A method and apparatus including units configured to send a request from a first network entity to a user equipment for an identifier and receive a message indicating that a public key is required from the user equipment by the first network entity. The method and apparatus also includes units configured to send, by the first network entity, the public key to the user equipment and receive an encrypted identifier by the first network entity, wherein upon authenticating the public key, the user equipment encrypts at least part of the identifier using the public key, thereby enabling further processing between the network entity and the user equipment.