Research On WiMAX Security

WiMAX (World Interoperability for Microwave Access) is a low-cost, high-efficiency, large-scale broadband wireless access technology. As a rising technology, it attracts IT companies all over the world. Although it grows up rapidly, many specialists and analysts point out that security problem will limit its development before it is used on a large scale.WiMAX security criterion based on the Security Sublayer of MAC layer defined in IEEE 802.16d and in IEEE 802.16e. This Security Sublayer includes two component protocols, an encapsulation protocol and a key management protocol (PKM), providing secure services such as authentication, authorization and encryption. IEEE 802.16e makes improvements to the Security Sublayer defined in IEEE 802.16d, but there are still some security problems need to be resolved.This article detailedly analyzes the Privacy Key Management Protocol, points out some security leak of this protocol, and provides some solutions to improve the security of PKM protocol.This paper includes the following contents:1. Introduction of the background of this paper, including the development of WiMAX, the 802.16 protocol reference model and WiMAX network reference model;2. Introduction of WiMAX security, including Security Sublayer defined in 802.16 protocol and the AAA architecture;3. Introduction of WiMAX Privacy Key Management protocol, including the development of PKM and the PKM messages; 4. Detailed analysis of PKMv1, including the privacy key system, key exchange procedures, management and usage of the keys, security leak of PKMv1 and possible solutions.5. Detailed analysis of PKMv2, including the privacy key system, key exchange procedures, management and usage of the keys, improvements on PKMv1 made by PKMv2, security leak of PKMv2 and possible solutions.Patents have been applied on the improvement of authorization messages and the method of managing MBS Authorization Key (MAK).