Authentication protocols for wireless ATM networks

Abstract

With the growing acceptance of ATM as the standard for broadband networking and the increasing importance of wireless devices, it has become appropriate to extend ATM application to wireless platforms. Adding a wireless network to existing wired networks creates a new set of problems. Security functions have to be reconsidered since wired network security does not account for the open medium, mobile roaming. A necessary foundation for securing a network is the ability to authenticate entities. There is a need to authenticate users of the system so that the resources will not be misused by nonsubscribers. After authentication by a suitable protocol, two parties involved in communications should be entitled to believe that they are communicating with each other and not with intruders. Good authentication is that which allows entities to provide evidence that they know a particular secret without revealing the secret. It should not provide any information to impersonators or eavesdroppers while being authenticated. In mobile networks, normally secret-key cryptography is used for authentication. In this paper, both secret-key and public-key cryptography are used in wireless ATM networks.