Sensor Technology
Securing sensors in the wake of growing attacks
By Dennis Mattoon, chair of the DICE Work Group, Trusted Computing Group I
IoT (Industrial Internet of Things) is now prevalent across a number of industries, from manufacturing to farming. Gone are the days where readings and switches are operated manually; today sensors are connected to complex networks to increase the efficiency of operations. However, as hacking attempts grow in number and sophistication, sensor technology can provide a gateway to other aspects of the network, leading to significant consequences.
Sensing the danger
In 2017, an attempt was made in order to acquire data from a North American casino by using sensors integrated within a fish tank in the lobby. The sensor’s main purpose was to regulate the temperature, food distribution and cleanliness of the tank, however hackers were able to access the other areas of the network to obtain sensitive data. Malicious attacks on sensors within the farming industry are also becoming more prevalent – for example, sensors monitoring temperature within refrigerators are being remotely adjusted to spoil the meat stored inside, leading to bacterial contamination of the produce. This can quickly lead to financial and reputational damage for the supplier should a consumer fall ill as a result of this tampering.
To reduce the risks of a ‘weaponized’ sensor, operators must look deeper into the data sets of the systems they leverage in order to establish a strong defence against these malicious attacks.
Protecting your data sets The most important action required from any security approach is the ability to protect, detect, attest and recover from any attempts to modify the coding, especially when this comes from an external source. Applying a model which incorporates ‘trusted computing’ is vital to ensuring all potential vulnerabilities within the sensor are covered. Starting with the data sets, components
40 November 2022
Dennis Mattoon, chair of the DICE Work Group
such as the Trusted Platform Module (TPM), developed by the Trusted Computing Group (TCG) are able to sign and verify any data provided to the sensor has been provided from a reliable source, ensuring the information is accurate and correct for the operation required. The TPM can also provide hardened storage for software or platform keys which can be used to protect and attest any algorithms used to compute data into a model.
Any deviations within the model itself can be identified and mitigated through the application of trusted principles focusing on cyber resiliency, network security, identity, and crucially sensor attestation. Operators who deploy IIoT and sensors within their business infrastructure should also ensure that the entities responsible for training the system do not lead to corruption. This can be done through ensuring that it is supervised and reinforced with trusted computing standards.
Components in Electronics
Secured from the onset
In order to establish integrity and accuracy within a sensor and other connected devices, operators should use ‘Root of Trust’ hardware, such as the Device Identifier Composition Engine (DICE). This enables the boot layers within each system to receive a unique, secure key, which is then combined with the preceding identifier found in the previous layer, alongside a measurement of the current one. In the event of an attack, an exposed layer’s unique key will differ from the others within the system, thereby lessening the risk of a significant data breach. Root of Trust hardware can also re-key a device should any tampering or amendments be unearthed within the sensor’s firmware, enabling users to uncover vulnerabilities during the system update process. Incorporating specifications like the Measurement and Attestation Roots (MARS) also help smaller devices within a network (such as sensors) to instil basic security capabilities of identity, alongside measurement storage and reporting to attest the health of the device. MARS is made up of an isolated, lightweight pair of hardware roots of trust that are integrated
into a number of IoT and embedded devices, implementing logic directly into the hardware of a device as a state machine while remaining isolated from the microprocessor environment, further increasing the level of security on the device. Leveraging DICE or MARS means operators are provided with a first-rate security solution without having to break the bank, making them an essential component in an organisation’s overall security make-up.
Taking a proactive approach Operators who leverage sensors within their networks can no longer afford to be reactive when it comes to the security of their devices. Businesses and organisations can mitigate any tampering to their essential devices, so long as they look to adopt up- to-date technologies and the latest security standards available. Hardware such as DICE, MARS alongside a TPM and adherence to trusted computing standards go a long way to establishing a strong defence, leaving operators to enjoy the numerous benefits sensors can bring to their businesses.
https://trustedcomputinggroup.org/ www.cieonline.co.uk
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