
(I)
(I)
(II)
(I)
User Application
(IV)
Figure 1.9 Overview of UMTS security architecture.
18
The HE mainly contains the HLR and AC, and the SN consists of the parts of the core
network that are directly involved in setting up connections.
In terms of access security, the SN network elements of interest are the PDSN,
which handles packet‐switched traffic, and the circuit switched nodes VLR/MSC. An
operator with a physical access infrastructure will normally have both HE and SN
nodes [8].
1.5.7 Security in UMTS
The UMTS security architecture is grouped together in five different sets of features, as
shown in the Figure 1.9. The description of these groups of features is given as:
1) Network access security: provides the subscriber with secure access to the 3G services,
and gives protection against attacks to the radio interface;
2) Network domain security: allows all the subscribers to be able to securely exchange
signaling data and provides protection against attacks to the wireline network;
3) User domain security: deals with secure access to mobile stations;
4) Application domain security: makes sure that applications in the user and provider
domain are able to communicate with each other securely;
5) Visibility and configurability of security: provides security information to the users,
as to which security features are in place, and whether a certain security feature
requires activation or not.
The network access security features described above can be further classified
into the following two categories. The categories with their description are
explained below:
1) User authentication: is the property of the network that provides service confirming
the validity of the identity of the user, and
2) Network authentication: is the property that the user validates, which is connected
to a serving network with is authorized by the user’s home network.
Application Stratum
Provider Application
Home
stratum/Serving
stratum
HE
Transport stratum
SN
AN
ME
USIM
(II)
(I)
(I)
(I)
(I)
(II)
(I)
User Application
(IV)
Figure 1.9 Overview of UMTS security architecture.