Apparatus and methods for activation of communication devices

摘要

A method that incorporates teachings of the subject disclosure may include, for example, storing, by a universal integrated circuit card (UICC) including at least one processor, a digital root certificate locking a communication device to a network provider, and disabling an activation of the communication device responsive to receiving an indication of a revocation of the stored digital root certificate from a certificate authority, wherein the indication of the revocation of the stored digital root certificate is associated with a revocation of permission for an identity authority to issue a security activation information to the communication device on behalf of the network provide. Other embodiments are disclosed.

主权项

1. A universal integrated circuit card (UICC) for a communication device, the UICC comprising:
a memory to store instructions; and a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor, responsive to executing the instructions, performs operations comprising: receiving a digital root certificate locking the communication device to a network provider; storing the digital root certificate in the memory; receiving over a network from a trusted identity provider having an issuing authority from the network provider a digitally signed security identifier for a prospective subscriber of the communication device, wherein the digitally signed security identifier comprises prospective subscriber identifying information that is digitally signed using the digital root certificate and wherein the digitally signed security identifier comprises network identifying information that is digitally signed using the digital root certificate; receiving over the network from a trusted certificate authority a certificate revocation status associated with the digital root certificate from the trusted certificate authority, wherein the certificate revocation status comprises one of a revoked status or a non-revoked status and wherein the revoked status indicates that the digital root certificate has been revoked due to a termination of the issuing authority of the trusted identity provider; disabling activation of the communication device according to the certificate revocation status comprising the revoked status; determining if the digitally signed security identifier for the prospective subscriber is valid by way of a digital verification of the digitally signed security identifier based on the digital root certificate according to the certificate revocation status comprising the non-revoked status; and enabling activating of the communication device for the prospective subscriber to operate over a network of the network provider according to determining that the digitally signed security identifier for the prospective subscriber is valid.