5G new radio—avoiding redundant as security checks
Apparatuses, systems, and methods for a wireless device to perform methods for improvements to security checks in a fifth generation (5G) New Radio (NR) network, including mechanisms to avoid redundant access stratum (AS) security checks. The wireless device may determine that an on-demand system information block (SIB) request is pending transmission and may buffer the on-demand SIB in response to determining that a connection establishment procedure will be initiated within a specified time period. The wireless device may then perform a unified security procedure for the on-demand SIB request and the connection establishment procedure, including confirming connection security. Further, in response to confirming connection security, the wireless device may use an on-demand SIB received from the network without confirming a corresponding on-demand SIB signature.
1 . A method for a network to avoid a redundant access stratum (AS) security check, comprising:
a network node,
receiving, from a user equipment device (UE), an indication of a unified security procedure, wherein the unified security procedure includes an establish connection request and an on-demand system information block (SIB) request; and
performing at least one of:
delaying transmission of an on-demand SIB response until completion of security confirmation of the connection request; or
transmitting an on-demand SIB response without a corresponding on-demand SIB signature, thereby triggering the UE to confirm security via the connection request.
2 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein a duration of the delay in transmission of the on-demand SIB response is configurable by one of the network node or the UE.
3 . The method of claim 2 ,
wherein the duration of the delay is determined, based at least in part on, at least one of:
traffic conditions on the network;
conditions at the UE; or
reference to a standard.
4 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
transmitting, after the duration of the delay, the on-demand SIB response and corresponding on-demand SIB signature.
5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
upon failure to confirm connection security via the connection request, receiving, from the UE, an on-demand SIB request to begin a random-access channel (RACH) procedure for the on-demand SIB.
6 . The method of claim 1 ,
wherein the indication is received from the UE via a random-access channel (RACH) preamble.
7 . The method of claim 6 ,
wherein the RACH preamble indicates a unified RACH procedure for connection establishment and the on-demand SIB request.
8 . A network node, comprising:
at least one antenna;
at least one radio in communication with the at least one antenna; and
at least one processor in communication with the at least one radio and configured to cause the network node to:
receive, from a user equipment device (UE), an indication of a unified security procedure, wherein the unified security procedure includes an establish connection request and an on-demand system information block (SIB) request; and
delay transmission of an on-demand SIB response until completion of security confirmation of the connection request.
9 . The network node of claim 8 ,
wherein a duration of the delay in transmission of the on-demand SIB response is configurable by one of the network node or the UE.
10 . The network node of claim 9 ,
wherein the duration of the delay is determined, based at least in part on, at least one of:
traffic conditions on the network;
conditions at the UE; or
reference to a standard.
11 . The network node of claim 9 ,
wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the network node to:
transmit, after the duration of the delay, the on-demand SIB response and corresponding on-demand SIB signature.
12 . The network node of claim 11 ,
wherein the on-demand SIB response and corresponding on-demand SIB signature are transmitted in response to the connection establishment procedure not being completed at expiration of the delay.
13 . The network node of claim 8 ,
wherein the indication is received from the UE via a random-access channel (RACH) preamble.
14 . The network node of claim 13 ,
wherein the RACH preamble indicates a unified RACH procedure for connection establishment and the on-demand SIB request.
15 . A non-transitory computer readable memory medium storing program instructions executable by processing circuitry to cause a network node to:
receive, from a user equipment device (UE), an indication of a unified security procedure, wherein the unified security procedure includes an establish connection request and an on-demand system information block (SIB) request; and
transmit an on-demand SIB response without a corresponding on-demand SIB signature, thereby requiring the UE to confirm security via the connection request.
16 . The non-transitory computer readable memory medium according to claim 15 ,
wherein the program instructions are further executable by the processing circuitry to cause the network node to:
indicate, to the UE, to only use an on-demand SIB after an access stratum (AS) security check procedure is successfully completed.
17 . The non-transitory computer readable memory medium according to claim 15 ,
wherein the program instructions are further executable by the processing circuitry to cause the network node to:
receive, from the UE, an on-demand SIB request to begin a random-access channel (RACH) procedure for the on-demand SIB.
18 . The non-transitory computer readable memory medium according to claim 17 ,
wherein the on-demand SIB request to begin the RACH procedure for the on-demand SIB is received based upon a failure to confirm connection security via the connection request.
19 . The non-transitory computer readable memory medium according to claim 15 ,
wherein the indication is received from the UE via a random-access channel (RACH) preamble.
20 . The non-transitory computer readable memory medium according to claim 19 ,
wherein the RACH preamble indicates a unified RACH procedure for connection establishment and the on-demand SIB request.