Verification of cell authenticity in a wireless network using a system query

An apparatus comprising:

• an antenna;
• a radio-frequency (RF) transceiver operatively coupled to the antenna and configured to wirelessly transmit and receive RF signals via the antenna;
• and
• a processor operatively coupled to the RF transceiver and configured to:
• generate an acknowledgement in response to a first RF signal received by the RF transceiver from a mobile terminal, the first RF signal having encoded thereon a system query including a nonce, the acknowledgement including a copy of the nonce;
• and
• operate the RF transceiver to transmit a second RF signal having encoded thereon the acknowledgement, the second RF signal being directed to the mobile terminal.

A method of making a mobile terminal, the method comprising:

• operatively coupling an antenna to a radio-frequency (RF) transceiver configured to wirelessly transmit and receive RF signals via the antenna;
• and
• operatively coupling a processor to the RF transceiver, the processor being configured to:
• generate a system query including a first nonce;
• operate the RF transceiver to transmit a first RF signal having encoded thereon the system query, the first RF signal being directed to a base station;
• and
• process an acknowledgement encoded onto a second RF signal received by the RF transceiver in response to the first RF signal to test authenticity of the base station, the test of authenticity being performed using the first nonce.

A method of making a network node, the method comprising:

• operatively coupling an antenna to a radio-frequency (RF) transceiver configured to wirelessly transmit and receive RF signals via the antenna;
• and
• operatively coupling a processor to the RF transceiver, the processor being configured to:
• generate an acknowledgement in response to a first RF signal received by the RF transceiver from a mobile terminal, the first RF signal having encoded thereon a system query including a nonce, the acknowledgement including a copy of the nonce;
• and
• operate the RF transceiver to transmit a second RF signal having encoded thereon the acknowledgement, the second RF signal being directed to the mobile terminal.