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Securing “Things” in the Internet of Things
By Derek Atkins, CTO, SecureRF Corporation
movement gathering momentum, keeping devices and information se- cure is a daunting task. While the number of connected devices is hard- ly a surprise, the key is that many of these newly-connected things will be devices that we have previously not thought of connecting. Product managers in nearly
W
every major consumer and industrial market are realizing the competitive advantages of sensing, locating and controlling devices through the IoT. This will certainly lead to some truly innovative and game-changing IoT- enabled devices, as well as some that
ith more and more things connecting to the Internet of Things (IoT) and the entire
will flop dismally. However, security breaches will
multiply along with smart devices be- cause security remains an after- thought for so many manufacturers. Fallout from breaches, including rev- enue loss and consumer backlash, will ultimately move security to the top of the priority list. Manufacturers will be driven to incorporate effective au- thentication and data protection in their devices, but without making them more complicated or expensive.
IoT a Fact of Life We will move from early
adopters to more mainstream accept- ance of connected devices in the home. It will no longer be a novelty to
have a connected household where, for example, residents use Amazon Dash buttons to easily re-order prod- ucts, or use a single voice-activated device to control the lights, locks, and kitchen appliances. While these connected devices
will provide homeowners with many conveniences, they will also pose in- creased risks. A single breach of an inadequately secured device could have devastating consequences for an entire structure. For example, a criminal could hack into household appliances and heat the oven or turn on the refrigerator’s water dispenser, creating the risk of fire or flood. Man- ufacturers that fail to address these security risks before a high-profile breach occurs will likely experience their own devastating consequences in due time. The need for securing IoT de-
vices will grow, but what is uncertain at this time is who will ultimately be responsible for securing them, and how security will be deployed and managed. Even a relatively simple product like a smart lightbulb has a long supply chain that includes a chipmaker and a software vendor. As of yet, there is no industry consensus about which entity will be responsi- ble for security. Some standards will have to emerge, but the issue will be far from settled.
Increased Focus on Security We predict that product develop-
ers will sharpen their focus on device security. In 2016, we saw increased in- terest in our security solutions from developers of products including sen- sors, door locks and other IoT-connect- ed devices. Many developers are real- izing that legacy products with insuffi- cient or no built-in security need to be redesigned. Where feasible, in-the- field updates will be made available to add security features. The National Security Agency
has publicly stated that impending quantum computing-based attacks will break existing security protocols like RSA and ECC. Quantum com- puters capable of executing these at- tacks are expected to be available in 10 to 15 years, though governments and some large institutions may ac- quire them sooner. Hence, manufac- turers of products with extended lives in the field, such as aircraft, au- tomobiles, HVAC systems, and traf- fic lights, will show growing interest in securing them with quantum-re-
sistant methods. IoT product developers will in-
creasingly pursue quantum-resistant security solutions, like those from Se- cureRF, to ensure that their long-lived IoT devices will be secure today as well as in the not-so-distant future when quantum attacks become feasible.
While connected devices will provide homeowners
with many conveniences, a single breach of an inade- quately secured device could have devastating consequences.
Chip manufacturers are also
showing heightened interest in quan- tum-resistant security methods for low-resource devices, because cur- rent cryptographic protocols, such as ECC, which is used in many chip families, are vulnerable to quantum attacks. We predict more and more chipmakers will seek quantum-re- sistant security solutions for fear of losing sales to competitors who make such protocols available for use in their products. The PC industry has long been
educating consumers on how to se- cure their computers. A similar effort by IoT industry stakeholders to edu- cate the public on securing smart de- vices will gather steam. This effort will occur on a larger scale than it has for computers, as IoT products are more numerous, used by more people, and require little or no tech- nical literacy to operate. As part of this effort we expect that user manu- als will provide more information on security. In addition, major home supply
retailers may start offering classes on securing smart devices, such as thermostats and door locks, just like they offer classes on installing floor tiles. It’s also likely that retailers and consumer brands will highlight IoT security as a product feature, cre- ating preference in the market for devices that are labeled hacker-re- sistant. What is certain is that the IoT is, as yet, far from being safely
locked down. Contact: SecureRF Corp.,
100 Beard Sawmill Road, Suite 350, Shelton, CT 06484 % 203-227-3151 fax: 888-507-7364 E-mail:
info@securerf.com Web:
www.securerf.com r
May, 2017
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