Pressure to Mitigate IoT Device Cyber Threats Mounts

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With the rise of IoT, pressure to mitigate cyber risks in connected devices is mounting. Though security is a big concern, connected devices from autonomous vehicles to smart home products often lack it, as it is not a feature given great attention during design and manufacturing. ABI Research projects that this is largely due to economies of scale but anticipates that the world will undergo a swift change to better protect these devices as global embedded security shipments increase exponentially to near 4 billion by 2021.

“Most connected devices are not being built with security in mind, as many IoT device manufacturers lack the funding, expertise, and awareness to properly implement it,” says Michela Menting, Research Director at ABI Research. “This is why hardware-based embedded security solutions play an important role in addressing the needs of these resource-constrained connected devices.”

IoT devices need a trusted platform, like an Embedded Secure Element (eSE), Trusted Execution Environment (TEE), or Trusted Platform Module (TPM) to perform cryptographic authentication. Each platform performs security-critical functions and provides Roots of Trust (RoT), which are critical components to security architecture and allow for efficiently deployed and managed data protection across the entire data life cycle.

TPM chips, for instance, are ideal for combatting IoT security challenges. Vendors producing TPM chips include Atmel, Broadcom, Infineon, Nuvoton, and STMicroelectronics.

“TPM has big-name supporters like Microsoft, which developed TPM features to be part of Windows Vista, Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and, most recently, Windows 10,” concludes Menting. “Specifically in regards to Windows 10, Microsoft is providing more TPM functions to enable easier deployment of the TPM to achieve ‘secure by default’ objectives. It’s companies like Microsoft that are pushing the envelope to emphasize security protection through these trusted platforms that will push the industry forward.”