Operation of a serving node in a network

1. A serving node for use in a telecommunications network, comprising:

a communications unit for sending and receiving data;

a storage medium for storing data; and

a control unit for controlling the operation of the communications unit and the storage medium; wherein:

the communications unit is configured to receive security capabilities of a terminal when the terminal registers with the serving node;

the storage medium is configured to store the security capabilities;

the communications unit is configured to receive a path switch request message, the path switch request including another indication of security capabilities of the terminal; and

the communications unit is configured to send the stored security capabilities towards a target base station, wherein the control unit is configured to instruct the communications unit to send the stored security capabilities to the target base station if the other indication of the security capabilities of the terminal received in the path switch request message do not match the stored security capabilities.

2. The serving node of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine whether the stored security capabilities should be sent to the target base station, and the communications unit is configured to send the stored security capabilities on the basis of the determination carried out by the control unit.

3. The serving node of claim 2 , wherein:

the storage medium is configured to store security upgrade details of base stations in the network; and

the control unit is configured to instruct the communications unit to send the stored security capabilities to the target base station if the security of a source base station, from which the handover originated, has not been upgraded.

4. The serving node of claim 3 , wherein an upgrade in the security of the source base station results in the selection of improved security parameters with the terminal.

5. The serving node of claim 1 , wherein the communications unit is configured to send the stored security capabilities to the target base station in a context modification request.

6. The serving node of claim 1 , wherein the communications unit is configured to send the stored security capabilities to the target base station in a path switch request acknowledgement message.

7. The serving node of claim 1 , wherein the network is an LTE network and the serving node is optionally an MME.

8. A base station for use in a telecommunications network, comprising:

a communications unit for sending and receiving data;

a storage medium for storing data; and

a control unit for controlling the operation of the communications unit and the storage medium; wherein

the communications unit is configured to receive a handover request for handover of a terminal from a source base station, the handover request including security capabilities of the terminal;

the control unit is configured to select security algorithms for use in communications between the base station and the terminal following the handover, the selection of the security algorithms being based on the received security capabilities of the terminal;

the communications unit is configured to send a path switch request to a serving node, the path switch request including the received security capabilities;

the communications unit is configured to receive a message comprising replacement security capabilities of the terminal;

the control unit is configured to select new security algorithms for use in communications between the base station and the terminal based on at least the replacement security capabilities; and

the communications unit is configured to send to the terminal an indication of the new selected security algorithms.

9. The base station of claim 8 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine whether the replacement security capabilities received from the serving node are different to the security capabilities received in the handover request, and only to select new security algorithms if so.

10. The base station of claim 8 , wherein the communications unit is configured to receive the replacement security capabilities in a context modification request from the serving node.

11. The base station of claim 8 , wherein the communications unit is configured to receive the replacement security capabilities in a path switch request acknowledgement message.

12. The base station of claim 8 , wherein the communications unit is configured to send a handover command message to the terminal before sending a path switch request to the serving node, the handover command message including an indication of the selected security algorithms.

13. The base station of claim 8 , wherein the network is an LTE network and the base station is optionally an eNB.

14. A method of operating a serving node in a telecommunications network, comprising:

receiving security capabilities of a terminal when the terminal registers with the serving node;

storing the received security capabilities;

receiving a path switch request message, the path switch request including the security capabilities of the terminal; and

sending the stored security capabilities towards a target base station, wherein the stored security capabilities are sent to the target base station if the security capabilities of the terminal included in the received path switch request message do not match the stored security capabilities.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the stored terminal security capabilities are sent to the target base station in a context modification request.

16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the stored terminal security capabilities are sent to the target base station in a path switch request acknowledgement message.

17. A method of operating a base station in a telecommunications network, comprising:

receiving a handover request for handover of a terminal from a source base station, the handover request including security capabilities of the terminal;

selecting security algorithms for use in communications between the base station and the terminal following the handover, the selection of the security algorithms being based on the received security capabilities of the terminal;

sending a path switch request to a serving node, the path switch request including the security capabilities of the terminal;

receiving a message comprising replacement security capabilities of the terminal;

selecting new security algorithms for use in communications between the base station and the terminal based on at least the replacement security capabilities; and

indicating the selection of the new security algorithms to the terminal.

18. A method of operating a telecommunications network, comprising:

registering a terminal with a serving node;

sending security capabilities of the terminal to the serving node;

storing the security capabilities at the serving node;

sending a handover request to a target base station for handover of the terminal from a source base station, the handover request including an additional indication of security capabilities of the terminal;

at the target base station, selecting security algorithms for use in communications between the target base station and the terminal following the handover, the selection of the security algorithms being based on the received additional indication of the security capabilities of the terminal;

sending a handover command message from the target base station to the terminal, the handover command message including an indication of the selected security algorithms;

sending a path switch request to the serving node, the path switch request including the additional indication of the security capabilities of the terminal;

sending the security capabilities stored at the serving node to the target base station wherein the stored security capabilities are sent to the target base station if the additional indication of the security capabilities of the terminal included in the path switch request message do not match the stored security capabilities;

at the target base station, selecting new security algorithms for use in communications between the base station and the terminal based on at least the security capabilities stored at and sent from the serving node; and

sending an indication of the selection of the new security algorithms to the terminal.

19. A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program comprising a computer program for a serving node in a telecommunications network, which when run by a processor causes said processor to the code operable to cause the serving node to:

receive security capabilities of a terminal when the terminal registers with the serving node;

store the received security capabilities;

receive a path switch request message, the path switch request including the security capabilities of the terminal; and

send the stored security capabilities towards a target base station, wherein the stored security capabilities are sent to the target base station if the security capabilities of the terminal included in the received path switch request do not match the stored security capabilities.

20. A computer program product stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium, the computer program comprising a computer program for a base station in a telecommunications network, which when run by a processor causes said processor to the code operable to cause the serving node to:

receive a handover request for handover of a terminal from a source base station, the handover request including security capabilities of the terminal;

select security algorithms for use in communications between the base station and the terminal following the handover, the selection of the security algorithms being based on the received security capabilities of the terminal;

send a path switch request to a serving node, the path switch request including the security capabilities of the terminal;

receive a message comprising replacement security capabilities;

select new security algorithms for use in communications between the base station and the terminal based on at least the replacement security capabilities; and

indicate the new security algorithms to the terminal.

21. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program for a serving node in a telecommunications network, said computer program comprises code which run by a processor causes said processor to:

receive security capabilities of a terminal when the terminal registers with the serving node;

store the received security capabilities;

receive a path switch request message following a handover request sent from a source base station to a target base station for handover of the terminal, the path switch request including the security capabilities of the terminal; and

send the stored security capabilities to the target base station, wherein the stored security capabilities are sent to the target base station if the security capabilities of the terminal included in the received path switch request do not match the stored security capabilities.

22. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a computer program for a base station in a telecommunications network, said computer program comprises code which run by a processor causes said processor to:

receive a handover request for handover of a terminal from a source base station, the handover request including security capabilities of the terminal;

select security algorithms for use in communications between the base station and the terminal following the handover, the selection of the security algorithms being based on the received security capabilities of the terminal;

send a path switch request to a serving node, the path switch request including the security capabilities of the terminal;

receive a message comprising replacement security capabilities;

select new security algorithms for use in communications between the base station and the terminal based on at least the replacement security capabilities; and

indicate the new security algorithms to the terminal.