Mutual Authentication Technique Applying Three Entitiesin 4-G Mobile Communications

Abstract

Fourth Generation (4-G) mobile communications system has an evolution of high speedy data communications with connectivity all sorts of the networks, like 2-G and 3-G mobile networks, Internet, PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network), PDN (Public Data Network), ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network), WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network), WPAN (Wireless Personal Area Network), WCAN (Wireless Corporate Area Network), WHAN (Wireless Home Area Network), Wi-Fi, WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), MANET (Mobile Ad Hoc Network), VANET (Vehicular Ad Hoc Network), etc. In 4-G Mobile communications ubiquitous access to applications over the most efficient combination of wireless systems in heterogeneous manner is available. Authentication of mobile subscriber and network is an important criterion due to increasing security threats and attacks in mobile communications. In circuit switching (3-G network), authentication is mutual where both MS and MSC or network authenticate each other, despite in packet switching - only network (servers in PDSN) verifies the authenticity of MS. In this paper, we propose a mutual authentication technique for circuit and packet switching both that examines the authenticity of the subscriber as well as the network by subscriber's password, SIM (expressed as identifier) and biometric property of the subscriber, called as mutual authentication technique using three entities in 4-G mobile communications.