UMTS network level security; investigation on security improvements

Abstract

Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) is a Third Generation Cellular System (3G) which has many amendments to the network level security of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM). No doubt, the robust network level security is the cornerstone, whereby the success of UMTS is built. This thesis is a literature research which deeply analyzes such security matters of GSM and cdma2000 1X, and especially UMTS as the main focus. In addition, new proposals for security improvements are also given in the thesis. Accordingly, the thesis provides a comprehensive review of the network level security of 2G and 3G cellular systems.

UMTS inherits the Authentication and Key Agreement (AKA) mechanism from GSM with the major distinction that the user can authenticate the network. Prior to GSM, UMTS employs cryptographic integrity protection mechanism in UTRAN. Moreover, starting from the 3GPP Release 4, UMTS has introduced the MAPsec and IPsec based Network Domain Security (NDS).

Radio jamming has been always an ongoing threat to any cellular system. Among them, unintentional radio jamming in uplink accounts for the major jamming threat. Proposals for mitigating unintentional radio jamming in uplink provide solutions for mitigating such jamming effects in different jamming environments in UMTS. Proposals for the interoperation in terms of security between UMTS and cdma2000 1X roaming users, provide the possibility with small adaptation for inter-system roaming.

The thesis catches the virtues of UMTS network level security which can be patterns for the developments of such security matters for future cellular systems.