Abstract—WiMAX (Worldwide interoperability for Microwave Access) IEEE 802.16, is a new technology providing wireless and broadband data access to mobile and stationary users with high bandwidth and transmission rates. Security is always important in data networks, but it is particularly critical in wireless networks such as WiMAX. After the launch of this new standard, a number of security issues were reported in several articles. This paper focuses on reviewing the security vulnerabilities in the network entry process and authentication process of the WiMAX. The initial network entry process is the begin step to start communication between Mobil station (MS) and Base station (BS). This process is very important and must be secure. However, many messages send in this process are not encrypted nor authenticated, so several attacks are possible like Denial Of Service, Replay, Reflection, and Man-In-The-Middle. Based on the related background research, we focus on finding a strong mechanism and method of security such use Elliptic Curve key exchanges with Digital Signature to secure initial entry process and using nonce and timestamp together to secure authentication process. According to formal verification tool AVISPA, the results show that our solution prevent denial of service, resist to Men In The Middle, Replay, Reflection attacks, and grants no Repudiation.

 

Index Terms—Wimax, Network Entry process, Authentication, AVISPA

Cite: Noudjoud Kahya, Nacira Ghoualmi-Zine, and Marwa Ahmim, “Secure Network Entry Process in Wimax,”Journal of Communications vol. 14, no. 12, pp. 1205-1210, 2019. Doi: 10.12720/jcm.14.12.1205-1210