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Seven IoT Predictions for 2017 - Part V: Security Comes to the Forefront

The promise of IoT continues to be a hot topic. Businesses and consumers dream about how wireless, connected devices will bring an ongoing array of gadgets, conveniences and efficiencies. As developers work hard to keep pace with the demand for innovation, many are also kept up at night with one key topic: IoT Security.

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Industrial IoT, IoT Security

What are IoT devices and how are they used across various industries?

Article | July 12, 2023

Introduction We live in a world where technology is becoming more and more intertwined with our daily lives. It’s no longer just our laptops, smartphones, and tablets connected to the internet – now, our homes, cars, and even our clothes can be too. This interconnectedness is made possible by the internet of things (IoT), a network of physical objects equipped with sensors and software that allow them to collect and exchange data. IoT devices have the potential to transform the way we live and work. They can make our lives more convenient and help us be more efficient. IoT devices can also help us to save money and to improve the quality of our lives. IoT devices are devices that are connected to the internet and can collect, send, and receive data. They can be anything from fitness trackers to industrial machines. IoT devices are used across a variety of industries, and they are becoming more and more commonplace. At [x]cube LABS, we have helped global enterprises deliver great value to their consumers with IoT devices, and in this blog post, we will talk about how IoT devices are used in different industries. Additionally, we will give some examples of IoT devices that are being used in each industry. Healthcare IoT devices are being used in healthcare to provide better patient care and to improve the efficiency of healthcare organizations. IoT devices can be used to monitor patients’ vital signs, track their medication adherence, and collect data about their health. IoT devices can also be used to provide remote patient monitoring, track medical equipment, and support clinical research. There are many different types of IoT devices that are being used in healthcare. Some of the most common types of IoT devices that are being used in healthcare include wearable devices, such as fitness trackers and smartwatches; medical devices, such as pacemakers and insulin pumps; and hospital equipment, such as IV pumps and ventilators. All these devices collect data that can be used to improve patient care and make healthcare organizations more efficient. Manufacturing IoT devices are being used in manufacturing to improve the efficiency of production lines and to reduce the amount of waste. IoT devices can be used to track the production of products, monitor the condition of machinery, and control the flow of materials. IoT devices can also be used to provide data about the quality of products and to improve the safety of workers. One of the most common types of IoT devices that are being used in manufacturing is the industrial sensor. Industrial sensors are used to monitor the production of products, the condition of machinery, and the flow of materials. Industrial sensors can also be used to provide data about the quality of products and to improve the safety of workers. The availability of data from industrial sensors is helping manufacturers to improve the efficiency of production lines and to reduce the amount of waste. Retail IoT devices are being used in retail to improve the customer experience and increase sales. IoT devices can be used to track inventory, provide customer loyalty programs, and collect data about customer behavior. IoT devices can also be used to provide personalized recommendations, targeted promotions, and real-time customer support. IoT devices are changing the retail sector in a number of ways. One of the most important ways that IoT devices are changing retail is by providing retailers with real-time data about their customers’ behavior. This data allows retailers to provide a more personalized shopping experience. IoT devices are also being used to improve the efficiency of retail operations, such as inventory management and customer loyalty programs. Transportation IoT devices are being used in transportation to improve the safety of drivers and reduce traffic congestion. IoT devices can be used to monitor the condition of vehicles, track their location, and control their speed. IoT devices can also be used to provide data about traffic conditions and to improve the efficiency of transportation systems. One of the most common types of IoT devices that are being used in transportation is the GPS tracker. GPS trackers are used to monitor the location of vehicles, and they can be used to track the speed and movement of vehicles. GPS trackers can also be used to provide data about traffic conditions and to improve the efficiency of transportation systems. Agriculture Agriculture has become increasingly reliant on IoT devices in recent years. IoT devices are being used in agriculture to improve the yield of crops and to reduce the amount of water and fertilizer that is used. IoT devices can be utilized to monitor the condition of crops, track the location of farm animals, and control the flow of irrigation water. These innovations are helping farmers to increase the yield of their crops and to reduce the amount of water and fertilizer that is used. The data collected by IoT devices is also helping farmers to make more informed decisions about planting, irrigation, and crop maintenance. Smart Homes Smart homes are becoming increasingly popular, and IoT devices are the backbone of these systems. IoT devices are being used in homes to improve the security of the home, reduce energy consumption, and improve the quality of life. They can be used to monitor the condition of the home, track the location of family members, and control the operation of home appliances. What’s more, IoT devices can also provide data about the quality of the air, which can be used to improve the efficiency of home security systems. In the future, IoT devices will become an integral part of the smart home, and they will be used to control a wide variety of home appliances and systems. Aviation The aviation industry is making use of IoT devices to a great extent. The aviation sector is one of the most heavily regulated industries in the world, and IoT devices are being used to improve the safety of passengers and crew members. IoT is changing the aviation industry by providing data that can be used to improve the safety of pilots and passengers. IoT devices can be used to monitor the condition of aircraft, track their location, and control their speed. IoT devices can also be used to provide data about weather conditions and to improve the efficiency of aviation operations, which can ultimately lead to lower airfare prices. Energy The energy sector is also utilizing IoT for a variety of applications. One way that IoT is changing the energy sector is by providing data that can be used to improve the efficiency of energy production and consumption. They are being used to improve the efficiency of power generation and distribution. IoT devices can be used to monitor the condition of power plants, track the location of power lines, and control the flow of electricity. By using IoT devices to monitor and optimize the power grid, energy companies can reduce the amount of power that is wasted and ultimately lower energy bills for consumers. Conclusion IoT devices are changing the world in a number of ways. They are providing data that can be used to improve the efficiency of operations in a variety of industries, from retail to transportation to agriculture. It is likely that IoT devices will become an increasingly important part of our lives in the future due to the efficiency and data that they can provide.

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Industrial IoT, IoT Security

