LTE key management analysis with session keys context

Abstract

Handover key management in mobile wireless networks targets to minimize the effects of a possible key compromise in the access points. We describe and analyze how the new 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE) security architecture and handover keying management fulfills this target. We discuss possible LTE handover key management enhancements and implementation alternatives without losing interoperability over the air interface. We have chosen to compare it with our session keys context concept to see what the strengths in both are to get some perspective for deployments that benefit from distributed key management.