Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A symmetric key-based pre-authentication protocol for secure handover in mobile WiMAX networks

  • Published:
The Journal of Supercomputing Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Providing secured and seamless service is one of the most important aspects of mobile networks, particularly for mobile WiMAX systems. However, the long delay handover schemes brought by the time-consuming EAP-based authentication may cause service disruption when a mobile WiMAX user moves between the coverage areas of different base stations. In this paper, we propose a handover scheme using symmetric key cryptography and pre-authentication approach to shorten the delay while ensuring high security level for Mobile WiMAX handover. The scheme is proven by BAN logic to achieve the security goals of an authentication scheme. A performance analysis is also carried out to show the effectiveness of this scheme in reducing handover delay and saving computational resources.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. IEEE Standard 802.16e (2005) In: Part 16: air interface for fixed and mobile broadband wireless access systems

  2. Jatav VK, Singh V (2014) Mobile WiMAX network security threats and solutions: a survey. In: Proceedings of 2014 international conference computer and communication technology, pp 135–140

  3. Aboba B, Blunk L, Vollbrecht J, Carlson J, Levkowetz H (2004, 7 September 2011) Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP). [RFC 3748]. http://tools.ietf.org/pdf/rfc3748.pdf

  4. Narayanan V, Dondeti L (2008, 09 December 2010) EAP Extensions for EAP Re-authentication Protocol (ERP). [RFC 5296]. http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc5296.txt

  5. Aura T, Roe M (2005) Reducing reauthentication delay in wireless networks. In: Proceedings of first international conference on security and privacy for emerging areas in communications networks (SecureComm 2005), Athens, pp 139–148

  6. Kim Y, Bahk S (2008) Enhancing security using the discarded security information in mobile WiMAX networks. In: 2008 IEEE global telecommunications conference, New Orleans, 2008, pp 1–5

  7. Ohba Y, Wu Q, Zorn G (2010, 09 December 2010) Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP) early authentication problem statement. [RFC 5836]. http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc5836.txt

  8. Sun HM, Lin YH, Chen SM, Shen YC (2007) Secure and fast handover scheme based on pre-authentication method for 802.16/WiMAX infrastructure networks. In: TENCON—Proceedings of IEEE region 10th annual international conference, Taipei, pp. 1–4

  9. Junbeom H, Hyeongseop S, Pyung K, Hyunsoo Y, Nah-Oak S (2008) Security considerations for handover schemes in mobile WiMAX networks. In: 2008 IEEE wireless communications and networking conference, 31 March–3 April 2008, Piscataway, 2008, pp 2531–2536

  10. Thuy Ngoc N, Maode M (2012) Enhanced EAP-based pre-authentication for fast and secure inter-ASN handovers in mobile WiMAX networks. IEEE Trans Wireless Commun 11:2173–2181

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Tiwari H, Chaurasia BK (2014) In: Proceeding of 2014 fourth international conference on communication systems and network technologies (CSNT 2014), pp 669–672

  12. Sarma A, Chakraborty S, Nandi S (2015) Deciding handover points based on context aware load balancing in a WiFi-WiMAX heterogeneous network environment. IEEE Trans Veh Technol PP(99):1–10

  13. Rajule N, Ambudkar B (2015) Seamless and optimised vertical handover algorithm. In: Proceeding of 2015 international conference on computing communication control and automation (ICCUBEA 2015), pp 195–199

  14. Liu C-Y, Leu F-Y, Liu J-C, Castiglione A, Palmieri F (2015) Heterogeneous network handover using 3GPP AND SF. In: Proceeding of 2015 IEEE 29th international conference on advanced information networking and applications (AINA 2015), pp 171–175

  15. Simon D, Aboba B, Hurst R (2008, 09 December 2010) The EAP-TLS Authentication Protocol. [RFC 5216]. http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc5216.txt

  16. Zorn G (2010, 09 December 2010) RADIUS attributes for IEEE 802.16 Privacy Key Management Version 1 (PKMv1) Protocol support. [RFC 5904]. http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc5904.txt

  17. Dierks T, Rescorla E (2008, 09 December 2010) The Transport Layer Security (TLS) Protocol Version 1.2. [RFC 5246]. http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc5246.txt

  18. Zorn G, Zhang T, Walker J, Salowey J (2011, 30th August 2012) Cisco Vendor-Specific RADIUS attributes for the delivery of keying material. [RFC 6218]. http://tools.ietf.org/pdf/rfc6218.pdf

  19. Burrows M, Abadi M, Needham RM (1990) A logic of authentication. ACM Trans Comput Syst 8:18–36

    Article  MATH  Google Scholar 

  20. Jonsson J, Kaliski B (2003, 11 December 2010) Public-key cryptography standards (PKCS) #1: RSA cryptography specifications Version 2.1. [RFC 3447]. http://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc3447.txt

  21. (29 September 2012) Crypto++ 5.6.0 Benchmarks. http://www.cryptopp.com/benchmarks.html

  22. Ye Y, Yi Q, Sharif H (2010) Performance analysis of IEEE 802.16e handover with RSA-based authentication. In: 2010 IEEE International Conference on Communications, ICC 2010 23-27 May 2010, Piscataway, p 5

Download references

Acknowledgments

This paper is supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (the Number is 11171053) and Major State Basic Research Development Program of China (973 program, the Number is 2011CB302402).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Chengdu Information Technology of Chinese Academy of Science Co. Ltd, Chengdu, China

    Jianhong Zhou & Yong Feng

  2. School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore

    Jianhong Zhou, Maode Ma & Thuy Ngoc Nguyen

Authors
  1. Jianhong Zhou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Maode Ma
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yong Feng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Thuy Ngoc Nguyen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jianhong Zhou.

Appendix

Appendix

The abbreviations of the terminologies

WiMAX:

Worldwide interoperability for microwave access

MS:

Mobile station

BS:

Base station

AS:

Authentic server

ASN:

Access service networks

tBS:

Target base station

tASN:

Target access service networks

EAP:

Extensible authentication protocol

HO:

Handover

ERP:

EAP-based re-authentication protocol

EMSK:

Extended master session key

MSK:

Master session key

EPA:

EAP-based pre-authentication scheme

PMKs:

Pair-wise master keys

nBSs:

Neighbor BSs

EEP:

Enhanced EAP-based pre-authentication scheme

HetNet:

Heterogeneous network

SKEP:

Symmetric keys for EAP-based pre-authentication protocol

NAP:

Network access provider

CSNs:

Connectivity service networks

NSP:

Network service provider

EAP-TLS:

EAP transport layer security

SA- TEK:

Security association-traffic encryption key

PIK:

Pre-authentication integrity key

HMACs:

Hash-based message authentication codes

PEK:

Pre-authentication encryption key

PMS:

Pre-master secret

AK:

Authorization key

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhou, J., Ma, M., Feng, Y. et al. A symmetric key-based pre-authentication protocol for secure handover in mobile WiMAX networks. J Supercomput 72, 2734–2751 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11227-015-1581-y

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11227-015-1581-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation