An approach to key management and inter-domain authentication in the telecommunications management network

In this paper a key management approach and a method for secure and authentic inter-domain communications are presented within the context of the telecommunications management network (TMN). The TMN components are divided into domains and public keys of components are distributed on a per-domain basis. The approach has the advantage of reducing the number of keys that need to be delivered whenever old keys expire and new ones are generated. In addition, the division into domains allows the effects due to attacks to the components in a domain to be contained within that domain. Interdomain communications is established by applying a 2-Phase Certification Server as a bridge of authority between two communicating components in differing domains. The solution has the advantage of allowing each domain authority to maintain control over its domain by rejecting foreign messages of suspicions origin. Although presented in the context of the TMN, the approach is general enough to be applicable to other forms of networks