【Learn Knowledge】Dedicated to a secure Internet of Things

Committed to a secure Internet of Things

Author: Lars Lydersen , Senior Director of Product Security, Silicon Labs

When security experts paint a scary picture of an insecure future, and the media often use reports of hacks as sensational headlines [ References 1, 2, 3] , this is partly because negative and scary news sells [ Reference 4] , but there are also hacks and security breaches that show how important adequate security is and how seemingly innocuous devices can be vulnerable [ References 5, 6] . Security experts may even exaggerate their statements and use them as a call to action for the industry.

Obviously, not connecting devices is not the solution to this problem. It’s important to remember that the reason devices are becoming smart and connected is because connected devices provide tremendous value and benefits to society. Using the planet’s scarce resources wisely is critical to our future, and the promise of the Internet of Things far outweighs the risks.

At Silicon Labs , securing the Internet of Things is one of our most important goals.

Today, society has proposed many measures to regulate the security of IoT devices, and we are beginning to see regulations [ Reference 8] . We welcome these regulations because they are necessary for a secure Internet of Things. When regulations come, applications that use IoT technology will be scrutinized, so Silicon Labs is fully prepared to help customers use our technology to protect IoT products.

Until IoT security is legally regulated, we will commit to being good global citizens and assuming our responsibilities :

• We set the standard for integrated safety functions in devices on the market

  - In the previous generation we introduced a fast and secure cryptographic engine in hardware for asymmetric encryption.

  - Our Gecko secure bootloader uses asymmetric cryptography and has been widely deployed to protect a large number of products from attacks using weakly secure bootloaders [ Reference 6] .

• We help customers ensure the safety of their end products through training and documentation

  - For example, see the recent webinar on why the IoT needs upgradability [ Ref 9] .

  - or this white paper on security trade-offs in wireless IoT protocols [ Reference 10] .

• We track and monitor potential vulnerabilities in our products and work with customers promptly to mitigate risks

  - For example, see the recent description of the Bluetooth pairing vulnerability [ Reference 11] .

  - If you find a suspected vulnerability in our products, please report it here [ Reference 12] .

Securing the Internet of Things will not be free. There is a cost to add security technology, and there is a development cost. We work hard every day to minimize the cost of our products. But we still encounter some customers who don't want security technology because it costs more than zero. We believe these products will not be successful in the long run.

To this end, we are committed to a secure Internet of Things with successful security products.

References:

[1] https://www.wired.com/story/have-a-high-tech-halloween-with-your-own-haunted-smart-home/

[2] https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/03/02/sleepwalking_towards_digital_disaster/

[3] https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/10/technology/future-internet-of-things.html

[4] https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/feb/17/steven-pinker-media-negative-news

[5] https://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/10/21/dyn_dns_ddos_explained/

[6] http://iotworm.eyalro.net/

[7] https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/digital-mckinsey/our-insights/the-internet-of-things-the-value-of-digitizing-the-physical-world

[8] https://www.cnet.com/news/california-governor-signs-countrys-first-iot-security-law/

[9] https://www.silabs.com/webinars/why-the-iot-needs-upgradable-security

[10] https://www.silabs.com/whitepapers/security-tradeoffs-and-commissioning-methods-for-wireless-iot-protocols

[11] https://www.silabs.com/community/blog.entry.html/2018/07/31/regarding_the_fixed-UMT5

[12] https://www.silabs.com/security/product-security

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