Assessment and Analysis of Mobile WiMAX Networks Security and their Proposed Solutions

Abstract

The IEEE 802.16 is the basis for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) certification which is the next evolution in wireless technology. The latest version of the standard, IEEE 802.16e addresses mobility and also enhances the security sub-layer of the IEEE 802.16 standard. However, security schemes in the standard are utilized and applied only to normal data traffic after the initial network entry process not to the control messages during the initial network entry. Security is a key challenge of WiMAX networks and it represents an important example of such scenarios where capturing and forging packets is relatively easy especially for unauthenticated and unencrypted messages during the initial network entry of both WiMAX modes: Point to Multi- Point (PMP), and Mesh. Therefore, the thesis proposes an innovative hybrid approach to resolve such vulnerability problem and establishes secret communication channels via insecure domains. The proposed protocol is based on Bio Cryptosystem to improve current security level of authentication and Key Exchange between the Subscriber Station (SS), and the Base Station (BS). Novel proposed protocols are defined as the integration of Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and Biometric Digital Key (BDK). The first is concerned with WiMAX PMP mode, to enhance the security issues in initial network entry mainly the Ranging Request and Response (RNG_REQ/RSP) messages. The second one is concerned about the WiMAX Mesh mode, to enhance security issues in the initial network entry mainly the Mesh Network Entry (MSH_NENT), in addition to solve the issue of the privacy between two