Patent attributes
In general, according to one embodiment, a communication node includes a key synchronization controller and an application communicator. The key synchronization controller controls synchronization of an application key on the basis of a node-based signaling process and a session-based signaling process, where the former process is for starting or ending exchanging of an application key between a correspondent node and the communication node and the latter process is for synchronizing a rule for assignment of the application key to a session with the correspondent node, the session shared with the correspondent node. The application communicator provides the application key in accordance with the rule, the key for use by an application having the session.