IK: the integrity key
The length of IK is 128 bits.
COUNT-I: a frame dependent input.
COUNT-I[0], COUNT-I[1], …, COUNT-I[31]
The length of COUNT-I is 32 bits.
The input parameter COUNT-I protects against replay during a connection. It is a value incremented by one for each integrity protected message. COUNT-I consists of two parts: the HYPERFRAME NUMBER (HFN) as the most significant part and a RRC Sequence Number as the least significant part. The initial value of the hyperframe number is sent by the user to the network at connection set-up. The user stores the greatest used hyperframe number from the previous connection and increments it by one. In this way the user is assured that no COUNT-I value is re-used (by the network) with the same integrity key.
FRESH: a random number generated by the RNC.
FRESH[0], FRESH[1], …, FRESH[31]
The length of FRESH is 32 bits.
The same integrity key may be used for several consecutive connections. This FRESH value is an input to the algorithm in order to assure the network side that the user is not replaying old MAC-Is.
MESSAGE: the signalling data.
MESSAGE[0], MESSAGE[1], …, MESSAGE[X-1]
The length of MESSAGE is X.
DIRECTION: the direction of transmission of signalling messages (user to network or network to users).
The length of DIRECTION is 1 bit.
The same integrity key may be used for uplink and downlink channels simultaneously associated with a UE.
The value of the DIRECTION is 0 for messages from UE to RNC and 1 for messages from RNC to UE.
MAC-I: the message authentication code for data integrity authentication
MAC-I[0], MAC-I[1], …, MAC-I[31]
The length of MAC-I is 32 bits.