Method, apparatus and computer program product for security configuration coordination during a cell update procedure

An apparatus for use in controlling a mobile terminal, the apparatus comprising a processing system configured at least to:

• cause a report to be provided to a network regarding completion of an update of a security configuration;
• separately cause a cell update message to be provided from the mobile terminal to the network during performance of a cell update procedure;
• include, with the cell update message, a security configuration information element indicating that a mobile terminal has applied an updated security configuration in an instance in which the mobile terminal has received an acknowledgement of the report regarding completion of the update of the security configuration prior to commencement of the cell update procedure and has applied the updated security configuration to change from a prior security configuration to the updated security configuration so that subsequent communications between the mobile terminal and the network are conducted in accordance with the updated security configuration;
• and
• including, with the cell update message, the security configuration information element indicating that the mobile terminal has reverted to the prior security configuration in an instance in which the mobile terminal has not received an acknowledgement of the report regarding completion of the update of the security configuration prior to commencement of the cell update procedure and has reverted to the prior security configuration so that subsequent communications between the mobile terminal and the network are conducted in accordance with the prior security configuration.

A computer program product comprising at least one non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions comprising program code instructions which when executed by a mobile terminal cause the mobile terminal to:

• cause a report to be provided to a network regarding completion of an update of a security configuration;
• separately provide a cell update message from the mobile terminal to the network during performance of a cell update procedure;
• include, with the cell update message, a security configuration information element indicating that a mobile terminal has received an acknowledgement of the report regarding completion of the update of the security configuration prior to commencement of the cell update procedure and has applied an updated security configuration in an instance in which the mobile terminal has applied the updated security configuration to change from a prior security configuration to the updated security configuration so that subsequent communications between the mobile terminal and the network are conducted in accordance with the updated security configuration;
• and
• include, with the cell update message, the security configuration information element indicating that the mobile terminal has reverted to the prior security configuration in an instance in which the mobile terminal has not received an acknowledgement of the report regarding completion of the update of the security configuration prior to commencement of the cell update procedure and has reverted to a prior security configuration so that subsequent communications between the mobile terminal and the network are conducted in accordance with the prior security configuration.