Key Distribution Mechanisms for IEEE 802.21-Assisted Wireless Heterogeneous Networks.

In recent years there has been a significant growth in the deployment of heterogeneous wireless technologies. Due to its diversity, new multi-interface terminals have appeared and pose new challenges to mobility management and security in wireless networks. In order to achieve a solution to these new challenges several standardisation groups are working to provide solutions that enable a seamless handoff in heterogeneous wireless networks by reducing the latency to obtain network access. In particular, the standardisation task group IEEE 802.21a is studying new media-independent services that allow a secure handoff process as well as mechanisms to reduce the latency during network access control after a mobile handoff. In this article, we analyse, three well-known key distribution mechanisms, in the context of IEEE 802.21a, for secure handover and how these mechanisms can help to reduce the network access time after a handoff in IEEE 802.21-assisted networks.