A Security Platform for Future Telecommunication Applications and Services

Future telecommunication markets will be characterised by an increasing diversity of applications and services which are offered by several cooperating and competing service providers. In this environment new, in part unresolved requirements lead to a complex view of the security problem. This view is characterized by autonomous security domains and the demand for application specific, dynamically configurable security and transparency of security. In this context, the idea of a security platform supporting the development of secure applications and services becomes attractive. This paper identifies requirements for a generic security platform suitable for future telecommunication applications and services. Specific reuqirements of multimedia applications and services are also identified. New concepts and building blocks needed for fulfilling the requirements are presented and the efficient integration into applications and services by means of security application programming interfac es is discussed.