Method, apparatus and computer program product for security configuration coordination during a cell update procedure
View Patent ↗A method, apparatus and computer program product are provided for maintaining synchronization with respect to the security configurations of the network and a mobile terminal, even during a cell update procedure. A method may include causing a cell update message to be provided during performance of a cell update procedure and including, with the cell update message, a security configuration information element indicating that a mobile terminal has applied an updated security configuration in an instance in which the mobile terminal has applied the updated security configuration. The method may also include, with the cell update message, the information element indicating that the mobile terminal has reverted to a prior security configuration in an instance in which the mobile terminal has reverted to a prior security configuration. Corresponding apparatuses and computer program products are also provided.
1. A method for controlling a mobile terminal, the method comprising:
causing a report to be provided to a network regarding completion of an update of a security configuration;
separately causing a cell update message to be provided from the mobile terminal to the network during performance of a cell update procedure;
including, with the cell update message, a security configuration information element indicating that the mobile terminal has applied an updated security configuration in an instance in which the mobile terminal has received an acknowledgement of the report regarding completion of the update of the security configuration prior to commencement of the cell update procedure and has applied the updated security configuration to change from a prior security configuration to the updated security configuration so that subsequent communications between the mobile terminal and the network are conducted in accordance with the updated security configuration; and
including, with the cell update message, the security configuration information element indicating that the mobile terminal has reverted to the prior security configuration in an instance in which the mobile terminal has not received an acknowledgement of the report regarding completion of the update of the security configuration prior to commencement of the cell update procedure and has reverted to the prior security configuration so that subsequent communications between the mobile terminal and the network are conducted in accordance with the prior security configuration.
2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein including the security configuration information element indicating that a mobile terminal has applied an updated security configuration comprises including the security configuration information element indicating that the mobile terminal has not reverted to the prior security configuration.
3. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising applying the updated security configuration prior to causing the cell update message to be provided.
4. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising reverting to the prior security configuration prior to causing the cell update message to be provided.
5. A method according to claim 1 , wherein causing the cell update message to be provided comprises causing the cell update message to be provided after completion of a cell reselection procedure.
6. A method according to claim 1 , further comprising commencing the cell update procedure during and prior to completion of a security configuration command procedure.
7. An apparatus for use in controlling a mobile terminal, the apparatus comprising a processing system configured at least to:
cause a report to be provided to a network regarding completion of an update of a security configuration;
separately cause a cell update message to be provided from the mobile terminal to the network during performance of a cell update procedure;
include, with the cell update message, a security configuration information element indicating that a mobile terminal has applied an updated security configuration in an instance in which the mobile terminal has received an acknowledgement of the report regarding completion of the update of the security configuration prior to commencement of the cell update procedure and has applied the updated security configuration to change from a prior security configuration to the updated security configuration so that subsequent communications between the mobile terminal and the network are conducted in accordance with the updated security configuration; and
including, with the cell update message, the security configuration information element indicating that the mobile terminal has reverted to the prior security configuration in an instance in which the mobile terminal has not received an acknowledgement of the report regarding completion of the update of the security configuration prior to commencement of the cell update procedure and has reverted to the prior security configuration so that subsequent communications between the mobile terminal and the network are conducted in accordance with the prior security configuration.
8. An apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the processing system is configured to include the security configuration information element indicating that a mobile terminal has applied an updated security configuration by including the security configuration information element indicating that the mobile terminal has not reverted to the prior security configuration.
9. An apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the processing system is further configured to apply the updated security configuration prior to causing the cell update message to be provided.
10. An apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the processing system is further configured to revert to the prior security configuration prior to causing the cell update message to be provided.
11. An apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the processing system is configured to cause the cell update message to be provided by causing the cell update message to be provided after completion of a cell reselection procedure.
12. An apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the processing system is further configured to commence the cell update procedure during and prior to completion of a security configuration command procedure.
13. A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions which when executed by a mobile terminal cause the mobile terminal to:
cause a report to be provided to a network regarding completion of an update of a security configuration;
separately provide a cell update message from the mobile terminal to the network during performance of a cell update procedure;
include, with the cell update message, a security configuration information element indicating that a mobile terminal has received an acknowledgement of the report regarding completion of the update of the security configuration prior to commencement of the cell update procedure and has applied an updated security configuration in an instance in which the mobile terminal has applied the updated security configuration to change from a prior security configuration to the updated security configuration so that subsequent communications between the mobile terminal and the network are conducted in accordance with the updated security configuration; and
include, with the cell update message, the security configuration information element indicating that the mobile terminal has reverted to the prior security configuration in an instance in which the mobile terminal has not received an acknowledgement of the report regarding completion of the update of the security configuration prior to commencement of the cell update procedure and has reverted to a prior security configuration so that subsequent communications between the mobile terminal and the network are conducted in accordance with the prior security configuration.
14. A computer program product according to claim 13 , wherein the program code instructions for including the security configuration information element indicating that a mobile terminal has applied an updated security configuration comprise program code instructions which when executed by a mobile terminal cause the mobile terminal to include the security configuration information element indicating that the mobile terminal has not reverted to the prior security configuration.
15. A computer program product according to claim 13 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions which when executed by a mobile terminal cause the mobile terminal to apply the updated security configuration prior to causing the cell update message to be provided.
16. A computer program product according to claim 13 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions which when executed by a mobile terminal cause the mobile terminal to revert to the prior security configuration prior to causing the cell update message to be provided.
17. A computer program product according to claim 13 , wherein the program code instructions for causing the cell update message to be provided comprise program code instructions which when executed by a mobile terminal cause the cell update message to be provided after completion of a cell reselection procedure.
18. A computer program product according to claim 13 , wherein the computer-executable program code instructions further comprise program code instructions which when executed by a mobile terminal cause the mobile terminal to commence the cell update procedure during and prior to completion of a security configuration command procedure.