Essential IoT Security Books for IoT Professionals

Article | July 11, 2023

Explore the world of readings on IoT security, to address complex cyber security challenges and privacy issues. It caters to a wide range of readers including industrialists, students & enthusiasts. The Internet of Things (IoT) has revolutionized industries, enabling innovative applications and improved efficiency. However, along with the numerous benefits of the IoT comes the pressing need for robust security measures. As IoT devices become more prevalent and interconnected, their risks and vulnerabilities also increase. The experts in the domain must stay updated with the latest security practices and techniques to ensure IoT systems' integrity, confidentiality, and availability. A wide range of books has been explicitly tailored address these security concerns. 1. Analytics for the Internet of Things (IoT) Author: Andrew Minteer Analytics for the Internet of Things (IoT): Intelligent analytics for your intelligent devices provides a comprehensive guide for businesses aiming to make informed decisions and gain greater control over their IoT infrastructure. Written by an expert in the field, this book equips readers with the essential knowledge and techniques to solve the unique challenges associated with IoT and extract valuable insights from vast amounts of data. The book begins by tackling the complex task of extracting value from large volumes of often complex IoT data, empowering readers to make data-driven decisions. Strategies to address data quality concerns are discussed, ensuring that readers are equipped to handle the inherent challenges. It offers readers approaches to optimize business value and bring down costs. Scaling both data storage and analytics is a critical consideration in IoT deployments, and the book provides practical insights into handling scale effectively. The book covers a range of topics, including transmission protocols, data flow, value extraction, geospatial analytics, machine learning, and optimizing business value. 2. Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Editors: R. Anandan, Suseendran Gopalakrishnan, Souvik Pal, Noor Zaman One of the essential IoT security books, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT): Intelligent Analytics for Predictive Maintenance comprehensively explores how the industrial internet is transforming through increased network agility and the ability to deploy, automate, integrate artificial intelligence, orchestrate, and secure diverse use cases at hyperscale. The adoption of industrial automation on a large scale is revolutionizing business processes, with the market for industrial robots projected to reach $73.5 billion by 2023. The book highlights how IoT industrial automation provides numerous advantages, including enhanced efficiency, high accuracy, cost-effectiveness among others. This book presents real-world case studies in IIoT, robotic and intelligent systems, and web-based applications. The content is tailored to appeal to a broad audience, including working professionals, educators, and researchers in various technical disciplines. The book provides industry leaders with valuable insights by proposing business models that revitalize the workforce. 3. IoT and OT Security Handbook Authors: Smita Jain, Vasantha Lakshmi, Foreword: Dr Rohini Srivathsa IoT and OT Security Handbook: Assess risks, manage vulnerabilities, and monitor threats with Microsoft Defender for IoT is a comprehensive guide that equips industrial security, IoT security, and IT security professionals with the knowledge and tools to effectively address cybersecurity challenges in the rapidly evolving world of IoT and OT. In the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where digital transformation and connected industries dominate, the book sheds light on the pressing security concerns that must be addressed to ensure data protection and operational resilience. Through a deep dive into the Purdue model of reference architecture, readers gain a solid understanding of common cyber-attacks prevalent in IoT and OT environments. The centerpiece of the book revolves around Microsoft Defender for IoT, a powerful security solution specifically designed to safeguard IoT and OT ecosystems. Furthermore, the concept of zero trust, which is crucial for establishing a robust security foundation, is thoroughly explored with practical insights on its implementation in the context of IoT devices. 4. Practical Internet of Things Security Author: Brian Russell, Drew Van Duren Practical Internet of Things Security: Design a security framework for an Internet connected ecosystem is an indispensable guide that navigates the complex realm of securely building and deploying systems in our IoT-connected world. The book primarily targets IT security professionals, security engineers, and individuals responsible for ensuring the security of their organization's data in the IoT landscape. However, it also serves as a valuable resource for business analysts and managers seeking to understand and address the security challenges associated with IoT deployments. Readers will gain a wealth of knowledge and practical skills, including breaking down cross-industry barriers, building a rock-solid security program, applying systems security engineering and privacy-by-design principles, and harnessing cloud-based systems. It delves into the unique security challenges associated with IoT and provides practical guidelines for architecting and deploying a secure IoT ecosystem within an enterprise. 5. IoT: Security and Privacy Paradigm (Internet of Everything (IoE)) Editors: Souvik Pal, Vicente García Díaz, Dac-Nhuong Le IoT: Security and Privacy Paradigm is a comprehensive and authoritative resource that explores the evolution of security and privacy issues within the realm of the IoT. This book serves as a single reference point for students, researchers, and practitioners seeking to better understand the IoT security platforms and privacy landscape. The book adopts security engineering and privacy-by-design principles to design and implement robust cyber-security solutions within IoT ecosystems. It takes readers on a journey, starting with exploring security issues in IoT-enabled technologies and their practical applications. The book provides practical guidance on tackling security challenges and constructing a secure infrastructure for IoT devices. The book thoroughly discusses security challenges and solutions in areas such as RFID, WSNs, and IoT. The primary audience for this book includes specialists, researchers, graduate students, designers, experts, and engineers focused on security-related issues and research. 6. IoT Security Issues Author: Alasdair Gilchrist IoT Security Issues addresses the rapid proliferation of internet-connected devices, where security often takes a backseat to product development. This book delves into the inherent vulnerabilities and IoT security challenges, offering insights on how to address and mitigate these issues. By examining the root causes of these problems and emphasizing the importance of programming and security best practices, the author presents practical solutions to combat the lax security processes prevalent in the IoT landscape. This book caters to a wide range of readers, including programmers who have yet to focus on the IoT, security professionals, and individuals with a keen interest in hacking and making. While a basic programming background would be beneficial for certain chapters later in the book, the core content is explained in a manner that is approachable for readers from various backgrounds. 7. Security and Privacy Issues in IoT Devices and Sensor Networks Editors: Sudhir Kumar Sharma, Bharat Bhushan, Narayan C. Debnath This book, of all the IoT security books, delves into the critical aspects of security breaches in IoT and sensor networks, offering a comprehensive exploration of potential solutions. The book takes a two-fold approach, thoroughly examining the fundamentals and theoretical foundations of sensor networks and IoT security. It then explores the practical IoT security solutions that can be implemented to enhance the security of these elements, providing illuminating case studies to reinforce understanding. The book is an invaluable resource for industry professionals working with wireless sensor networks (WSN) and IoT systems, enabling them to elevate the security of these interconnected systems. Additionally, researchers, material developers, and technology specialists grappling with the intricate nuances of data privacy and security enhancement will find the book's comprehensive information highly beneficial. Final thoughts IoT security for professionals involves implementing secure communication protocols, strong authentication, device management, data encryption, access control, and regular security audits. It is crucial to stay updated, maintain a security-aware culture, and prioritize the ongoing monitoring and adaptation of security measures to address emerging threats. The above listed books delve into various aspects of IoT security, providing insights, strategies, and practical solutions to mitigate risks and protect IoT ecosystems. This article highlights some essential IoT security books that are indispensable resources for IoT professionals striving to enhance the security posture of their organizations. They also provide real world case studies, best practices and strategies to minimize risks.

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IoT Security

Securing Real-world IoT Applications through Penetration Testing

Article | June 27, 2023

Enhancing IoT security: Unveiling the significance of penetration testing in securing real-world IoT applications, identifying vulnerabilities, and mitigating risks for the protection of IoT data. Contents 1. Introduction to IoT Application Security and Penetration Testing 1.1 Vulnerabilities of IoT application security 2. Fundamentals of IoT Penetration Testing 3. Considerations for IoT Penetration Testing 4. Methodologies and Approaches for IoT Penetration Testing 5. Takeaway 1. Introduction to IoT Application Security and Penetration Testing Securing real-world IoT applications is paramount as the Internet of Things (IoT) permeates various aspects of any individuals lives. Penetration testing serves as a vital tool in identifying vulnerabilities and assessing the resilience of IoT systems against cyber threats. In this article, delve into the significance of penetration testing in securing IoT applications, exploring its role in identifying weaknesses, mitigating risks, and ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of IoT data. 1.1 Vulnerabilities of IoT application security Expanded Attack Surface: The proliferation of IoT devices has dramatically expanded the attack surface, increasing the potential for security breach enterprise networks. With billions of interconnected devices, each presenting a potential vulnerability, the risk of unauthorized access, data breaches, and other security incidents is significantly heightened. Risks: IoT devices often possess limited computational resources, making them susceptible to software and firmware vulnerabilities. Their resource-constrained nature can limit the implementation of robust security measures, leaving them exposed to potential attacks. Furthermore, a significant concern is the prevalence of default or weak credentials on these devices. Diverse Threat Landscape: The threat landscape surrounding IoT devices is extensive and ever-evolving. It encompasses various attack vectors, including malware, botnets, DDoS attacks, physical tampering, and data privacy breaches. One notable example is the Mirai botnet, which compromised a vast number of IoT devices to launch large-scale DDoS attacks, leading to significant disruptions in internet services. In addition, IoT devices can serve as entry points for infiltrating larger networks and systems, allowing attackers to pivot and gain control over critical infrastructure. Botnets: IoT devices can be infected with malware and become part of a botnet, which can be used for various malicious activities. Botnets are often utilized to launch distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, where a network of compromised devices overwhelms a target system with traffic, causing it to become inaccessible. Ransomware: IoT devices are also vulnerable to ransomware attacks. Ransomware is malicious software that encrypts the data on a device and demands a ransom payment in exchange for the decryption key. Data Breaches: IoT devices can be targeted to steal sensitive data, including personal identifiable information (PII) or financial data. Due to inadequate security measures, such as weak authentication or unencrypted data transmissions, attackers can exploit IoT devices as entry points to gain unauthorized access to networks and systems. 2. Fundamentals of IoT Penetration Testing IoT penetration testing, also known as ethical hacking or security assessment, is a critical process for testing and identifying vulnerabilities and assessing the security posture of IoT devices, networks, and applications. It involves simulating real-world attacks to uncover weaknesses and provide insights for remediation. IoT penetration testing involves identifying vulnerabilities, conducting targeted attacks, and evaluating the effectiveness of security controls in IoT systems. IoT pen-testing aims to proactively identify and address potential weaknesses that malicious actors could exploit. The methodology of IoT pen-testing typically follows a structured approach. It begins with attack surface mapping, which involves identifying all potential entry and exit points that an attacker could leverage within the IoT solution. This step is crucial for understanding the system's architecture and potential vulnerabilities. Pentesters spend considerable time gathering information, studying device documentation, analyzing communication protocols, and assessing the device's hardware and software components. Once the attack surface is mapped, the following steps involve vulnerability identification and exploitation. This includes conducting security tests, exploiting vulnerabilities, and evaluating the system's resilience to attacks. The penetration testers simulate real-world attack scenarios to assess the device's ability to withstand threats. After exploitation, post-exploitation activities are performed to determine the extent of the compromise and evaluate the potential impact on the device and the overall IoT ecosystem. Finally, a detailed technical report summarizes the findings, vulnerabilities, and recommendations for improving the device's security. 3. Considerations for IoT Penetration Testing Fuzzing and Protocol Reverse Engineering: Employ advanced techniques like fuzzing to identify vulnerabilities in communication protocols used by IoT devices. Fuzzing involves sending malformed or unexpected data to inputs and analyzing the system's response to uncover potential weaknesses. Radio Frequency (RF) Analysis: Perform RF analysis to identify weaknesses in wireless communication between IoT devices. This includes analyzing RF signals, monitoring wireless communication protocols, and identifying potential vulnerabilities such as replay attacks or unauthorized signal interception. Red Team Exercises: Conduct red team exercises to simulate real-world attack scenarios and evaluate the organization's detection and response capabilities. Red team exercises go beyond traditional penetration testing by emulating the actions and techniques of skilled attackers. This helps uncover any weaknesses in incident response, detection, and mitigation processes related to IoT security incidents. Embedded System Analysis: Gain expertise in analyzing and reverse engineering embedded systems commonly found in IoT devices. This includes understanding microcontrollers, debugging interfaces, firmware extraction techniques, and analyzing the device's hardware architecture. Embedded system analysis helps identify low-level vulnerabilities and potential attack vectors. Zero-Day Vulnerability Research: Engage in zero-day vulnerability research to identify previously unknown vulnerabilities in IoT devices and associated software. This requires advanced skills in vulnerability discovery, exploit development, and the ability to responsibly disclose vulnerabilities to vendors. 4. Methodologies and Approaches for IoT Penetration Testing Mobile, Web and Cloud Application Testing Mobile, web, and cloud application testing is integral to IoT penetration testing, focusing on assessing the security of applications that interact with IoT devices. This methodology involves various steps to evaluate the security of these applications across different platforms. For mobile applications, the methodology includes reviewing the binary code, conducting reverse engineering to understand the inner workings, and analyzing the file system structure. Sensitive information such as keys and certificates embedded within the mobile app are scrutinized for secure storage and handling. The assessment extends to examining the application's resistance to unauthorized modifications. In web applications, the testing covers common vulnerabilities like cross-site scripting (XSS), insecure direct object references (IDOR), and injection attacks. Application reversing techniques are employed to gain insights into the application's logic and potential vulnerabilities. Additionally, hardcoded API keys are identified and assessed for their security implications. Firmware Penetration Testing Firmware penetration testing is a crucial aspect of IoT security assessments, aiming to identify vulnerabilities within the firmware running on IoT devices. The methodology encompasses multiple steps to uncover weaknesses. The process begins with binary analysis, dissecting the firmware to understand its structure, functionality, and potential vulnerabilities. Reverse engineering techniques are applied to gain deeper insights into the firmware's inner workings, exposing potential weaknesses like hardcoded credentials or hidden functionality. The analysis extends to examining different file systems used in the firmware and evaluating their configurations and permissions. Sensitive keys, certificates, and cryptographic material embedded within the firmware are scrutinized for secure generation, storage, and utilization. Additionally, the resistance of the firmware to unauthorized modification is assessed, including integrity checks, secure boot mechanisms, and firmware update processes. IoT Device Hardware Pentest IoT device hardware penetration testing involves a systematic methodology to assess the security of IoT devices at the hardware level. This comprehensive approach aims to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses that attackers could exploit. The methodology includes analyzing internal communication protocols like UART, I2C, and SPI to understand potential attack vectors. Open ports are examined to evaluate the security controls and risks associated with communication interfaces. The JTAG debugging interface is explored to gain low-level access and assess the device's resistance to unauthorized access. Extracting firmware from EEPROM or FLASH memory allows testers to analyze the code, configurations, and security controls. Physical tampering attempts are made to evaluate the effectiveness of the device's physical security measures. 5. Takeaway Penetration testing is crucial in securing real-world IoT applications, enabling organizations to identify vulnerabilities and mitigate risks effectively. By conducting comprehensive and regular penetration tests, organizations can proactively identify and address security weaknesses, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of IoT data. With the ever-growing threat landscape and increasing reliance on IoT technologies, penetration testing has become indispensable to safeguard IoT applications and protect against potential cyber-attacks. Several key factors will shape the future of IoT penetration testing. First, the increasing complexity of IoT systems will require testing methodologies to adapt and assess intricate architectures, diverse protocols, and a wide range of devices. Second, there will be a greater emphasis on security by design, with penetration testing focusing on verifying secure coding practices, robust access controls, and secure communication protocols. Third, supply chain security will become crucial, necessitating penetration testing to assess the security measures implemented by vendors, third-party components, and firmware updates. Fourth, integrating IoT penetration testing with DevSecOps practices will ensure continuous monitoring and improvement of IoT system security. Lastly, as attackers become more sophisticated, future IoT penetration testing methodologies will need to keep pace with evolving IoT-specific attack techniques. By embracing these advancements, IoT penetration testing will play a vital role in ensuring the security and privacy of IoT deployments.

