Patent ID: 8259936

Claim:
A method for generating a traffic encryption key, the method comprising: generating at least one traffic encryption key configured to encrypt data transmitted as part of a service, the traffic encryption key having a validity equal to a traffic encryption key validity time period; checking whether a period for the service is longer than the traffic encryption key validity time period; and when the period of the service is longer than the traffic encryption key validity time period, ascertaining, by a hardware processor, a residual period which indicates by what period the service is longer than the traffic encryption key validity time period of the at least one traffic encryption key; generating at least one residual traffic encryption key which is used for encrypting data transmitted as part of a service; ascertaining a residual traffic encryption key validity time period which indicates for how long the residual traffic encryption key is valid, wherein ascertaining the residual traffic encryption key validity time period comprises: checking whether the residual period is longer than a prescribed acceptable validity period; and when the residual period is longer than the prescribed acceptable validity period, matching the residual traffic encryption key validity time period to the residual period iteratively; and associating the residual traffic encryption key validity time period with the residual traffic encryption key.