Digital signatures for small cells of telecommunications networks

A security system of a wireless network, the security system comprising:

• a data processor;
• and
• a memory including instructions which, when executed by the data processor, cause the security system to:
• receive a communication from a small cell of the wireless network,
• wherein the communication includes a copy of a digital signature received at a point in time by the security system;
• extract a connectivity schedule from the copy of the digital signature by processing the digital signature algorithmically;
• compare the copy of the digital signature with an expected digital signature stored at the security system and the point in time with an expected time indicated in the connectivity schedule;
• detect an anomaly when (i) the copy of the digital signature deviates from the expected digital signature, or (ii) the point in time deviates from the expected time;
• and
• initiate performance of an action based on the anomaly.

A method performed by a small cell of a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

• receiving an expected digital signature for authorizing a connection to the telecommunications network,
• wherein the digital signature embeds a schedule for connecting with the telecommunications network,
• sending a communication at a point in time from the small cell to the telecommunications network,
• wherein the communication includes an instance of a digital signature;
• and
• performing one or more actions based on a detected deviation between the instance of the digital signature with the expected digital signature or the point in time with an expected time indicated in the schedule.