Binding mobile device secure software components to the SIM

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a processor of a mobile device, a cryptographic key shared with a SIM card of the mobile device;

encrypting the received cryptographic key using a cryptographic function;

transmitting, by the processor, an authentication challenge to the SIM card;

receiving by the processor an authentication response from the SIM card;

verifying the authentication response from the SIM card; and

enabling a secure software application stored in a memory at the mobile device when the authentication response from the SIM card is verified, wherein enabling the secure software application includes receiving information from the SIM card that enables the operation of the secure software application.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein enabling the secure software application includes enabling secure portion of the secure software application.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the secure software application is configured to perform cryptographic functions.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shared cryptographic key is the SIM key Ki.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the cryptographic functions include one of a symmetric encryption/decryption function, an asymmetric encryption/decryption function, a hash function, and a digital signature function.

6. A method comprising:

receiving at a processor of a mobile device a cryptographic key shared with a SIM card of the mobile device;

encrypting in the received cryptographic key using a cryptographic function;

authenticating, by the processor, a connection between the mobile device and a mobile network control server;

transmitting an authentication challenge to the SIM card;

receiving an authentication response from the SIM card;

sending the authentication response from the SIM card to the mobile network control server;

receiving from the mobile network control server a verification of the authentication response from the SIM card; and

enabling a secure software application stored in a memory at the mobile device when the authentication response from the SIM card is verified by the mobile network control server, wherein enabling the secure software application includes receiving information from the SIM card that enables the operation of the secure software application.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein enabling the secure software application includes enabling secure portion of the secure software application.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the secure software application is configured to perform cryptographic functions.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the cryptographic functions include one of a symmetric encryption/decryption function, an asymmetric encryption/decryption function, a hash function, and a digital signature function.

10. A method for binding a secure software application to a mobile device wherein the mobile device includes a processor and a subscriber identity module (SIM) card, comprising:

receiving, by a processor of a mobile device, a cryptographic key shared with a SIM card of the mobile device;

encrypting the received cryptographic key using a cryptographic function;

authenticating, by the processor, a connection between the mobile device and a mobile network control server;

requesting from the mobile network control server a verification of the SIM card;

receiving from the mobile network control server a verification of the SIM card; and

enabling a secure software application stored in a memory at the mobile device when the SIM card is verified by the mobile network control server, wherein enabling the secure software application includes receiving information from the SIM card that enables the operation of the secure software application.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein enabling the secure software application includes enabling secure portion of the secure software application.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the secure software application is configured to perform cryptographic functions.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shared cryptographic key is the SIM key Ki.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the cryptographic functions include one of a symmetric encryption/decryption function, an asymmetric encryption/decryption function, a hash function, and a digital signature function.