LTE, LTE-Advanced and WiMAX: Towards IMT-Advanced Networks

LTE Security Architecture

Figure 14.2 gives an overview of the complete security architecture for LTE. The stratums identified, each addressing a sufficiently isolated category of security threats, are the application, home, serving and transport stratum.

Figure 14.2 Overview of LTE Security Architecture. Reproduced by permission of © 2010 3GPP. Further use is strictly prohibited.

As can be noted in the figure, there are five sets of security features the 3GPP define:

• (I) Network access security: The set of security features that provide users with secure access to services, and which in particular protect against attacks on the (radio) access link.
• (II) Network domain security: The set of security features that enable nodes to securely exchange signaling data, user data (between the Access Network (AN) and the Serving Network (SN), and within the AN), and protect against attacks on the wireline network.
• (III) User domain security: The set of security features that secure access to mobile stations.
• (IV) Application domain security: The set of security features that enable applications in the user and in the provider domain to securely exchange messages.
• (V) Visibility and configurability of security: The set of features that enables the user to inform himself whether a security feature is in operation or not and whether the use and provision of services should depend on the security ...