Cellular network authentication utilizing unlinkable anonymous credentials
Methods for cellular network authentication utilizing unlinkable anonymous credentials are disclosed. In embodiments, a method includes: contacting, by a computing device, a mobile device network with a request to connect to the mobile device network; conducting, by the computing device, an interactive credential issuance protocol with an Issuer of the mobile device network to generate an unlinkable anonymous credential; and connecting, by the computing device, to the mobile device network based on a Verifier of the mobile device network verifying the computing device based on the unlinkable anonymous credential.
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
contacting, by a mobile computing device, a mobile device network with a request to connect to the mobile device network;
conducting, by the mobile computing device seeking to access the mobile device network, an interactive credential issuance protocol with an Issuer of the mobile device network to generate an unlinkable anonymous credential;
connecting, by the mobile computing device, to the mobile device network based on a Verifier of the mobile device network verifying the mobile computing device based on the unlinkable anonymous credential; and
storing, by the mobile computing device, a temporary mobile subscriber identity assigned to the mobile computing device by the mobile device network, wherein the temporary mobile subscriber identity is filled with a null value, the null value indicating to the mobile device network that anonymous handover procedures are to be implemented.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising obtaining, by the mobile computing device, the temporary mobile subscriber identity assigned to the mobile device by a visitor location register of the mobile device network.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the temporary mobile subscriber identity comprises a mobile country code, a mobile network code, and the null value in place of a mobile subscription identification number.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the Issuer is an overlay router of the mobile device network.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the Verifier is selected from the group consisting of: an authentication center of the mobile device network; an equipment identity register of the mobile device network; a visitor location register of the mobile device network; and a home location register of the mobile device network.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein the overlay router is managed by a different entity than the mobile device network.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the request includes a modified mobile subscriber identity of the mobile device indicating anonymous authentication is required, wherein the modified mobile subscriber identity comprises a mobile country code, a mobile network code, and a null value in place of a mobile subscription identification number.
8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , wherein the modified mobile subscriber identity indicates to the mobile device network that anonymous authentication is required.
9. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
receiving, by a computing device, a random nonce from an Issuer of a mobile device network;
creating, by the computing device, a credential request;
sending, by the computing device, the credential request to the Issuer;
receiving, by the computing device, an unlinkable anonymous credential from the Issuer and created by the Issuer based on the credential request;
connecting, by the computing device, to the mobile device network based on a Verifier of the mobile device network verifying the unlinkable anonymous credential of the computing device.
10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising receiving, by the computing device, a temporary mobile subscriber identity assigned to the computing device by the mobile device network.
11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the temporary mobile subscriber identity is a modified temporary mobile subscriber identity filled with a null value.
12. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the Verifier is an overlay router of the mobile device network.
13. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein the Issuer is selected from the group consisting of: an equipment identity register of the mobile device network, an authentication center of the mobile device network, and an account manager of the mobile device network.
14. The computer-implemented method of claim 12 , wherein the overlay router is managed by a different entity than the mobile device network and insulates identifiers of the mobile device from the mobile device network.
15. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the Issuer is an overlay router of the mobile device network.
16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , wherein the Verifier is selected from the group consisting of: an authentication center of the mobile device network; an equipment identity register of the mobile device network; a visitor location register of the mobile device network; and a home location register of the mobile device network.
17. The computer-implemented method of claim 15 , wherein the overlay router is managed by a different entity than the mobile device network.
18. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , further comprising sending, by the computing device, a request to the mobile device network to connect to the mobile device network.
19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18 , wherein the request includes a modified mobile subscriber identity of the mobile device indicating anonymous authentication is required.
20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19 , wherein the modified mobile subscriber identity comprises a mobile country code, a mobile network code, and a null value in place of a mobile subscription identification number.