Wireless
Bringing Wi-Fi Security to the Next Level
WBA PKI Framework Enables RadSec Connection Security
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic nearly eliminated travel. Today, as restrictions are lifted, we’re seeing travel levels increase—particularly locally. Soon, we should all be able to return to the world of far-reaching travel.
Whether for trips across town or journeys around the globe, Wi-Fi accessibility is a critical necessity in the 21st century. Using various Wi-Fi roaming technologies such as Passpoint®, Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA) WRIX and OpenRoaming™, we can enjoy the Wi-Fi connected broadband experience wherever we go. And as we move about, there are many Wi-Fi networks available to us from various operators; most are secured by some level of security, whether a shared secret, captive portal or Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP), also known as 802.1x.
Many service providers are moving to EAP for user authentication, a tactic that not only simplifies access to their own Wi-Fi network but also enables a secure roaming experience for their users. To allow users to be authenticated and gain access to roaming Wi-Fi networks, user credentials need to be routed to the home service provider. This interconnection between the roaming partner and the home service provider has typically been over IPSec tunnels. The introduction of RadSec is changing the method of interconnection. RadSec offers a full end-to-end secure path and the ability to use dynamic interconnections.
RadSec interconnection security is based on the mutual exchange of certificates between the two operators, enabling authentication of the operators and encryption of the information exchanged. To standardize these certificates, WBA members (under the leadership of CableLabs) undertook the creation of a solid RadSec PKI framework.
The WBA team led by CableLabs are proud to have completed the PKI framework and have made it available for deployment and use by all members of the WBA, marking the closure of the WBA Roaming Evolution Working Group. The PKI framework includes the PKI Certificate Policy (CP), Trust Root Certificate Authority (CA) agreement, Policy Intermediary CA (I-CA) agreement, Issuing I-CA agreement, End-Entity agreement, Operator Deployment Guidelines and End-Entity Deployment Guidelines.
The completion of the PKI framework is ready to advance and make Wi-Fi roaming simpler. There are several roaming implementations that will benefit from the PKI framework, including specific inter-operators’ roaming deployments, the WBA Wireless Roaming intermediary eXchange (WRiX) and OpenRoaming.
The WBA PKI framework is currently available to WBA members and PKI certificates by Kyrio®, a wholly owned subsidiary of CableLabs. Moving forward, the WBA Roaming Work Group will continue to manage the PKI framework and documentation including the new project, “Profiles & RCOIs Prioritization”.
For more information about the WBA PKI framework contact pmo@wballiance.com and to get your RadSec certificates, contact PKIOPS@kryio.com.