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Industrial IoT

IOT MARKET & TRENDS

Article | December 15, 2021

2022 looks bright for power optimization! The vibrant research and development in Internet of Things (IoT) is fueling the expansion of wireless monitoring solutions and enabling giant leaps in terms of low-power design. A longer lifetime for your batteries, and thus for your device, is a dream about to come true. We have gathered some of the most notable power optimization trends that are getting us all excited for 2022… 5G, the next era of broadband cellular networks will offer improved power saving capabilities The next wave of wider 5G cellular technology is designed to support various new highly challenging industrial use cases. These usually require increased hardware complexity and more processing, together with higher processing power. These requirements can raise power consumption quite significantly. Smart power consumption and energy efficiency are thus becoming keys for the success of these applications and 5G technology.To that extent, 5G New Radio (NR) has progressed swiftly. The new 3GPP™ release is designed to significantly improve the performance, flexibility, scalability, and efficiency of current mobile networks. Improved power saving features now allow IoT developers to get the most out of the available battery capacity. This could make all the difference for new IoT use cases and efficiencies. A new generation of sensors are optimized for low power technologies New families of ‘breakthrough’ sensors, based on anultra-low power architectureare optimized for use in compact wireless devices. These sensors offer a richer set of functionalities and can be combined to create new insights (sensor fusion). One of the greatest challenges facing developers of these small form-devices is power consumption. Aware of these limitations, hardware manufacturers have been working hard to address them. Integrated circuit designs and techniques are now using less power while smart processing capabilities are enabling the sensors to intelligently manage sensing functionalities,delivering ultra-low power performance for best-in-class power consumption. The use of advanced Low Energy Bluetooth and wireless protocols (e.g. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or ZigBee Green Power) also allows the transmission of data to the gateway more efficiently compared to prior solutions, opening new possibilities for developers. Big Data, Analytics, Machine Learning and Edge computing are picking up the pace The explosion in data volume and diversity is forcing organizations to rethink the way they process the information. Indeed, capturing, sending and processing the information in the cloud can be taxing for the network, the storage and the computing infrastructures which demands more processing power, hence the need to keep the transmission window as short as possible. This has led to the development of advanced devices capable of collecting, processing and storing data autonomously before the data is sent to the servers. This concept is calledEdge computing. By reducing the need for data to be streamed through the networks, diminishing computing and processing costs,Edge computing contributes to optimizing power performance, whilst delivering quality data in a more sustainable way. The rise of DevOps and new IoT Device Management platforms are contributing to better efficiency and better devices The rise ofDevOpshas been swift. Derived from Development and Operations, ‘DevOps’ teams are responsible for making sure that the infrastructure is being maintained properly.With the help of IoT Device Management platforms—which are a central part of today’s IoT ecosystems— DevOps teams can better manage, scale and operate their fleet of devices remotely and reduce long-term operational costs.One of the areas that benefits from the rise of DevOps implementation is power supply optimization, as more efficient protocols such as Lightweight Machine to Machine (LwM2M) allow for device and battery monitoring, remote device actions and faster communication. Harvesting technologies are becoming more effective Power harvesting technologies include processes where energy from ambient sources such as the sun, temperature, movement or wind, is captured and stored to power wireless autonomous devices. Now gaining experience,harvesting technologies can exploit natural resources better than ever before. As a result,the gap between the power requirements of embedded systems and the energy generated by energy harvesting systems is finally closing. Industrial applications for these technologies are still very limited, but coupled to efficient rechargeable batteries, they can present new opportunities for devices deployed in wild remote areas. Power optimization tools are becoming increasingly exhaustive and reliable Battery optimization is everyone's business and needs to be considered throughout the overall system performance analysis, from prototyping to deployment and on toward maintenance cycles. Several innovating tools haveappeared on the market over the past few years and developers have now access toa rich ecosystem of tools to analyze their overall system performance. Wisebatt for Saft for example can help creating a virtual prototype and simulate its consumption.Deutsche Telekom’s IoT Solution Optimizergoes even further. You can model the complete system to identify potential energy consumption issues or leaks. The system can not only recommend the right combination of power saving features based on your use case, but also can help you visualize how communication payload size, protocol use and communication frequency impact your battery life. When at the prototype stage,Qoitec Otii solution measures in real time the consumption of your device at various temperatures, up to the measurement of the firmware and hardware operations without the need for expensive testing. These tools are constantly enhanced and improved to deliver better analysis and more accurate data. With an increased awareness from IoT developers of the stakes of power consumption and the growing rate of low-power innovations, batteries are now able to outlive the devices they’re in. This opens the doors tomany new markets and applications and above all to more sustainable consumption patterns. When we told you the future looks bright, we weren’t joking!

