Abstract
The importance of IEEE-Standard 802.16 (WiMAX) is growing and will compete with technologies such as UMTS. However, acceptance and adoption of technologies and services also depend on security. Therefore, this article will deal with some of the basic security features of IEEE 802.16d (Fixed WiMAX). It will summarize the most important elements of the security architecture, present some of its weaknesses, potential attacks and viable counter measurements. Furthermore, we will introduce the basic improvements made by the IEEE 802.16e standard (Mobile WiMAX) compared to Fixed WiMAX. This article extends the paper [11] presented at the IDAACS'2007 conference by describing the data encryption mechanisms in IEEE 802.16e in chapter 4.
Highlights
WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) defines a Point-to-MultipointWireless network which operates within a range of 2 to 66 GHz
Mutual Authentication The most obvious weakness of IEEE 802.16d is that the SS is not able to check the identity of the base stations (BS)
IEEE 802.16d provides a security architecture which basically secures the wireless link using different components such as X.509-certificates, Security Associations (SA), encryption methods, the Encapsulation Protocol, and the Privacy Key Management Protocol (PKM)
Summary
WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access) defines a Point-to-MultipointWireless network which operates within a range of 2 to 66 GHz. Security is implemented in the so called Privacy Sublayer of the Reference Model. Some essential elements of the IEEE 802.16 Security Architecture will be presented [1]. WiMAX defines the layers PHY and MAC within ISO-OSI. The physical layer (PHY) handles signal connectivity, error correction, initial ranging, registration, bandwidth requests, and connection channels for management and data. The MAC layer manages connections and security. Security Associations Encapsulation Protocol Privacy Key Management Protocol
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