What is Tokenization?
Tokenization is the process of exchanging sensitive data for non-sensitive data known as “tokens” that may be utilised in a database or internal system without exposing it to the public. Although the tokens are unconnected values, they maintain some characteristics of the original data—most typically their length or format—which enables them to be employed in the course of business processes. The organization’s original sensitive data is then securely kept outside of its own systems.
What is IoT?
The internet of things, or IoT, is a network of interconnected computing devices, mechanical and digital machinery, items, animals, and people with unique identities (UIDs) and the capacity to send data over a network without needing human-to-human or human-to-computer contact.
Important Security Requirements for IoT
The following are the essential considerations for any IoT security solution:
- Security of IoT devices and data, particularly device authentication and the secrecy and integrity of data
- Implementing and managing security operations at the Internet of Things
- Complying with regulatory rules and requirements
- Conforming to the performance requirements specified in the use case
Crucial IoT Security Building Blocks
To satisfy IoT scalability, data security, device trust, and compliance requirements, IoT security solutions must implement the functional blocks outlined below as interconnected modules, not in isolation.
- IoT Device Trust: Creating and Maintaining the Identity and Integrity of Internet-of-Things Devices
- IoT Data Trust: End-to-end policy-driven data security and privacy from generation to consumption
- Operationalizing the Trust: Automating and connecting with standards-based, established technologies/products. For instance, PKI products.
Connected Devices Need to Securely Participate in the Internet of Things
To participate securely in the Internet of Things, each connected item needs a unique identifier — even before it gets an IP address. This digital credential serves as the foundation for trust throughout the device’s lifespan, from conception to deployment and decommissioning.
Entrust leverages shield hardware security modules (HSMs) in conjunction with accompanying security applications from Entrust technology partners to enable manufacturers to give each device with a unique identifier utilising the strongest cryptographic processing, key protection, and key management possible. Each device is injected with a digital certificate that enables:
- Authentication of any device that is integrated into the enterprise’s architecture
- Verification of the operating system and apps on the device’s integrity
- Communication between devices, gateways, and the cloud is secure.
- Updates to software and firmware that are authorized and based on approved code
Device Authentication Required for the Internet of Things
To ensure that connected devices on the IoT can be trusted to be what they claim to be, strong IoT device authentication is necessary. As a result, each IoT device requires a unique identity that can be verified when it connects to a gateway or central server. With this unique identifier in place, IT system managers can follow each device throughout its lifespan, connect securely with it, and prevent malicious operations from being executed. Administrators can easily withdraw a device’s credentials if it shows unexpected behavior.
Secure Manufacturing Required for Internet of Things Devices
IoT devices manufactured using insecure manufacturing techniques enable criminals to alter production runs in order to incorporate illegal code or to make more units for resale on the black market.
One method of securing manufacturing processes is to utilize hardware security modules (HSMs) and associated security software to inject cryptographic keys and digital certificates and to manage the quantity of units created and the code included in each.
Code Signing Required for Internet of Things Devices
To safeguard organisations, brands, partners, and consumers against malware-infected software, software developers have implemented code signing. In the Internet of Things, code signing preserves the integrity of IoT device software and firmware upgrades and protects against the dangers associated with IoT software code tampering or code that violates corporate regulations.
Code signing is a subset of public key cryptography that makes use of certificate-based digital signatures to enable an organisation to authenticate the software publisher’s identity and guarantee that the programme has not been modified since it was released.
Internet of Things Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
Today, more devices are connected to the internet than there are people on the earth! Devices are the primary Internet users and require digital IDs to operate securely. As businesses attempt to adapt their business models in order to remain competitive, the fast adoption of IoT technology is driving demand for internet of things public key infrastructure (IoT PKI). PKIs issue digital certificates for an increasing number of devices, as well as the software and firmware that operate on them.
Safe IoT deployments need not just faith in the devices to be legitimate and who they claim to be, but also in the data they gather to be authentic and unaltered. If the IoT devices and data cannot be trusted, there is no purpose in collecting, running analytics, and making choices based on the obtained data.
Securing IoT adoption needs the following:
- Authenticating linked devices and apps mutually
- Ensure the integrity and security of device-collected data
- Ascertaining the legality and integrity of downloaded software on devices
- Preserving sensitive data’s privacy in the face of tougher security measures
Security guidelines for consumer IoT
- There are no universally accepted default passwords
- Establish a mechanism for managing vulnerability report
- Maintain up-to-date software
- Store critical security settings securely
- Communicate in a secure manner
- Minimize attack surfaces that are exposed
- Ensure the integrity of software
- Ensure the security of personal data
- Ensure that systems are impervious to outages
- Analyse data from the system’s telemetry
- Make it simple for people to erase their personal data
- Make device installation and maintenance simple
- Validate the data input
Consumer IoT data protection provisions
Numerous consumer Internet of Things devices handles personal data. Manufacturers are expected to include security elements into consumer IoT devices. Additionally, there are rules and regulations governing the protection of personal data in consumer Internet of Things devices. For instance, devices and services that process personal data in India must comply with applicable data privacy laws, such as India’s Personal Data Protection bill, 2018. For each product and service, the maker should give customers with clear and transparent information about the personal data processed, how it is used, by whom, and for what reasons. This also applies to third parties, such as marketers.
- Where consumers consent to the processing of their personal data, this permission must be acquired in a legitimate manner. Consent “in a legitimate manner” often entails providing customers with a free, clear, and explicit opt-in choice for the use of their personal data for a specific purpose.
- Consent granted by consumers for the processing of their personal data should be revocable at any time. Consumers expect to be able to maintain their privacy by properly setting IoT devices and services.
- If telemetry data is received from consumer IoT devices and services, personal data processing should be limited to what is required to perform the intended function.
- If telemetry data is gathered from consumer IoT devices and services, users must be informed about the data collected, how it is used, by whom, and for what objectives.
Published by: Aditya Negi
Edited by: Khushi Thakur
