A new fast re-authentication method for the 3G-WLAN interworking based on EAP-AKA

The 3G network technology provides a completed connectivity solution with low data rates. While wireless network offers a high data rate in a small geographic area, interworking the 3G and WLAN can provide a complementary solution for network service and user equipment. This interworking introduces a new challenge to assure a secure and fast handover without impacting the service security in both networks. EAP-AKA is the authentication mechanism adopted by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) for vertical handover between the 3G and WLAN. The EAP-AKA method suffers from several weaknesses, such as user identity display, high authentication delay and additional bandwidth consumption. In this paper we propose a new fast local re-authentication method (EAP-FLAKA) based on the standard EAP-AKA. The proposed method improves the authentication performance, achieves fast re-authentication protocol and defines a new keying framework. The security properties of the new method are checked by using a formal verification (AVISPA) which has proved a high talent in automatically finding potential attacks in security protocols.