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Industrial IoT, IoT Security

Key IoT Security Certifications to Boost Your Career in IoT Industry

Article | July 12, 2023

Introduction We live in a world where technology is becoming more and more intertwined with our daily lives. It’s no longer just our laptops, smartphones, and tablets connected to the internet – now, our homes, cars, and even our clothes can be too. This interconnectedness is made possible by the internet of things (IoT), a network of physical objects equipped with sensors and software that allow them to collect and exchange data. IoT devices have the potential to transform the way we live and work. They can make our lives more convenient and help us be more efficient. IoT devices can also help us to save money and to improve the quality of our lives. IoT devices are devices that are connected to the internet and can collect, send, and receive data. They can be anything from fitness trackers to industrial machines. IoT devices are used across a variety of industries, and they are becoming more and more commonplace. At [x]cube LABS, we have helped global enterprises deliver great value to their consumers with IoT devices, and in this blog post, we will talk about how IoT devices are used in different industries. Additionally, we will give some examples of IoT devices that are being used in each industry. Healthcare IoT devices are being used in healthcare to provide better patient care and to improve the efficiency of healthcare organizations. IoT devices can be used to monitor patients’ vital signs, track their medication adherence, and collect data about their health. IoT devices can also be used to provide remote patient monitoring, track medical equipment, and support clinical research. There are many different types of IoT devices that are being used in healthcare. Some of the most common types of IoT devices that are being used in healthcare include wearable devices, such as fitness trackers and smartwatches; medical devices, such as pacemakers and insulin pumps; and hospital equipment, such as IV pumps and ventilators. All these devices collect data that can be used to improve patient care and make healthcare organizations more efficient. Manufacturing IoT devices are being used in manufacturing to improve the efficiency of production lines and to reduce the amount of waste. IoT devices can be used to track the production of products, monitor the condition of machinery, and control the flow of materials. IoT devices can also be used to provide data about the quality of products and to improve the safety of workers. One of the most common types of IoT devices that are being used in manufacturing is the industrial sensor. Industrial sensors are used to monitor the production of products, the condition of machinery, and the flow of materials. Industrial sensors can also be used to provide data about the quality of products and to improve the safety of workers. The availability of data from industrial sensors is helping manufacturers to improve the efficiency of production lines and to reduce the amount of waste. Retail IoT devices are being used in retail to improve the customer experience and increase sales. IoT devices can be used to track inventory, provide customer loyalty programs, and collect data about customer behavior. IoT devices can also be used to provide personalized recommendations, targeted promotions, and real-time customer support. IoT devices are changing the retail sector in a number of ways. One of the most important ways that IoT devices are changing retail is by providing retailers with real-time data about their customers’ behavior. This data allows retailers to provide a more personalized shopping experience. IoT devices are also being used to improve the efficiency of retail operations, such as inventory management and customer loyalty programs. Transportation IoT devices are being used in transportation to improve the safety of drivers and reduce traffic congestion. IoT devices can be used to monitor the condition of vehicles, track their location, and control their speed. IoT devices can also be used to provide data about traffic conditions and to improve the efficiency of transportation systems. One of the most common types of IoT devices that are being used in transportation is the GPS tracker. GPS trackers are used to monitor the location of vehicles, and they can be used to track the speed and movement of vehicles. GPS trackers can also be used to provide data about traffic conditions and to improve the efficiency of transportation systems. Agriculture Agriculture has become increasingly reliant on IoT devices in recent years. IoT devices are being used in agriculture to improve the yield of crops and to reduce the amount of water and fertilizer that is used. IoT devices can be utilized to monitor the condition of crops, track the location of farm animals, and control the flow of irrigation water. These innovations are helping farmers to increase the yield of their crops and to reduce the amount of water and fertilizer that is used. The data collected by IoT devices is also helping farmers to make more informed decisions about planting, irrigation, and crop maintenance. Smart Homes Smart homes are becoming increasingly popular, and IoT devices are the backbone of these systems. IoT devices are being used in homes to improve the security of the home, reduce energy consumption, and improve the quality of life. They can be used to monitor the condition of the home, track the location of family members, and control the operation of home appliances. What’s more, IoT devices can also provide data about the quality of the air, which can be used to improve the efficiency of home security systems. In the future, IoT devices will become an integral part of the smart home, and they will be used to control a wide variety of home appliances and systems. Aviation The aviation industry is making use of IoT devices to a great extent. The aviation sector is one of the most heavily regulated industries in the world, and IoT devices are being used to improve the safety of passengers and crew members. IoT is changing the aviation industry by providing data that can be used to improve the safety of pilots and passengers. IoT devices can be used to monitor the condition of aircraft, track their location, and control their speed. IoT devices can also be used to provide data about weather conditions and to improve the efficiency of aviation operations, which can ultimately lead to lower airfare prices. Energy The energy sector is also utilizing IoT for a variety of applications. One way that IoT is changing the energy sector is by providing data that can be used to improve the efficiency of energy production and consumption. They are being used to improve the efficiency of power generation and distribution. IoT devices can be used to monitor the condition of power plants, track the location of power lines, and control the flow of electricity. By using IoT devices to monitor and optimize the power grid, energy companies can reduce the amount of power that is wasted and ultimately lower energy bills for consumers. Conclusion IoT devices are changing the world in a number of ways. They are providing data that can be used to improve the efficiency of operations in a variety of industries, from retail to transportation to agriculture. It is likely that IoT devices will become an increasingly important part of our lives in the future due to the efficiency and data that they can provide.

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Industrial IoT, IoT Security

Top 10 Tools for IoT Security Testing: Mitigating Cyber Threats

Article | July 11, 2023

Explore the world of readings on IoT security, to address complex cyber security challenges and privacy issues. It caters to a wide range of readers including industrialists, students & enthusiasts. The Internet of Things (IoT) has revolutionized industries, enabling innovative applications and improved efficiency. However, along with the numerous benefits of the IoT comes the pressing need for robust security measures. As IoT devices become more prevalent and interconnected, their risks and vulnerabilities also increase. The experts in the domain must stay updated with the latest security practices and techniques to ensure IoT systems' integrity, confidentiality, and availability. A wide range of books has been explicitly tailored address these security concerns. 1. Analytics for the Internet of Things (IoT) Author: Andrew Minteer Analytics for the Internet of Things (IoT): Intelligent analytics for your intelligent devices provides a comprehensive guide for businesses aiming to make informed decisions and gain greater control over their IoT infrastructure. Written by an expert in the field, this book equips readers with the essential knowledge and techniques to solve the unique challenges associated with IoT and extract valuable insights from vast amounts of data. The book begins by tackling the complex task of extracting value from large volumes of often complex IoT data, empowering readers to make data-driven decisions. Strategies to address data quality concerns are discussed, ensuring that readers are equipped to handle the inherent challenges. It offers readers approaches to optimize business value and bring down costs. Scaling both data storage and analytics is a critical consideration in IoT deployments, and the book provides practical insights into handling scale effectively. The book covers a range of topics, including transmission protocols, data flow, value extraction, geospatial analytics, machine learning, and optimizing business value. 2. Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) Editors: R. Anandan, Suseendran Gopalakrishnan, Souvik Pal, Noor Zaman One of the essential IoT security books, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT): Intelligent Analytics for Predictive Maintenance comprehensively explores how the industrial internet is transforming through increased network agility and the ability to deploy, automate, integrate artificial intelligence, orchestrate, and secure diverse use cases at hyperscale. The adoption of industrial automation on a large scale is revolutionizing business processes, with the market for industrial robots projected to reach $73.5 billion by 2023. The book highlights how IoT industrial automation provides numerous advantages, including enhanced efficiency, high accuracy, cost-effectiveness among others. This book presents real-world case studies in IIoT, robotic and intelligent systems, and web-based applications. The content is tailored to appeal to a broad audience, including working professionals, educators, and researchers in various technical disciplines. The book provides industry leaders with valuable insights by proposing business models that revitalize the workforce. 3. IoT and OT Security Handbook Authors: Smita Jain, Vasantha Lakshmi, Foreword: Dr Rohini Srivathsa IoT and OT Security Handbook: Assess risks, manage vulnerabilities, and monitor threats with Microsoft Defender for IoT is a comprehensive guide that equips industrial security, IoT security, and IT security professionals with the knowledge and tools to effectively address cybersecurity challenges in the rapidly evolving world of IoT and OT. In the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, where digital transformation and connected industries dominate, the book sheds light on the pressing security concerns that must be addressed to ensure data protection and operational resilience. Through a deep dive into the Purdue model of reference architecture, readers gain a solid understanding of common cyber-attacks prevalent in IoT and OT environments. The centerpiece of the book revolves around Microsoft Defender for IoT, a powerful security solution specifically designed to safeguard IoT and OT ecosystems. Furthermore, the concept of zero trust, which is crucial for establishing a robust security foundation, is thoroughly explored with practical insights on its implementation in the context of IoT devices. 4. Practical Internet of Things Security Author: Brian Russell, Drew Van Duren Practical Internet of Things Security: Design a security framework for an Internet connected ecosystem is an indispensable guide that navigates the complex realm of securely building and deploying systems in our IoT-connected world. The book primarily targets IT security professionals, security engineers, and individuals responsible for ensuring the security of their organization's data in the IoT landscape. However, it also serves as a valuable resource for business analysts and managers seeking to understand and address the security challenges associated with IoT deployments. Readers will gain a wealth of knowledge and practical skills, including breaking down cross-industry barriers, building a rock-solid security program, applying systems security engineering and privacy-by-design principles, and harnessing cloud-based systems. It delves into the unique security challenges associated with IoT and provides practical guidelines for architecting and deploying a secure IoT ecosystem within an enterprise. 5. IoT: Security and Privacy Paradigm (Internet of Everything (IoE)) Editors: Souvik Pal, Vicente García Díaz, Dac-Nhuong Le IoT: Security and Privacy Paradigm is a comprehensive and authoritative resource that explores the evolution of security and privacy issues within the realm of the IoT. This book serves as a single reference point for students, researchers, and practitioners seeking to better understand the IoT security platforms and privacy landscape. The book adopts security engineering and privacy-by-design principles to design and implement robust cyber-security solutions within IoT ecosystems. It takes readers on a journey, starting with exploring security issues in IoT-enabled technologies and their practical applications. The book provides practical guidance on tackling security challenges and constructing a secure infrastructure for IoT devices. The book thoroughly discusses security challenges and solutions in areas such as RFID, WSNs, and IoT. The primary audience for this book includes specialists, researchers, graduate students, designers, experts, and engineers focused on security-related issues and research. 6. IoT Security Issues Author: Alasdair Gilchrist IoT Security Issues addresses the rapid proliferation of internet-connected devices, where security often takes a backseat to product development. This book delves into the inherent vulnerabilities and IoT security challenges, offering insights on how to address and mitigate these issues. By examining the root causes of these problems and emphasizing the importance of programming and security best practices, the author presents practical solutions to combat the lax security processes prevalent in the IoT landscape. This book caters to a wide range of readers, including programmers who have yet to focus on the IoT, security professionals, and individuals with a keen interest in hacking and making. While a basic programming background would be beneficial for certain chapters later in the book, the core content is explained in a manner that is approachable for readers from various backgrounds. 7. Security and Privacy Issues in IoT Devices and Sensor Networks Editors: Sudhir Kumar Sharma, Bharat Bhushan, Narayan C. Debnath This book, of all the IoT security books, delves into the critical aspects of security breaches in IoT and sensor networks, offering a comprehensive exploration of potential solutions. The book takes a two-fold approach, thoroughly examining the fundamentals and theoretical foundations of sensor networks and IoT security. It then explores the practical IoT security solutions that can be implemented to enhance the security of these elements, providing illuminating case studies to reinforce understanding. The book is an invaluable resource for industry professionals working with wireless sensor networks (WSN) and IoT systems, enabling them to elevate the security of these interconnected systems. Additionally, researchers, material developers, and technology specialists grappling with the intricate nuances of data privacy and security enhancement will find the book's comprehensive information highly beneficial. Final thoughts IoT security for professionals involves implementing secure communication protocols, strong authentication, device management, data encryption, access control, and regular security audits. It is crucial to stay updated, maintain a security-aware culture, and prioritize the ongoing monitoring and adaptation of security measures to address emerging threats. The above listed books delve into various aspects of IoT security, providing insights, strategies, and practical solutions to mitigate risks and protect IoT ecosystems. This article highlights some essential IoT security books that are indispensable resources for IoT professionals striving to enhance the security posture of their organizations. They also provide real world case studies, best practices and strategies to minimize risks.

