The Internet of Things (IoT) is changing the business world. The ability to collect and evaluate data from billions of devices and sensors across ecosystems scattered around the world enables companies to make informed decisions and take immediate action. The potential for cost reductions, efficiency increases, and the creation of new revenue promise great competitive advantages for companies in all sectors.
However, a major challenge for companies is the process of connecting and securing the infrastructure used to transmit commands and collect data – be it from devices, applications, or people. How can they ensure that only authorized devices and sensors supply data, or that these only receive commands from authorized control units? How can companies guarantee that transmitted data cannot (will not) be altered by unauthorized persons?
Devices and sensors require at least some secure memory and integrated computing capacity for their identity to be verified across the network. In addition, devices equipped with such "trusted platform modules" (TPM) usually require a public-key infrastructure (PKI), which is used to create and manage the necessary digital identities. Finally, cryptographic keys for authentication and encryption must be generated, distributed, and continuously renewed, which requires a suitable key-management system.
Together with its partners, Securosys supports the development, deployment, and operation of IoT ecosystems. Our products are based on enterprise-grade encryption technologies. Using one of the three available programming interfaces (JCA/JCE-, PKCS#11-, and MS-CNG-API), you can create trusted identities for devices and sensors, produce and manage keys for data authentication, and encryption to keep untrusted devices, people or bots off your network. By setting up a trusted identiry on each device, you will be able to prevent untrusted devices from communicating on or with your network.
Considering the rapid technological advancements being made, it is essential that the software of both devices and sensors can be updated to benefit from new functionality and to adapt to changing security requirements. Upgrades and security updates are made possible via remote connections cryptologically secured by Securosys, which will keep the IoT infrastructure safe and also secure for the future.
Andreas Curiger, CTO/CSO Securosys