Machine to Machine (M2M) communication represents a significant growth opportunity for the 3GPP ecosystem. To support the so called 'Internet of Things' (IoT), 3GPP operators have to address usage scenarios with devices that are power efficient (with battery life of several years), can be reached in challenging coverage conditions e.g. indoor and basements and, more importantly, are cheap enough so that they can be deployed on a mass scale and even be disposable. TR 45.820 studies the need to adapt the security frame work of the proposed candidate techniques to suit the need of the emerging Internet of Things market. Any of the alternative solutions studied within the scope of FS_IoT_LC, for example the so-called "clean slate solution", could potentially select to operate with an architecture using the Gb interface. All these solutions use the Gb interface.

The present document contains a study of the EGPRS access security in relation to cellular IoT, and an evaluation of possible technical security enhancements needed to support such services. Different possible deployment scenarios for Cellular IoT, and related stage 2 solutions are being studied in TR 45.820. The scope of this study is limited to investigate the feasibility of improving the access security aspects of Gb mode. In more detail, the scope includes:

1. Investigate potential security threats, such as man in the middle attacks.
2. Investigate potential security enhancements between the UE and SGSN to mitigate said threats.
3. Define what security procedures and security algorithms that are recommended to be used by for Cellular IoT devices in Gb mode. This may be procedures and algorithms already specified in earlier 3GPP releases or it could be new procedures and algorithms being introduced as part of this feasibility study.
4. The potential security enhancements as part of this study item should aim at minimising the impacts to the GPRS core network.

The following documents contain provisions which, through reference in this text, constitute provisions of the present document.

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