Network Separation and IPsec CA Certificates-Based Security Management for 4G Networks

With the evolution of fourth generation (4G) technologies like Worldwide Interoperability for microwave Access (WiMAX), Ultra Mobile Broadband (UMB) and Long Term Evolution (LTE), broadband speeds are destined to be pushed ever higher to the next level. Given the flat, distributed architectures that most evolving 4G technologies encourage, issues with better throughput and network security become all the more important. The challenges of securing the 4G networks are not too dissimilar from those encountered in securing the third generation (3G) networks-confidentiality, authentication, network separation, network planning considerations, and the like. The paper proposes a generic 4G network planning scheme for enhanced security and possibly better throughput, and also a scalable Internet Protocol security (IPsec) management system based on a trusted certificate authority (CA), which will go a long way in addressing the need of service providers to deploy secure Internet Protocol (IP) based 4G networks. (c) 2009 Alcatel-Lucent.