Security challenges in seamless mobility: how to "handover" the keys?

Katrin Hoeper; Lidong Chen; Antonio Izquierdo; Nada Golmie

4th International ICST Conference on Wireless Internet

Research Article

Security challenges in seamless mobility: how to "handover" the keys?

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Cite: BibTeX Plain Text

@INPROCEEDINGS{10.4108/ICST.WICON2008.4790,
    author={Katrin Hoeper and Lidong Chen and Antonio Izquierdo and Nada Golmie},
    title={Security challenges in seamless mobility: how to "handover" the keys?},
    proceedings={4th International ICST Conference on Wireless Internet},
    publisher={ICST},
    proceedings_a={WICON},
    year={2010},
    month={5},
    keywords={Security Key Management Seamless Mobility},
    doi={10.4108/ICST.WICON2008.4790}
}

Katrin Hoeper
Lidong Chen
Antonio Izquierdo
Nada Golmie
Year: 2010
Security challenges in seamless mobility: how to "handover" the keys?
WICON
ICST
DOI: 10.4108/ICST.WICON2008.4790

Katrin Hoeper¹^,*, Lidong Chen¹^,*, Antonio Izquierdo²^,*, Nada Golmie²^,*

1: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Computer Security Division Gaithersburg, MD, USA
2: National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Advanced Networking Technologies Division Gaithersburg, MD, USA

*Contact email: khoeper@nist.gov, llchen@nist.gov, aizquier@nist.gov, ngolmie@nist.gov

Abstract

In this paper, we discuss key management challenges for seamless handovers across heterogeneous wireless networks. We focus on utilizing existing keying material from previ- ous access authentications to expedite network entry. For a seamless handover, keys must be available at the target network at the time of the handover. Currently, industry is still exploring possible ways to handle keys for mobility. This paper identi¯es the challenges of secure derivation and timely distribution of such keys. We discuss solutions for intra- and inter-technology handovers within the same net- work and between networks with roaming agreements. The presented solutions include di®erent types of handover key hierarchies and key distribution protocols. In addition, we analyze the tradeo®s between security and performance in the discussed solutions.

Keywords: Security Key Management Seamless Mobility

Published: 2010-05-16
Publisher: ICST
Modified: 2010-05-16

: http://dx.doi.org/10.4108/ICST.WICON2008.4790