Security improvements in a cellular network

A network entity configured for secure communication with a mobile terminal via a node of a cellular network, the network entity comprising:

• one or more processors;
• and
• one or more computer-readable media having thereon computer-executable instructions that are structured such that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the network entity to:
• apply a special key to allow communication of user-plane data between the mobile terminal and the network entity in a trusted manner, wherein the special key is generated from both a ciphering key (CK) and an integrity key (IK) but is different from the CK and IK, and wherein generating the special key from both the CK and the IK is performed by first concatenating the CK with the IK to form concatenated data and then subsequently deriving the special key based on the concatenated data,
• wherein a Home Public Land Mobile Network (H-PLMN) of the mobile terminal generates the CK or the IK for authentication of the mobile terminal,
• wherein the network entity is in the H-PLMN or is coupled to the H-PLMN and the node is in a Visited PLMN (V-PLMN), and
• wherein performance of an Authentication and Key Agreement (AKA) procedure between the mobile terminal and the node of the cellular network permits the mobile terminal to determine the CK or the IK.