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IoT Security

Essential IoT Security Books for IoT Professionals

Article | June 27, 2023

Enhancing IoT security: Unveiling the significance of penetration testing in securing real-world IoT applications, identifying vulnerabilities, and mitigating risks for the protection of IoT data. Contents 1. Introduction to IoT Application Security and Penetration Testing 1.1 Vulnerabilities of IoT application security 2. Fundamentals of IoT Penetration Testing 3. Considerations for IoT Penetration Testing 4. Methodologies and Approaches for IoT Penetration Testing 5. Takeaway 1. Introduction to IoT Application Security and Penetration Testing Securing real-world IoT applications is paramount as the Internet of Things (IoT) permeates various aspects of any individuals lives. Penetration testing serves as a vital tool in identifying vulnerabilities and assessing the resilience of IoT systems against cyber threats. In this article, delve into the significance of penetration testing in securing IoT applications, exploring its role in identifying weaknesses, mitigating risks, and ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of IoT data. 1.1 Vulnerabilities of IoT application security Expanded Attack Surface: The proliferation of IoT devices has dramatically expanded the attack surface, increasing the potential for security breach enterprise networks. With billions of interconnected devices, each presenting a potential vulnerability, the risk of unauthorized access, data breaches, and other security incidents is significantly heightened. Risks: IoT devices often possess limited computational resources, making them susceptible to software and firmware vulnerabilities. Their resource-constrained nature can limit the implementation of robust security measures, leaving them exposed to potential attacks. Furthermore, a significant concern is the prevalence of default or weak credentials on these devices. Diverse Threat Landscape: The threat landscape surrounding IoT devices is extensive and ever-evolving. It encompasses various attack vectors, including malware, botnets, DDoS attacks, physical tampering, and data privacy breaches. One notable example is the Mirai botnet, which compromised a vast number of IoT devices to launch large-scale DDoS attacks, leading to significant disruptions in internet services. In addition, IoT devices can serve as entry points for infiltrating larger networks and systems, allowing attackers to pivot and gain control over critical infrastructure. Botnets: IoT devices can be infected with malware and become part of a botnet, which can be used for various malicious activities. Botnets are often utilized to launch distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, where a network of compromised devices overwhelms a target system with traffic, causing it to become inaccessible. Ransomware: IoT devices are also vulnerable to ransomware attacks. Ransomware is malicious software that encrypts the data on a device and demands a ransom payment in exchange for the decryption key. Data Breaches: IoT devices can be targeted to steal sensitive data, including personal identifiable information (PII) or financial data. Due to inadequate security measures, such as weak authentication or unencrypted data transmissions, attackers can exploit IoT devices as entry points to gain unauthorized access to networks and systems. 2. Fundamentals of IoT Penetration Testing IoT penetration testing, also known as ethical hacking or security assessment, is a critical process for testing and identifying vulnerabilities and assessing the security posture of IoT devices, networks, and applications. It involves simulating real-world attacks to uncover weaknesses and provide insights for remediation. IoT penetration testing involves identifying vulnerabilities, conducting targeted attacks, and evaluating the effectiveness of security controls in IoT systems. IoT pen-testing aims to proactively identify and address potential weaknesses that malicious actors could exploit. The methodology of IoT pen-testing typically follows a structured approach. It begins with attack surface mapping, which involves identifying all potential entry and exit points that an attacker could leverage within the IoT solution. This step is crucial for understanding the system's architecture and potential vulnerabilities. Pentesters spend considerable time gathering information, studying device documentation, analyzing communication protocols, and assessing the device's hardware and software components. Once the attack surface is mapped, the following steps involve vulnerability identification and exploitation. This includes conducting security tests, exploiting vulnerabilities, and evaluating the system's resilience to attacks. The penetration testers simulate real-world attack scenarios to assess the device's ability to withstand threats. After exploitation, post-exploitation activities are performed to determine the extent of the compromise and evaluate the potential impact on the device and the overall IoT ecosystem. Finally, a detailed technical report summarizes the findings, vulnerabilities, and recommendations for improving the device's security. 3. Considerations for IoT Penetration Testing Fuzzing and Protocol Reverse Engineering: Employ advanced techniques like fuzzing to identify vulnerabilities in communication protocols used by IoT devices. Fuzzing involves sending malformed or unexpected data to inputs and analyzing the system's response to uncover potential weaknesses. Radio Frequency (RF) Analysis: Perform RF analysis to identify weaknesses in wireless communication between IoT devices. This includes analyzing RF signals, monitoring wireless communication protocols, and identifying potential vulnerabilities such as replay attacks or unauthorized signal interception. Red Team Exercises: Conduct red team exercises to simulate real-world attack scenarios and evaluate the organization's detection and response capabilities. Red team exercises go beyond traditional penetration testing by emulating the actions and techniques of skilled attackers. This helps uncover any weaknesses in incident response, detection, and mitigation processes related to IoT security incidents. Embedded System Analysis: Gain expertise in analyzing and reverse engineering embedded systems commonly found in IoT devices. This includes understanding microcontrollers, debugging interfaces, firmware extraction techniques, and analyzing the device's hardware architecture. Embedded system analysis helps identify low-level vulnerabilities and potential attack vectors. Zero-Day Vulnerability Research: Engage in zero-day vulnerability research to identify previously unknown vulnerabilities in IoT devices and associated software. This requires advanced skills in vulnerability discovery, exploit development, and the ability to responsibly disclose vulnerabilities to vendors. 4. Methodologies and Approaches for IoT Penetration Testing Mobile, Web and Cloud Application Testing Mobile, web, and cloud application testing is integral to IoT penetration testing, focusing on assessing the security of applications that interact with IoT devices. This methodology involves various steps to evaluate the security of these applications across different platforms. For mobile applications, the methodology includes reviewing the binary code, conducting reverse engineering to understand the inner workings, and analyzing the file system structure. Sensitive information such as keys and certificates embedded within the mobile app are scrutinized for secure storage and handling. The assessment extends to examining the application's resistance to unauthorized modifications. In web applications, the testing covers common vulnerabilities like cross-site scripting (XSS), insecure direct object references (IDOR), and injection attacks. Application reversing techniques are employed to gain insights into the application's logic and potential vulnerabilities. Additionally, hardcoded API keys are identified and assessed for their security implications. Firmware Penetration Testing Firmware penetration testing is a crucial aspect of IoT security assessments, aiming to identify vulnerabilities within the firmware running on IoT devices. The methodology encompasses multiple steps to uncover weaknesses. The process begins with binary analysis, dissecting the firmware to understand its structure, functionality, and potential vulnerabilities. Reverse engineering techniques are applied to gain deeper insights into the firmware's inner workings, exposing potential weaknesses like hardcoded credentials or hidden functionality. The analysis extends to examining different file systems used in the firmware and evaluating their configurations and permissions. Sensitive keys, certificates, and cryptographic material embedded within the firmware are scrutinized for secure generation, storage, and utilization. Additionally, the resistance of the firmware to unauthorized modification is assessed, including integrity checks, secure boot mechanisms, and firmware update processes. IoT Device Hardware Pentest IoT device hardware penetration testing involves a systematic methodology to assess the security of IoT devices at the hardware level. This comprehensive approach aims to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses that attackers could exploit. The methodology includes analyzing internal communication protocols like UART, I2C, and SPI to understand potential attack vectors. Open ports are examined to evaluate the security controls and risks associated with communication interfaces. The JTAG debugging interface is explored to gain low-level access and assess the device's resistance to unauthorized access. Extracting firmware from EEPROM or FLASH memory allows testers to analyze the code, configurations, and security controls. Physical tampering attempts are made to evaluate the effectiveness of the device's physical security measures. 5. Takeaway Penetration testing is crucial in securing real-world IoT applications, enabling organizations to identify vulnerabilities and mitigate risks effectively. By conducting comprehensive and regular penetration tests, organizations can proactively identify and address security weaknesses, ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of IoT data. With the ever-growing threat landscape and increasing reliance on IoT technologies, penetration testing has become indispensable to safeguard IoT applications and protect against potential cyber-attacks. Several key factors will shape the future of IoT penetration testing. First, the increasing complexity of IoT systems will require testing methodologies to adapt and assess intricate architectures, diverse protocols, and a wide range of devices. Second, there will be a greater emphasis on security by design, with penetration testing focusing on verifying secure coding practices, robust access controls, and secure communication protocols. Third, supply chain security will become crucial, necessitating penetration testing to assess the security measures implemented by vendors, third-party components, and firmware updates. Fourth, integrating IoT penetration testing with DevSecOps practices will ensure continuous monitoring and improvement of IoT system security. Lastly, as attackers become more sophisticated, future IoT penetration testing methodologies will need to keep pace with evolving IoT-specific attack techniques. By embracing these advancements, IoT penetration testing will play a vital role in ensuring the security and privacy of IoT deployments.

