Secure access by a mobile wireless terminal of a wireless telephony
network is achieved by having a Home Location Register store the
terminal's temporary and permanent identities. Upon accessing the network
following initial registration, the terminal sends a temporary identity
to a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN). If no serving node in the network
knows the terminal, the terminal need not sent its permanent identity in
clear as was previously required. Rather, the serving node need only
query the HLR since the HLR can map the terminal's temporary identity to
its permanent identity. In this way, the permanent identity of the mobile
wireless terminal remains secure.