Method and System for Automated and Secure Provisioning of Service Access Credentials for On-Line Services to Users of Mobile Communication Terminals

In a communications network comprising at least one authentication entity adapted to authenticating a network access requestor in order to conditionally grant thereto access to the communications network, wherein said authenticating is based on public key cryptography, a method for automatically provisioning the network access requestor with service access credentials for accessing an on-line service offered by an on-line service provider accessible through the communications network, comprising:

• during said authenticating the network access requestor, having the authentication entity request to the on-line service provider the generation of said service access credentials;
• at the on-line service provider, generating the service access credentials, encrypting the service access credentials by exploiting a public encryption key of the network access requestor and providing the encrypted service access credentials to the authentication entity;
• and
• having the authentication entity cause the network access requester to be provided with the encrypted service access credentials.

A system for automatically provisioning a communications terminal, capable of being adapted for a communications network, service access credentials for accessing an online service offered by an on-line service provider accessible through the communications network, comprising:

• at least one authentication entity adapted to authenticating a network access requestor in order to conditionally grant thereto access to the communications network, wherein said authenticating is based on public key cryptography;
• and
• at least one on-line service provider accessible through the communications network and providing an on-line service, wherein:
• the authentication entity is adapted to request to the on-line service provider the generation of said service access credentials for accessing during said authenticating the network access requester;
• the on-line service provider is adapted to generate the service access credentials, to encrypt the service access credentials by exploiting a public encryption key of the network access requestor and to provide the encrypted service access credentials to the authentication entity;
• and
• the authentication entity is adapted to cause the network access requester to be provided with the service access credentials as a part of said authenticating the network access requester.

An on-line service provider accessible through a communications network and providing an on-line service, comprising the capability of being adapted to:

• receive a request for service access credentials by an authentication entity adapted to authenticating a network access requester in order to conditionally grant thereto access to the communications network, based on public key cryptography;
• generate the service access credentials;
• encrypt the service access credentials by exploiting a public encryption key of the network access requestor;
• and
• provide encrypted service access credentials to the authentication entity.

A communications terminal comprising the capability of being adapted for a communication network, adapted to:

• interact with an authentication entity during an authentication procedure for being granted access to the communications network, based on public key cryptography;
• during an authentication procedure with the authentication entity, receive from the authentication entity encrypted service access credentials for accessing an on-line service offered by an on-line service provider accessible through the network, said encrypted service access credentials being encrypted with a public encryption key of the communications terminal;
• and
• decrypt the received encrypted service access credentials using a private decryption key.