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Industrial IoT

IOT MARKET & TRENDS

Article | December 15, 2021

2022 looks bright for power optimization! The vibrant research and development in Internet of Things (IoT) is fueling the expansion of wireless monitoring solutions and enabling giant leaps in terms of low-power design. A longer lifetime for your batteries, and thus for your device, is a dream about to come true. We have gathered some of the most notable power optimization trends that are getting us all excited for 2022… 5G, the next era of broadband cellular networks will offer improved power saving capabilities The next wave of wider 5G cellular technology is designed to support various new highly challenging industrial use cases. These usually require increased hardware complexity and more processing, together with higher processing power. These requirements can raise power consumption quite significantly. Smart power consumption and energy efficiency are thus becoming keys for the success of these applications and 5G technology.To that extent, 5G New Radio (NR) has progressed swiftly. The new 3GPP™ release is designed to significantly improve the performance, flexibility, scalability, and efficiency of current mobile networks. Improved power saving features now allow IoT developers to get the most out of the available battery capacity. This could make all the difference for new IoT use cases and efficiencies. A new generation of sensors are optimized for low power technologies New families of ‘breakthrough’ sensors, based on anultra-low power architectureare optimized for use in compact wireless devices. These sensors offer a richer set of functionalities and can be combined to create new insights (sensor fusion). One of the greatest challenges facing developers of these small form-devices is power consumption. Aware of these limitations, hardware manufacturers have been working hard to address them. Integrated circuit designs and techniques are now using less power while smart processing capabilities are enabling the sensors to intelligently manage sensing functionalities,delivering ultra-low power performance for best-in-class power consumption. The use of advanced Low Energy Bluetooth and wireless protocols (e.g. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or ZigBee Green Power) also allows the transmission of data to the gateway more efficiently compared to prior solutions, opening new possibilities for developers. Big Data, Analytics, Machine Learning and Edge computing are picking up the pace The explosion in data volume and diversity is forcing organizations to rethink the way they process the information. Indeed, capturing, sending and processing the information in the cloud can be taxing for the network, the storage and the computing infrastructures which demands more processing power, hence the need to keep the transmission window as short as possible. This has led to the development of advanced devices capable of collecting, processing and storing data autonomously before the data is sent to the servers. This concept is calledEdge computing. By reducing the need for data to be streamed through the networks, diminishing computing and processing costs,Edge computing contributes to optimizing power performance, whilst delivering quality data in a more sustainable way. The rise of DevOps and new IoT Device Management platforms are contributing to better efficiency and better devices The rise ofDevOpshas been swift. Derived from Development and Operations, ‘DevOps’ teams are responsible for making sure that the infrastructure is being maintained properly.With the help of IoT Device Management platforms—which are a central part of today’s IoT ecosystems— DevOps teams can better manage, scale and operate their fleet of devices remotely and reduce long-term operational costs.One of the areas that benefits from the rise of DevOps implementation is power supply optimization, as more efficient protocols such as Lightweight Machine to Machine (LwM2M) allow for device and battery monitoring, remote device actions and faster communication. Harvesting technologies are becoming more effective Power harvesting technologies include processes where energy from ambient sources such as the sun, temperature, movement or wind, is captured and stored to power wireless autonomous devices. Now gaining experience,harvesting technologies can exploit natural resources better than ever before. As a result,the gap between the power requirements of embedded systems and the energy generated by energy harvesting systems is finally closing. Industrial applications for these technologies are still very limited, but coupled to efficient rechargeable batteries, they can present new opportunities for devices deployed in wild remote areas. Power optimization tools are becoming increasingly exhaustive and reliable Battery optimization is everyone's business and needs to be considered throughout the overall system performance analysis, from prototyping to deployment and on toward maintenance cycles. Several innovating tools haveappeared on the market over the past few years and developers have now access toa rich ecosystem of tools to analyze their overall system performance. Wisebatt for Saft for example can help creating a virtual prototype and simulate its consumption.Deutsche Telekom’s IoT Solution Optimizergoes even further. You can model the complete system to identify potential energy consumption issues or leaks. The system can not only recommend the right combination of power saving features based on your use case, but also can help you visualize how communication payload size, protocol use and communication frequency impact your battery life. When at the prototype stage,Qoitec Otii solution measures in real time the consumption of your device at various temperatures, up to the measurement of the firmware and hardware operations without the need for expensive testing. These tools are constantly enhanced and improved to deliver better analysis and more accurate data. With an increased awareness from IoT developers of the stakes of power consumption and the growing rate of low-power innovations, batteries are now able to outlive the devices they’re in. This opens the doors tomany new markets and applications and above all to more sustainable consumption patterns. When we told you the future looks bright, we weren’t joking!

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Industrial IoT

Tuya Smart Delivers IoT Best Practice Using Amazon Aurora, Leads the Direction of Cloud Database Innovation Use Cases with Amazon Web Services

Tuya Smart | January 24, 2024

Tuya Smart, the global IoT developer service provider, has delivered its Best Practices in using Amazon Aurora at IoT industry. Amazon Aurora is a relational database management system (RDBMS) built for the cloud with full MySQL and PostgreSQL compatibility. Tuya and Amazon Web Services (AWS) built a solid basis of collaboration in database use cases exploration while also delivering smooth operation of billions of devices requiring high concurrency and low latency. Tuya and AWS: Building a benchmark for database implementation practice Tuya is a leading technology company focused on making our lives smarter. Tuya does this by offering a cloud platform that connects a range of devices via the IoT. By building interconnectivity standards, Tuya bridges the intelligent needs of brands, OEMs, developers, and retail chains across a broad range of smart devices and industries. Tuya's solutions enable partners and customers by improving the value of their products while making consumers' lives more convenient through the application of technology. As of September 30, 2023, the Tuya IoT Developer Platform has accumulated over 909,000 registered developers from over 200 countries and regions, covering industries including real estate, hospitality, residential, industry, agriculture, etc. The greater the breadth of business coverage, the more advanced technological support required. Tuya faces high-frequency reads and writes as well as enormous data storage challenges from billion-level online devices. Meanwhile, due to the commercial scenarios involving smart homes and smart industries, Tuya's operating response demands low latency in order to deliver a smoother user experience. Furthermore, Tuya's quick expansion and regular business changes have posed significant challenges to its operation and maintenance management. Tuya selected Amazon Aurora as core database engine for its unparalleled performance and availability at global scale. How does Tuya specifically leverage the Amazon Aurora database? Tuya currently manages billions of real-time online devices and can keep cloud message processing response times under 10 milliseconds. However, billions online devices provide a challenge. During holidays, there will be peak traffic volume, with tens of millions of devices going online and offline virtually simultaneously. Tuya used Amazon Aurora to construct a data storage solution to solve the main problem of rapid increase in short-term traffic, and to fully utilize resources. Aurora's design, which separates compute and storage and low-latency replication functionality, improves system throughput by enhancing the effect of read-write separation. Aurora provides up to 15 read replicas, setting the groundwork for Tuya's read flexibility development. At the same time, Tuya has integrated Aurora Serverless, which includes seconds-level elastic expansion and contraction, allowing Tuya to handle extremely heavy business traffic smoothly. Tuya's customers are located throughout more than 200 nations and regions, and they deal with widespread access to IoT data. Different countries and regions have different regulations on data compliance, such as GDPR and local PII. Tuya needs to adhere to each region's data security compliance regulations. As Tuya's primary business data storage provider, Amazon Aurora was among the first in the public cloud sector to enable physical encryption for database products, which significantly decreased the cost of Tuya's security compliance transformation and gave Tuya excellent basic security guarantees. In addition, Tuya is continuously testing out additional new innovation unique to Aurora, such as Enhanced Binlog, zero-ETL, and Limitless Database. Aurora's ongoing investment in innovative technologies provides more opportunities for Tuya to expand its business. Additionally, based on Tuya's comprehensive IoT developer platform architecture, both parties have collaborated to enhance Tuya IoT applications performance indicators like stability, low latency, scalability, and security in the real-world application of databases, revealing more potential and possibilities and enabling the IoT. Tuya and AWS: Continuously promoting the evolution of cloud experience Data-driven approaches will usher in a new era of innovation in tandem with the swift advancement of data applications. At this year's re:Invent conference, Peter DeSantis, Senior Vice President of AWS, reviewed the relational database's development history in great detail. In 2014, AWS created Aurora based on log architecture. In 2018, the release of Aurora Serverless allowed for seamless scaling of database resources through virtualization technology. This year, AWS announced the launch of the Amazon Aurora Limitless Database, which automatically scales to millions of write transactions per second well beyond current limits of a single PostgreSQL instance. It is apparent from Amazon Aurora's development history that AWS has always been dedicated to innovation. Customers and partners from a range of industries actively utilizes AWS to enable rapid innovation in a variety of ways, while also working together to enhance the cloud experience. Similar to how Tuya and AWS work together, Tuya's effective and user-friendly IoT developer platform and rich and varied IoT solutions have built a significant lighthouse, embracing the Amazon Aurora's innovation and accelerated the process of building a more secure and reliable IoT database use case. Amazon Aurora VP Yan Leshinsky said, "Amazon Aurora is the fastest growing service in the history of AWS and is trusted by hundreds of thousands of customers. We innovate by working backwards from customers' needs, and we appreciate the feedback that Tuya has shared. We remain committed in developing new Aurora features and capabilities so all customers can accelerate their applications' capabilities and business growth by using Aurora." "Tuya has always committed to strengthening advanced and valuable innovations, while offering open and neutral ecosystem assistance for global partners. We provide our developers with enhanced operational and maintenance control, adaptable data storage options, superior product experience, and a global business layout by utilizing the Amazon Aurora database. We will continue to work with AWS to benefit the world in the future in areas including technology, ecosystems, and cloud computing, helping customers achieve commercial success." said Eva Na, Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Cooperation, and CMO of Tuya Smart. Enhancing the partnership with AWS, Tuya delivered IoT best practice using Amazon Aurora database, giving the industry's growth additional impetus. Tuya will maintain its open and neutral stance going forward, collaborating with cloud service providers like AWS to offer global developers a more secure, reliable, and productive cloud environment, thereby advancing the innovation and development of the entire industry.

