Securing control/user plane traffic
AssigneeCisco Technology, Inc.
InventorsPravin Appaji Ajagekar, Ravi Shekhar, Nithin Chitta
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A network node selectively encrypts messages between a user plane node and a control plane node in a network system. The user plane node and the control plane node negotiate a connection and indicate an encryption level for the connection. The encryption level is selected from an Information Element (IE) level, a message level, or a feature level. The user plane node and the control plane node selectively encrypt at least a portion of the messages between the user plane node and the control plane node based on the encryption level for the connection.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- negotiating a connection within a network system between a user plane node of the network system and a control plane node of the network system, wherein negotiating the connection includes negotiating an encryption level that indicates which portion of messages between the user plane node and the control plane node that will be encrypted, the encryption level selected from an Information Element (IE) level, a message level, or a feature level;
- and
- selectively encrypting the portion of messages exchanged within the network system between the user plane node and the control plane node based on the encryption level for the connection.
An apparatus comprising:
- a network interface configured to communicate with a plurality of computing devices in a network system;
- and
- a processor coupled to the network interface, the processor configured to:
- negotiate a connection within the network system between a user plane node of the network system and a control plane node of the network system;
- negotiate an encryption level that indicates which portion of messages between the user plane node and the control plane node will be encrypted, the encryption level selected from an Information Element (IE) level, a message level, or a feature level;
- and
- selectively encrypt the portion of messages exchanged within the network system between the user plane node and the control plane node based on the encryption level for the connection.
One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media encoded with software comprising computer executable instructions and, when the software is executed on a processor of a network node of a network system, operable to cause a processor to:
- negotiate a connection within the network system between a user plane node of the network system and a control plane node of the network system;
- negotiate an encryption level that indicates which portion of messages between the user plane node and the control plane node will be encrypted, the encryption level selected from an Information Element (IE) level, a message level, or a feature level;
- and
- selectively encrypt the portion of messages exchanged within the network system between the user plane node and the control plane node based on the encryption level for the connection.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.