System and method for authenticating a communication device
A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device having a controller to transmit to a communication system a PKI certificate, and engage in encrypted communications responsive to receiving a public key from the communication system. The communication system can have a plurality of network elements that integrate operations of a circuit-switched communication network and a packet-switched communication network. Other embodiments are disclosed.
1. A machine-readable storage device comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving a session initiation protocol register message sent from a communications device requesting authentication, the session initiation protocol register message including a public key infrastructure certificate associated with the communication device;
determining a previous registration associated with the communications device, the previous registration registering the communications device to a multimedia subsystem network using the public key infrastructure certificate;
determining a pre-registration associated with the communication device to a proxy call session control function without an additional authentication of the communication device based on the previous registration with the multimedia subsystem network; and
sending a public key associated with the multimedia subsystem network to the communication device responsive to the pre-registration associated with the communication device.
2. The machine-readable storage device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving a private identifier that uniquely identifies the communication device.
3. The machine-readable storage device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise engaging in encrypted communications with the communication device.
4. The machine-readable storage device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise providing direct access to an authentication server based on the pre-registration associated with the communication device.
5. The machine-readable storage device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a different public key associated with the communication device.
6. The machine-readable storage device of claim 5 , wherein the operations further comprise encrypting a message using the different public key.
7. The machine-readable storage device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise authenticating the public key infrastructure certificate with a certificate authority.
8. The machine-readable storage device of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a private key associated with the multimedia subsystem network.
9. A device, comprising:
a memory storing computer instructions; and
a controller coupled with the memory, wherein the controller, responsive to executing the computer instructions, performs operations comprising:
receiving a session initiation protocol register message sent from a communications device requesting authentication, the session initiation protocol register message including a public key infrastructure certificate associated with the communication device;
determining a previous registration associated with the communications device, the previous registration registering the communications device to a multimedia subsystem network using the public key infrastructure certificate;
determining a pre-registration associated with the communication device to a proxy call session control function without an additional authentication associated with the communication device based on the previous registration with the multimedia subsystem network; and
sending a public key associated with the multimedia subsystem network to the communication device in response to the pre-registration of the communication device.
10. The device of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving a private identifier that uniquely identifies the communication device.
11. The device of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise engaging in encrypted communications with the communication device.
12. The device of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise providing direct access to an authentication server based on the pre-registration associated with the communication device.
13. The device of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a different public key associated with the communication device.
14. The device of claim 9 , wherein the operations further comprise retrieving a private key associated with the multimedia subsystem network.
15. A method, comprising:
receiving, by a server, a session initiation protocol register message sent from a communications device requesting authentication, the session initiation protocol register message including a public key infrastructure certificate associated with the communication device;
determining, by the server, a previous registration associated with the communications device, the previous registration registering the communications device to an Internet Protocol multimedia subsystem network using the public key infrastructure certificate;
determining, by the server, a pre-registration associated with the communication device to a proxy call session control function without an additional authentication associated with the communication device based on the previous registration with the Internet Protocol multimedia subsystem network; and
sending, by the server, a public key associated with the Internet Protocol multimedia subsystem network to the communication device responsive to the pre-registration associated with the communication device.
16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising receiving a private identifier that uniquely identifies the communication device.
17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising engaging in encrypted communications with the communication device.
18. The method of claim 17 , further comprising providing direct access to an authentication server based on the pre-registration associated with the communication device.
19. The method of claim 17 , further comprising retrieving a different public key associated with the communication device.
20. The method of claim 17 , further comprising retrieving a private key associated with the Internet Protocol multimedia subsystem network.