Method of operating a telecommunications system

A method of operating an intermediary server provided as part of a telecommunications system, said system further comprising a client device storing a secret and an identifier, and a provisioning server storing the secret and the identifier in association therebetween, the intermediary server being configured to communicate with the provisioning server and the client device, wherein the client device outputs a first solution by having performed a zero-knowledge proof operation upon the secret, and the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving the identifier from the client device;
• communicating the received identifier to the provisioning server, thereby to cause the provisioning server to output a second solution by performing a zero-knowledge proof operation upon the secret associated with the communicated identifier;
• collecting, via or by the intermediary server, the first solution and the second solution at the:
• intermediary server;
• client device;
• and/or provisioning server;
• receiving a result of a comparison of the first solution and the second solution;
• and
• in response to the result providing that the first solution and second solution are identical, identifying the provisioning server as a trusted provisioning server for configuring the client device.

A method of operating a provisioning server provided as part of a telecommunications system, said system further comprising a client device storing a secret and an identifier, and an intermediary server being configured to communicate with the provisioning server and the client device, the provisioning server storing the secret and the identifier in association therebetween, and wherein the client device outputs a first solution by having performed a zero-knowledge proof operation upon the secret, and the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving, at the provisioning server, the identifier from the client device via the intermediary server;
• performing, by means of the provisioning server, a zero-knowledge proof operation upon the secret associated with the received identifier, thereby to output a second solution;
• collecting the first solution and the second solution at the:
• intermediary server;
• client device;
• and/or provisioning server;
• receiving a result of a comparison of the first solution and the second solution;
• and
• in response to the result providing that the first solution and second solution are identical, identifying, to the provisioning server, said provisioning server as a trusted provisioning server for configuring the client device.

A method of operating a client device provided as part of a telecommunications system, said system further comprising a provisioning server and an intermediary server, the intermediary server being configured to communicate with the provisioning server and the client device, wherein the client device stores a secret and an identifier, and wherein the provisioning server stores the secret and the identifier in association therebetween, the method comprising the steps of:

• performing, by means of the client device, a zero-knowledge proof operation upon the secret, thereby to output a first solution;
• communicating, by means of the client device, the identifier to the intermediary server and for onward communication to the provisioning server therefrom, thereby to cause the provisioning server to perform a zero-knowledge proof operation upon the secret associated with the received identifier, and in turn to output a second solution;
• collecting the first solution and the second solution at the:
• intermediary server;
• client device;
• and/or provisioning server;
• receiving a result of a comparison of the first solution and the second solution;
• and
• in response to the result providing that the first solution and second solution are identical, identifying, to the client device, the provisioning server as a trusted provisioning server for configuring the client device.

A telecommunications system comprising:

• a client device comprising:
• first memory for storing a secret and an identifier;
• and
• a first processor for performing a zero-knowledge proof operation upon the secret, thereby to output a first solution;
• and
• a first transceiver for communicating the identifier from the client device;
• a provisioning server comprising:
• second memory for storing the secret and the identifier in association therebetween;
• a second transceiver for receiving the identifier;
• a second processor for identifying, in association with the received identifier, the secret associated therewith and subsequently to perform a zero-knowledge proof operation upon the identified secret, thereby to output a first solution;
• an intermediary server comprising
• a third transceiver for communicating with the provisioning server and the client device, including communicating the identifier from the client device to the provisioning server, and for receiving and communicating the first solution and/or the second solution;
• a receiver for collecting the first solution and the second solution;
• a third processor for comparing the collected first solution and the second solution, and for identifying, in response to the third processor determining that the first solution and second solution are identical, the provisioning server as a trusted provisioning server for configuring the client device.