Mutual authentication and key agreement protocol for LTE/EPS security.
Description
EPS Authentication and Key Agreement (EPS-AKA) is the security protocol used in LTE for mutual authentication between the UE and the network, and for deriving keys for encryption and integrity protection.
EPS-AKA is based on the UMTS AKA mechanism but enhanced with a key hierarchy supporting multiple protection levels (NAS, AS) and key separation between different network elements.
Purpose & Motivation
EPS-AKA was designed to:
- Provide mutual authentication (network and UE verify each other) - Generate key material for multiple security contexts - Support key separation between MME and eNodeB - Enable forward/backward security with key refresh
Key Features
- ✓Mutual authentication
- ✓Key derivation hierarchy
- ✓NAS security context
- ✓AS security context
- ✓Key refresh mechanisms