Network and node for providing a secure transmission of mobile application part messages

Abstract

According to the present invention a telecommunication network with a first domain (PLMN-A) comprising at least one mobile application part protocol instance is connected to a gateway node (MSEGA) which is adapted to send and receive mobile application part messages and which is connectable to a second domain. The telecommunication network is remarkable in that the gateway node (MSEGA) is adapted to receive a mobile application part message from the first domain, to convert the received mobile application part message obtaining a secured mobile application part message, and to send the obtained message to the second domain. The gateway node (MSEGA) is further adapted to receive a secured mobile application part message from the second domain, to extract an unsecured mobile application part message from the received secured mobile application part message and to send the extracted message to the first domain.

1 . A telecommunication network with a first domain comprising:
 at least one Mobile Application Part (MAP) protocol instance connected to a gateway node, which is adapted to send and receive MAP messages and which is connectable to a second domain;   wherein the gateway node is adapted to:
 receive a MAP message from the first domain; 
 convert the received MAP message obtaining a secured MAP message; 
 send the obtained message towards the second domain; 
 receive a secured MAP message from the second domain; 
 extract an unsecured MAP message from the received secured MAP message; and 
 send the extracted message towards the first domain. 
   
     
     
         2 . The telecommunication network according to  claim 1 , wherein the gateway node is connected to a third domain and wherein the gateway node performs a selective discarding of MAP messages received from the first domain and destined for the third domain and a selective discarding of MAP messages received from the third domain and destined for the first domain. 
     
     
         3 . The telecommunication network according to  claim 2 , wherein the gateway node performs as a firewall towards the third domain. 
     
     
         4 . The telecommunication network according to  claim 1  wherein the gateway node is connectable to different domains, and levels of security are configurable for the different domains. 
     
     
         5 . The telecommunication network according to  claim 4 ,
 wherein for a particular domain a fallback to a lower level of security than the configured level of security for the particular domain is allowable and   wherein allowing the fallback to the lower level of security is configurable for one domain independently from a configuring of an allowing of a respective fallback to a lower level of security level for another domain.   
     
     
         6 . A gateway node comprising an interface to a first domain of a telecommunication network for sending and receiving Mobile Application Part (MAP) messages, the gateway node comprising:
 an interface to a second domain of the telecommunication network for sending and receiving secured MAP messages   a conversion unit that is adapted to:
 receive a MAP message via the interface to the first domain, 
 convert the received MAP message obtaining a secured MAP message, 
 send the obtained message via the interface towards the second domain, 
 receive a secured MAP message via the interface to the second domain, 
 extract an unsecured MAP message from the received secured MAP message and 
 send the extracted message via the interface towards the first domain. 
   
     
     
         7 . The gateway node according to  claim 6 , further comprising:
 an interface to a third domain for sending and receiving MAP messages and   a filtering unit adapted to perform a selective discarding of MAP messages.   
     
     
         8 . The gateway node according to  claim 7 , wherein the gateway node performs as a firewall towards the third domain. 
     
     
         9 . The gateway node according to  claim 7 , wherein the gateway node is connectable to different domains, and the gateway node comprises a security database for storing indications of levels of security for the different domains. 
     
     
         10 . The gateway node according to  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a fallback store for storing for a particular domain an indication that a fallback to a lower level of security than the configured level of security for the particular domain is allowable, and   wherein allowing of the fallback to the lower level of security is configurable for one domain independently from an allowing of a respective fallback to a lower level of security for another domain.