A method comprising: establishing, by a mobile device in a wireless network, an indirect connection of a first device to a node of the wireless network using the mobile device as an intermediate node for wireless transport; and transferring, by the mobile device , data over the indirect connection via a first wireless link comprising a direct device connection between the first device and the mobile device and a second wireless link comprising a direct 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) connection between the mobile device and the wireless network; wherein the indirect connection supports security protection of communications between the node of the wireless network and the first device based at least in part on an active security context maintained within the wireless network for communication via at least one messaging protocol layer with at least the first device ; wherein a security association for the at least one messaging protocol layer is between the first device and the wireless network, such that signaling and data traffic through the mobile device are protected; wherein the first device and the node of the wireless network share at least one security key (K NAS (WD)) usable to protect data for the first device; wherein the security association comprises security protection of an access stratum (AS) protocol layer, wherein the mobile device operates as a proxy protocol entity comprising a proxy AS entity; wherein the proxy AS entity communicates with an AS entity in the first device and wherein the AS protocol layer is a radio resource control (RRC) protocol layer; and wherein the method further comprises multiplexing RRC messages for both the first device and the mobile device over a single wireless RRC connection between the mobile device and the node of the wireless network. establishing, by a mobile device in a wireless network, an indirect connection of a first device to a node of the wireless network using the mobile device as an intermediate node for wireless transport; and transferring, by the mobile device , data over the indirect connection via a first wireless link comprising a direct device connection between the first device and the mobile device and a second wireless link comprising a direct 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) connection between the mobile device and the wireless network; wherein the indirect connection supports security protection of communications between the node of the wireless network and the first device based at least in part on an active security context maintained within the wireless network for communication via at least one messaging protocol layer with at least the first device ; wherein a security association for the at least one messaging protocol layer is between the first device and the wireless network, such that signaling and data traffic through the mobile device are protected; wherein the first device and the node of the wireless network share at least one security key (K NAS (WD)) usable to protect data for the first device; wherein the security association comprises security protection of an access stratum (AS) protocol layer, wherein the mobile device operates as a proxy protocol entity comprising a proxy AS entity; wherein the proxy AS entity communicates with an AS entity in the first device and wherein the AS protocol layer is a radio resource control (RRC) protocol layer; and wherein the method further comprises multiplexing RRC messages for both the first device and the mobile device over a single wireless RRC connection between the mobile device and the node of the wireless network. <EOS>