A method and apparatus for managing security for a connection between a user device and a communications network comprising at least one base station and a core network is provided. The method includes processing, at the core network, the security capability information for the user device and the security capability information for the first base station to select a plurality of preferred security policies for a connection between the user device and the first base station. The method also includes transmitting the selected plurality of preferred security policies to the first base station as a list of preferred security policies from which said base station can select a security policy.