Methods and apparatuses facilitating synchronization of security configurations

A method operational on an access terminal, comprising:

• conducting a security mode procedure for reconfiguring first security parameters of the access terminal to second security parameters;
• sending a security mode complete message to an access network as part of the security mode procedure;
• sending a mobility update message as part of a mobility procedure, wherein the mobility update message is sent prior to reception of an acknowledgement message for the sent security mode complete message;
• receiving a mobility update confirmation message from the access network, the mobility update confirmation message being ciphered according to the second security parameters;
• and
• switching from the first security parameters to the second security parameters to decode the mobility update confirmation message.

An access terminal, comprising:

• means for conducting a security mode procedure for reconfiguring first security parameters of the access terminal to second security parameters;
• means for sending a security mode complete message to an access network as part of the security mode procedure;
• means for sending a mobility update message as part of a mobility procedure, wherein the mobility update message is sent prior to reception of an acknowledgement message for the sent security mode complete message;
• means for receiving a mobility update confirmation message from the access network, the mobility update confirmation message being ciphered according to the second security parameters;
• and
• means for switching from the first security parameters to the second security parameters to decode the mobility update confirmation message.

A processor-readable medium comprising instructions operational on an access terminal, which when executed by a processor causes the processor to:

• conduct a security mode procedure for reconfiguring first security parameters of the access terminal to second security parameters;
• send a security mode complete message to an access network as part of the security mode procedure;
• send a mobility update message as part of a mobility procedure, wherein the mobility update message is sent prior to reception of an acknowledgement message for the sent security mode complete message;
• receive a mobility update confirmation message from the access network, the mobility update confirmation message being ciphered according to the second security parameters;
• and
• switch from the first security parameters to the second security parameters to decode the mobility update confirmation message.

A network entity, comprising:

• a communications interface;
• and
• a processing circuit coupled to the communications interface, the processing circuit adapted to:
• receive a security mode complete message from an access terminal;
• update from first security parameters to second security parameters in response to the security mode complete message;
• receive a mobility update message from the access terminal prior to sending an acknowledgment for the received security mode complete message;
• send a mobility update confirmation message to the access terminal in response to the received mobility update message, the mobility update confirmation message being ciphered according to the second security parameters;
• and
• upon failing to receive a response from the access terminal for the mobility update confirmation message, revert to the first security parameters.

A method operational on a network entity, comprising:

• receiving a security mode complete message from an access terminal;
• updating from first security parameters to second security parameters in response to the security mode complete message;
• receiving a mobility update message from the access terminal prior to sending an acknowledgment for the received security mode complete message;
• sending a mobility update confirmation message to the access terminal in response to the received mobility update message, the mobility update confirmation message being ciphered according to the second security parameters;
• and
• upon failing to receive a response from the access terminal for the mobility update confirmation message, reverting to the first security parameters.

A network entity, comprising:

• means for receiving a security mode complete message from an access terminal;
• means for updating from first security parameters to second security parameters in response to the security mode complete message;
• means for receiving a mobility update message from the access terminal prior to sending an acknowledgment for the received security mode complete message;
• means for sending a mobility update confirmation message to the access terminal in response to the received mobility update message, the mobility update confirmation message being ciphered according to the second security parameters;
• and
• means for reverting to the first security parameters upon failing to receive a response from the access terminal for the mobility update confirmation message.

A processor-readable medium comprising instructions operational on a network entity, which when executed by a processor causes the processor to:

• receive a security mode complete message from an access terminal;
• update from first security parameters to second security parameters in response to the security mode complete message;
• receive a mobility update message from the access terminal prior to sending an acknowledgment for the received security mode complete message;
• send a mobility update confirmation message to the access terminal in response to the received mobility update message, the mobility update confirmation message being ciphered according to the second security parameters;
• and
• upon failing to receive a response from the access terminal for the mobility update confirmation message, revert to the first security parameters.