A proxy based authentication localisation scheme for handover between non trust-associated domains

Abstract

In heterogeneous wireless networks, a mobile user may have to perform handover across different network domains to maintain its data connection and quality of service. During a handover, an authentication to the mobile's home network is normally required. This may incur significant handover delay. Several fast authentication solutions based on pre-distributing security contexts between access domains have been proposed to improve handover performance. However, none of them work for a handover between two access domains without a trust relation, which can be common in a multi-operator environment. This paper presents a Proxy-Based Authentication Localisation (PBAL) scheme for handover between non trust-associated domains. The proposed PBAL scheme provides a secure and flexible means of localising authentication at a third-party entity close to visited network. This effectively avoids resorting to a mobile's home network for identity verification in a handover. Consequently, it fundamentally reduces authentication latency incurred in a inter-domain handover. The PBAL scheme does not need any changes to be made to access routers, and can be easily deployed and implemented in a cost-effective manner.