Method of cryptographic synchronization

1. A method, comprising:

establishing, at a mobile unit, an uplink counter for a security association between the mobile unit and a first base first base station that has established a downlink counter for the security association, wherein the uplink counter is incremented prior to each message transmitted to the first base station and the downlink counter is incremented prior to each message transmitted to the mobile unit;

receiving, at the mobile unit, a message authentication code from the second base station, the message authentication code being formed using values of the uplink counter and the downlink counter provided to the second base station by a key distributor; and mutually authenticating the mobile unit and a second base station by comparing values of the uplink counter and the downlink counter stored in the mobile unit to values of the uplink counter and the downlink counter provided to the second base station in response to the mobile unit handing off from the first base station to the second base station and determining, at the mobile unit, that the value of the downlink counter received from the second base station is larger than the value of the downlink counter stored by the mobile unit.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein mutually authenticating the mobile unit and the second base station comprises changing message authentication codes formed using a secret key and at least one of the values of the uplink counter and the downlink counter stored in the mobile unit and the second base station.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein mutually authenticating the mobile unit and the second base station comprises determining, at the mobile unit, that the value of the downlink counter received from the second base station is larger than a value of a downlink counter received from the first base station and stored by the mobile unit.

4. A method, comprising:

establishing, at a first base station, a downlink counter for a security association between the first base station and a mobile unit that has established an uplink counter for the security association, the downlink counter being incremented prior to each message transmitted to the mobile unit and the uplink counter being incremented prior to each message transmitted to the first base station;

transmitting to the mobile unit a message authentication code, the message authentication code being formed using values of the uplink counter and the downlink counter provided to the second base station by a key distributor;

mutually authenticating the mobile unit and a second base station by comparing values of the uplink counter and the downlink counter stored in the mobile unit to values of the uplink counter and the downlink counter provided to the second base station in response to the mobile unit handing off from the first base station to the second base station and determining, at the second base station, that the value of the downlink counter received from the mobile unit is larger than the value of the downlink counter stored by the second base station; and

providing a first message to the mobile unit in response to authenticating the mobile unit.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein mutually authenticating the mobile unit and the second base station comprises exchanging message authentication codes formed using a secret key and at least one of the values of the uplink counter and the downlink counter stored in the mobile unit and the second base station.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein mutually authenticating the mobile unit and the second base station comprises:

receiving, at the second base station and from a key distributor, values of the uplink counter and the downlink counter;

receiving, at the second base station, a message authentication code from the mobile unit, the message authentication code being formed using values of the uplink counter and the downlink counter stored at the mobile unit; and

comparing, at the second base station, the values of the uplink counter and the downlink counter stored by the second base station and received from the mobile unit.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein mutually authenticating the mobile unit and the second base station comprises determining, at the second base station, that the value of the downlink counter received from the mobile unit is larger than the value of the downlink counter stored by the second base station.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein mutually authenticating the mobile unit and the second base station comprises determining, at the second base station, that the value of the downlink counter received from the mobile unit is larger than a value of a downlink counter received from the first base station and stored by the mobile unit.

9. A method, comprising:

transmitting, from a mobile unit, a value of an uplink counter in response to the mobile unit waking up from an inactive mode, and wherein the mobile unit has also stored a previously authenticated value of a downlink counter;

receiving, at the mobile unit and from a base station, a first message formed using a nonce and the value of the uplink counter, the first message being formed using a value of the uplink counter provided to the base station by a key distributor;

transmitting, from the mobile unit in response to receiving the first message, a second message formed using the nonce, an incremented value of the uplink counter, and the value of the downlink counter; and

receiving, at the mobile unit and from the base station, a third message indicating validation of the incremented value of the uplink counter and the value of the downlink counter when the value of the downlink counter is larger than the value of the downlink counter stored by the base station.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein receiving the first message comprises receiving a first message including an escape code indicating that the message includes the nonce and the value of the uplink counter provided by the base station.

11. The method of claim 10 , comprising validating the first message without checking the value of the uplink counter in the first message.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein transmitting the second message comprises transmitting a second message formed using the nonce, the incremented value of the uplink counter, and the previously authenticated value of the downlink counter.

13. A method, comprising:

receiving, at a base station and from a mobile unit, a value of an uplink counter in response to the mobile unit waking up from an inactive mode, and wherein the mobile unit has also stored a previously authenticated value of a downlink counter;

transmitting, from the base station to the mobile unit, a first message formed using a nonce and the value of the uplink counter provided to the base station by a key distributor;

receiving, at the base station and from the mobile unit in response to transmitting the first message, a second message formed using the nonce, an incremented value of the uplink counter, and the value of the downlink counter; and

validating, at the base station, the incremented value of the uplink counter and the value of the downlink counter when the value of the downlink counter is larger than the value of the downlink counter stored by the base station.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein transmitting the first message comprises transmitting a first message including an escape code indicating that the message includes the nonce and the value of the uplink counter provided by the base station.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein receiving the second message comprises receiving a second message formed using the nonce, the incremented value of the uplink counter, and the previously authenticated value of the downlink counter.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein validating the incremented value of the uplink counter and the value of the downlink counter comprises receiving a third message from the mobile unit including information indicating the incremented value of the uplink counter and the value of the downlink counter.

17. The method of claim 16 , comprising transmitting, from the base station and to the mobile unit, a third message indicating validation of the incremented value of the uplink counter and the value of the downlink counter.