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Enterprise Iot

Nozomi Networks Delivers Industry's First Multi-Spectrum Wireless Security Sensor for Global OT and IoT Environments

Nozomi Networks | January 25, 2024

Nozomi Networks Inc., the leader in OT and IoT security, today introduced Guardian Air™, the industry's only wireless spectrum sensor purpose-built for OT and IoT environments worldwide. With 80 percent of new IoT deployments wirelessly connected, wireless is quickly becoming a preferred network. The explosion of wirelessly connected devices increases potential access points and exploitation of networks. This puts critical infrastructure at risk of cyberattacks and disruptions to operations. Guardian Air provides much-needed visibility into wirelessly enabled devices which until now were only detected once connected to the wired network. Guardian Air monitors several prominent wireless frequencies, not just Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, to provide security teams with immediate visibility of connected sensors, devices, laptops and cell phones. With the addition of Guardian Air, customers have a comprehensive network solution all in one integrated platform. "Nozomi Networks has once again innovated to address an unmet need for wireless-level monitoring in OT and IoT environments," said Danielle VanZandt, an industry manager for commercial and public security research at Frost & Sullivan. "From smart manufacturing to digital medicine, to building automation, to modern oil field production and more, today industrial organizations are relying on billions of wireless devices to speed production and time to market. Guardian Air gives IT security professionals and OT operators the visibility they need to get a firm handle on wireless risk management and response." With Guardian Air, IT security professionals and OT operators can: Continuously monitor prominent wireless frequency technologies used in OT and IoT environments including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cellular, LoRaWAN, Zigbee, GPS, drone RF protocols, WirelessHART and more, Immediately detect wirelessly connected assets and gain asset information to quickly address unauthorized installations, Detect wireless-specific threats, including brute force attacks, spoofing, and bluejacking – with the added ability to determine the location of the devices performing the attacks, Seamlessly integrate wireless data into a single OT & IoT security platform that unifies asset visibility from the endpoint and across wired and wireless networks. "Wireless is fundamentally changing the way industrial organizations operate. Unfortunately, it also massively expands the potential attack surface," said Nozomi Networks Co-founder and Chief Product Officer Andrea Carcano. "Guardian Air solves this problem by giving customers the accurate visibility they need at the wireless level to minimize risk while maximizing resiliency. Because Guardian Air integrates easily into the Nozomi Networks Vantage platform, customers can combine network, endpoint and wireless for the greatest visibility, threat detection and AI-powered analysis for real-time security management and remediation across the entire attack surface." The Nozomi Guardian Air wireless sensor will be available this spring from Nozomi Networks and its extensive global network of channel partners. About Nozomi Networks Nozomi Networks accelerates digital transformation by protecting the world's critical infrastructure, industrial and government organizations from cyber threats. Our solution delivers exceptional network and asset visibility, threat detection, and insights for OT and IoT environments. Customers rely on us to minimize risk and complexity while maximizing operational resilience. www.nozominetworks.com

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IoT Security

AppViewX Digital Trust Platform Named IoT Security Product of the Year

AppViewX | January 12, 2024

AppViewX, the leader in automated machine identity management (MIM) and application infrastructure security, today announced the AppViewX Digital Trust Platform has been named IoT Security Product of the Year in the 8th annual IoT Breakthrough awards program, which showcases technologies and companies that drive innovation and exemplify the best in IoT technology solutions across the globe. IoT Breakthrough is a leading market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies and products in the global IoT market. The mission of the IoT Breakthrough Awards program is to recognize the innovators, leaders and visionaries from around the globe in a range of IoT categories, including Industrial and Enterprise IoT, Smart City technology, Connected Home and Home Automation, Connected Car, and many more. This year's program attracted nominations from companies all over the world. “Unmanaged machine identities for IoT devices can create critical security vulnerabilities, but for most organizations discovering, maintaining visibility into and controlling them has become manually unfeasible,” said Gregory Webb, CEO of AppViewX. “The AppViewX Digital Trust Platform automates IoT identity management at scale across the largest, most complex and distributed customer environments, allowing customers to achieve significantly stronger security posture and meet compliance requirements.” All IoT Breakthrough Award nominations were evaluated by an independent panel of experts within the IoT industry, with the winning products and companies selected based on a variety of criteria, including most innovative and technologically advanced products and services. About AppViewX Digital Trust Platform Out of the box, AppViewX provides instant value to customers by discovering all certificates across complex enterprise environments, building and maintaining inventories, provisioning both private and public trust certificates from any CA, alerting to expiring certificates and fully automating renewals and revocation to eliminate outages and security weaknesses across machines, applications, services, and security infrastructure. About AppViewX AppViewX is trusted by the world’s leading organizations to reduce risk, ensure compliance, and increase visibility through automated machine identity management and application infrastructure security and orchestration. The AppViewX platform provides complete certificate lifecycle management and PKI-as-a-Service using streamlined workflows to prevent outages, reduce security incidents and enable crypto-agility. Fortune 1000 companies, including six of the top ten global commercial banks, five of the top ten global media companies, and five of the top ten managed healthcare providers rely on AppViewX to automate NetOps, SecOps, and DevOps. AppViewX is headquartered in New York with offices in the U.K., Australia and three development centers of excellence in India. For more information, visit https://www.appviewx.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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Industrial IoT

Tuya Smart Delivers IoT Best Practice Using Amazon Aurora, Leads the Direction of Cloud Database Innovation Use Cases with Amazon Web Services

