Patent ID: 8923813

Claim:
A base station, comprising: a subscriber identity module (SIM) card operatively coupled with the base station, the SIM card comprising a first security management component operatively coupled with a core network to facilitate one or more security functions in the base station; a secure cell-site vault comprising: one or more security function components for performing security operations with respect to communications packets handled by the base station, and a second security management component operative with the first security management component to establish a secure association with the SIM card to facilitate one or more security functions in the base station; and an unsecure portion comprising a radio interface operative to communicate with wireless mobile terminals, and a line interface operative to communicate with the core network; wherein the second security management component of the secure cell-site vault is operative with the first security management component to establish the secure association between the SIM card and the secure cell-site vault to facilitate the one or more security functions in the base station; wherein the first and second security management components facilitate generation of session keys for the one or more security function components; wherein the SIM card establishes at least one vault-gateway session key for a secure tunnel between the secure cell-site vault and a secure gateway of the core network, and the SIM card sends the at least one vault-gateway session key to the secure cell-site vault using the secure association established between the SIM card and the secure cell-site vault; wherein the secure cell-site vault confirms establishment of the secure association between the SIM card and the secure cell-site vault to an authentication component of the core network; and wherein the second security management component of the secure cell-site vault is operative with the first security management component to establish the secure association between the SIM card and the secure cell-site vault by executing a Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) Authentication and Key Agreement (AKA) procedure.