In order to ensure that a Subscription Concealed Identifier, SUCI, is calculated in the Universal Subscriber Identity Module, USIM, part of a User Equipment, UE, when intended, when a SUCI-Calculation-Indicator is set to a value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the USIM, a network node sets proprietary information, which is not known to a Mobile Equipment, ME, part of the UE, as required for calculation of the SUCI. The USIM facilitates calculation of the SUCI in the ME part of the UE only when the SUCI-Calculation-Indicator is set to a value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the ME. When the SUCI-Calculation-Indicator is set to a value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the USIM, the ME part deletes any locally stored information required for calculation of the SUCI.

In order to ensure that a Subscription Concealed Identifier, SUCI, is calculated in the Universal Subscriber Identity Module, USIM, part of a User Equipment, UE, when intended, when a SUCI-Calculation-Indicator is set to a value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the USIM, a network node sets proprietary information, which is not known to a Mobile Equipment, ME, part of the UE, as required for calculation of the SUCI. The USIM facilitates calculation of the SUCI in the ME part of the UE only when the SUCI-Calculation-Indicator is set to a value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the ME. When the SUCI-Calculation-Indicator is set to a value indicating that the SUCI should be calculated in the USIM, the ME part deletes any locally stored information required for calculation of the SUCI.

A method and an apparatus for performing verification using a shared key are disclosed. The method includes: receiving, by a first network element, a registration request message from a second network element, where the registration request message includes a user identifier, first network identifier information, and second network identifier information, the second network identifier information is obtained by processing the first network identifier information by using a shared key, and the shared key is a key used between the first network element and the second network element; verifying, by the first network element, the registration request message by using the shared key; and sending, by the first network element, a registration response message to the second network element. When receiving a registration request from a visited network, a home network verifies the registration request message by using a shared key, to avoid a spoofing attack from the visited network.

A method and an apparatus for performing verification using a shared key are disclosed. The method includes: receiving, by a first network element, a registration request message from a second network element, where the registration request message includes a user identifier, first network identifier information, and second network identifier information, the second network identifier information is obtained by processing the first network identifier information by using a shared key, and the shared key is a key used between the first network element and the second network element; verifying, by the first network element, the registration request message by using the shared key; and sending, by the first network element, a registration response message to the second network element. When receiving a registration request from a visited network, a home network verifies the registration request message by using a shared key, to avoid a spoofing attack from the visited network.

A system is disclosed for managing a communication network subscription identifier associated with a device. The system comprises a Core Network node configured to provide a subscription identifier for the device to a Device Management node with management responsibility for the device. The system further comprises a Verification node configured to receive from the Device Management node the subscription identifier and a characteristic of the device, and to bind the subscription identifier to the characteristic such that the subscription identifier is uniquely associated with the characteristic. The system further comprises a Network Access node configured to obtain the subscription identifier from the device. The Verification node, Network Access node and Core Network node are configured to cooperate to verify that the device from which the Network Access node obtained the subscription identifier is in possession of the characteristic that is bound to the subscription identifier.

A system is disclosed for managing a communication network subscription identifier associated with a device. The system comprises a Core Network node configured to provide a subscription identifier for the device to a Device Management node with management responsibility for the device. The system further comprises a Verification node configured to receive from the Device Management node the subscription identifier and a characteristic of the device, and to bind the subscription identifier to the characteristic such that the subscription identifier is uniquely associated with the characteristic. The system further comprises a Network Access node configured to obtain the subscription identifier from the device. The Verification node, Network Access node and Core Network node are configured to cooperate to verify that the device from which the Network Access node obtained the subscription identifier is in possession of the characteristic that is bound to the subscription identifier.

Authorization for access to an application server and associated communication service can be desirably managed. When a device attempts to access an application server and service, an authorization server generates an encrypted token, comprising device identifier information, and communicates the token to the device. The device communicates the token to the application server. The application server communicates the token to the authorization server. The authorization server determines whether the device is validated to access the application server and service based on the encrypted token, private decryption key, and initialization vector, and based on subscriber-related information. The authorization server does not share the private decryption key or initialization vector with the application server. If validated, the authorization server communicates validation-related information, including a permitted portion of subscriber-related information, to the application server. If not validated, the authorization server communicates not-validated information to the application server.

A method of providing a communication function in a user equipment includes receiving, at the user equipment, a login request to log the user in to the user equipment; determining, by the user equipment, based on the login, whether the user equipment has a communication profile associated with the user; if it is determined that the user equipment has a communication profile associated with the user, enabling the stored communication profile; if it is determined that the user equipment does not have a communication profile associated with the user stored: sending, by the user equipment, a first request to a first server to request support information for obtaining a communication profile associated with the user; receiving, at the user equipment, the support information from the first server; and obtaining, by the user equipment, the communication profile from the first server or a second server based on the support information.

A method and an apparatus for controlling a data access right are disclosed. The method includes: receiving, by a first proxy node, a first request message from a request node, where the first request message includes an identity of the request node and an identifier of to-be-accessed data; determining a first encrypted ciphertext on a blockchain based on the identifier; determining, based on the identity, whether the request node has a right to read the first encrypted ciphertext; and if yes, initiating a right verification request for the request node to at least one second proxy node, and determining, based on a feedback result of the at least one second proxy node, provisioning of the first encrypted ciphertext. A proxy node is added to the blockchain network, so that a data source can freely grant or revoke the right of the request node without modifying a ciphertext, ensuring information security.

A method and an apparatus for controlling a data access right are disclosed. The method includes: receiving, by a first proxy node, a first request message from a request node, where the first request message includes an identity of the request node and an identifier of to-be-accessed data; determining a first encrypted ciphertext on a blockchain based on the identifier; determining, based on the identity, whether the request node has a right to read the first encrypted ciphertext; and if yes, initiating a right verification request for the request node to at least one second proxy node, and determining, based on a feedback result of the at least one second proxy node, provisioning of the first encrypted ciphertext. A proxy node is added to the blockchain network, so that a data source can freely grant or revoke the right of the request node without modifying a ciphertext, ensuring information security.