HIERARCHICAL KEY MANAGEMENT FOR SECURE COMMUNICATIONS IN MULTIMEDIA COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

摘要

In a communication system wherein a first computing device is configured to perform a key management function for first user equipment and a second computing device is configured to perform a key management function for second user equipment, wherein the first user equipment seeks to initiate communication with the second user equipment, wherein the first computing device and the second computing device do not have a pre-existing security association there between, and wherein a third computing device is configured to perform a key management function and has a pre-existing security association with the first computing device and a pre-existing security association with the second computing device, the third computing device performing a method comprising steps of: receiving a request from one of the first computing device and the second computing device; and in response to the request, facilitating establishment of a security association between the first computing device and the second computing device such that the first computing device and the second computing device can then facilitate establishment of a security association between the first user equipment and the second user equipment. The first computing device, the second computing device and the third computing device comprise at least a part of a key management hierarchy wherein the first computing device and the second computing device are on a lower level of the hierarchy and the third computing device is on a higher level of the hierarchy.