Tuya Smart | January 24, 2024

Tuya Smart, the global IoT developer service provider, has delivered its Best Practices in using Amazon Aurora at IoT industry. Amazon Aurora is a relational database management system (RDBMS) built for the cloud with full MySQL and PostgreSQL compatibility. Tuya and Amazon Web Services (AWS) built a solid basis of collaboration in database use cases exploration while also delivering smooth operation of billions of devices requiring high concurrency and low latency. Tuya and AWS: Building a benchmark for database implementation practice Tuya is a leading technology company focused on making our lives smarter. Tuya does this by offering a cloud platform that connects a range of devices via the IoT. By building interconnectivity standards, Tuya bridges the intelligent needs of brands, OEMs, developers, and retail chains across a broad range of smart devices and industries. Tuya's solutions enable partners and customers by improving the value of their products while making consumers' lives more convenient through the application of technology. As of September 30, 2023, the Tuya IoT Developer Platform has accumulated over 909,000 registered developers from over 200 countries and regions, covering industries including real estate, hospitality, residential, industry, agriculture, etc. The greater the breadth of business coverage, the more advanced technological support required. Tuya faces high-frequency reads and writes as well as enormous data storage challenges from billion-level online devices. Meanwhile, due to the commercial scenarios involving smart homes and smart industries, Tuya's operating response demands low latency in order to deliver a smoother user experience. Furthermore, Tuya's quick expansion and regular business changes have posed significant challenges to its operation and maintenance management. Tuya selected Amazon Aurora as core database engine for its unparalleled performance and availability at global scale. How does Tuya specifically leverage the Amazon Aurora database? Tuya currently manages billions of real-time online devices and can keep cloud message processing response times under 10 milliseconds. However, billions online devices provide a challenge. During holidays, there will be peak traffic volume, with tens of millions of devices going online and offline virtually simultaneously. Tuya used Amazon Aurora to construct a data storage solution to solve the main problem of rapid increase in short-term traffic, and to fully utilize resources. Aurora's design, which separates compute and storage and low-latency replication functionality, improves system throughput by enhancing the effect of read-write separation. Aurora provides up to 15 read replicas, setting the groundwork for Tuya's read flexibility development. At the same time, Tuya has integrated Aurora Serverless, which includes seconds-level elastic expansion and contraction, allowing Tuya to handle extremely heavy business traffic smoothly. Tuya's customers are located throughout more than 200 nations and regions, and they deal with widespread access to IoT data. Different countries and regions have different regulations on data compliance, such as GDPR and local PII. Tuya needs to adhere to each region's data security compliance regulations. As Tuya's primary business data storage provider, Amazon Aurora was among the first in the public cloud sector to enable physical encryption for database products, which significantly decreased the cost of Tuya's security compliance transformation and gave Tuya excellent basic security guarantees. In addition, Tuya is continuously testing out additional new innovation unique to Aurora, such as Enhanced Binlog, zero-ETL, and Limitless Database. Aurora's ongoing investment in innovative technologies provides more opportunities for Tuya to expand its business. Additionally, based on Tuya's comprehensive IoT developer platform architecture, both parties have collaborated to enhance Tuya IoT applications performance indicators like stability, low latency, scalability, and security in the real-world application of databases, revealing more potential and possibilities and enabling the IoT. Tuya and AWS: Continuously promoting the evolution of cloud experience Data-driven approaches will usher in a new era of innovation in tandem with the swift advancement of data applications. At this year's re:Invent conference, Peter DeSantis, Senior Vice President of AWS, reviewed the relational database's development history in great detail. In 2014, AWS created Aurora based on log architecture. In 2018, the release of Aurora Serverless allowed for seamless scaling of database resources through virtualization technology. This year, AWS announced the launch of the Amazon Aurora Limitless Database, which automatically scales to millions of write transactions per second well beyond current limits of a single PostgreSQL instance. It is apparent from Amazon Aurora's development history that AWS has always been dedicated to innovation. Customers and partners from a range of industries actively utilizes AWS to enable rapid innovation in a variety of ways, while also working together to enhance the cloud experience. Similar to how Tuya and AWS work together, Tuya's effective and user-friendly IoT developer platform and rich and varied IoT solutions have built a significant lighthouse, embracing the Amazon Aurora's innovation and accelerated the process of building a more secure and reliable IoT database use case. Amazon Aurora VP Yan Leshinsky said, "Amazon Aurora is the fastest growing service in the history of AWS and is trusted by hundreds of thousands of customers. We innovate by working backwards from customers' needs, and we appreciate the feedback that Tuya has shared. We remain committed in developing new Aurora features and capabilities so all customers can accelerate their applications' capabilities and business growth by using Aurora." "Tuya has always committed to strengthening advanced and valuable innovations, while offering open and neutral ecosystem assistance for global partners. We provide our developers with enhanced operational and maintenance control, adaptable data storage options, superior product experience, and a global business layout by utilizing the Amazon Aurora database. We will continue to work with AWS to benefit the world in the future in areas including technology, ecosystems, and cloud computing, helping customers achieve commercial success." said Eva Na, Vice President of Marketing and Strategic Cooperation, and CMO of Tuya Smart. Enhancing the partnership with AWS, Tuya delivered IoT best practice using Amazon Aurora database, giving the industry's growth additional impetus. Tuya will maintain its open and neutral stance going forward, collaborating with cloud service providers like AWS to offer global developers a more secure, reliable, and productive cloud environment, thereby advancing the innovation and development of the entire industry.

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Enterprise Iot

Nozomi Networks Delivers Industry's First Multi-Spectrum Wireless Security Sensor for Global OT and IoT Environments

Nozomi Networks | January 25, 2024

Nozomi Networks Inc., the leader in OT and IoT security, today introduced Guardian Air™, the industry's only wireless spectrum sensor purpose-built for OT and IoT environments worldwide. With 80 percent of new IoT deployments wirelessly connected, wireless is quickly becoming a preferred network. The explosion of wirelessly connected devices increases potential access points and exploitation of networks. This puts critical infrastructure at risk of cyberattacks and disruptions to operations. Guardian Air provides much-needed visibility into wirelessly enabled devices which until now were only detected once connected to the wired network. Guardian Air monitors several prominent wireless frequencies, not just Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, to provide security teams with immediate visibility of connected sensors, devices, laptops and cell phones. With the addition of Guardian Air, customers have a comprehensive network solution all in one integrated platform. "Nozomi Networks has once again innovated to address an unmet need for wireless-level monitoring in OT and IoT environments," said Danielle VanZandt, an industry manager for commercial and public security research at Frost & Sullivan. "From smart manufacturing to digital medicine, to building automation, to modern oil field production and more, today industrial organizations are relying on billions of wireless devices to speed production and time to market. Guardian Air gives IT security professionals and OT operators the visibility they need to get a firm handle on wireless risk management and response." With Guardian Air, IT security professionals and OT operators can: Continuously monitor prominent wireless frequency technologies used in OT and IoT environments including Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cellular, LoRaWAN, Zigbee, GPS, drone RF protocols, WirelessHART and more, Immediately detect wirelessly connected assets and gain asset information to quickly address unauthorized installations, Detect wireless-specific threats, including brute force attacks, spoofing, and bluejacking – with the added ability to determine the location of the devices performing the attacks, Seamlessly integrate wireless data into a single OT & IoT security platform that unifies asset visibility from the endpoint and across wired and wireless networks. "Wireless is fundamentally changing the way industrial organizations operate. Unfortunately, it also massively expands the potential attack surface," said Nozomi Networks Co-founder and Chief Product Officer Andrea Carcano. "Guardian Air solves this problem by giving customers the accurate visibility they need at the wireless level to minimize risk while maximizing resiliency. Because Guardian Air integrates easily into the Nozomi Networks Vantage platform, customers can combine network, endpoint and wireless for the greatest visibility, threat detection and AI-powered analysis for real-time security management and remediation across the entire attack surface." The Nozomi Guardian Air wireless sensor will be available this spring from Nozomi Networks and its extensive global network of channel partners. About Nozomi Networks Nozomi Networks accelerates digital transformation by protecting the world's critical infrastructure, industrial and government organizations from cyber threats. Our solution delivers exceptional network and asset visibility, threat detection, and insights for OT and IoT environments. Customers rely on us to minimize risk and complexity while maximizing operational resilience. www.nozominetworks.com

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IoT Security

AppViewX Digital Trust Platform Named IoT Security Product of the Year

AppViewX | January 12, 2024

AppViewX, the leader in automated machine identity management (MIM) and application infrastructure security, today announced the AppViewX Digital Trust Platform has been named IoT Security Product of the Year in the 8th annual IoT Breakthrough awards program, which showcases technologies and companies that drive innovation and exemplify the best in IoT technology solutions across the globe. IoT Breakthrough is a leading market intelligence organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies and products in the global IoT market. The mission of the IoT Breakthrough Awards program is to recognize the innovators, leaders and visionaries from around the globe in a range of IoT categories, including Industrial and Enterprise IoT, Smart City technology, Connected Home and Home Automation, Connected Car, and many more. This year's program attracted nominations from companies all over the world. “Unmanaged machine identities for IoT devices can create critical security vulnerabilities, but for most organizations discovering, maintaining visibility into and controlling them has become manually unfeasible,” said Gregory Webb, CEO of AppViewX. “The AppViewX Digital Trust Platform automates IoT identity management at scale across the largest, most complex and distributed customer environments, allowing customers to achieve significantly stronger security posture and meet compliance requirements.” All IoT Breakthrough Award nominations were evaluated by an independent panel of experts within the IoT industry, with the winning products and companies selected based on a variety of criteria, including most innovative and technologically advanced products and services. About AppViewX Digital Trust Platform Out of the box, AppViewX provides instant value to customers by discovering all certificates across complex enterprise environments, building and maintaining inventories, provisioning both private and public trust certificates from any CA, alerting to expiring certificates and fully automating renewals and revocation to eliminate outages and security weaknesses across machines, applications, services, and security infrastructure. About AppViewX AppViewX is trusted by the world’s leading organizations to reduce risk, ensure compliance, and increase visibility through automated machine identity management and application infrastructure security and orchestration. The AppViewX platform provides complete certificate lifecycle management and PKI-as-a-Service using streamlined workflows to prevent outages, reduce security incidents and enable crypto-agility. Fortune 1000 companies, including six of the top ten global commercial banks, five of the top ten global media companies, and five of the top ten managed healthcare providers rely on AppViewX to automate NetOps, SecOps, and DevOps. AppViewX is headquartered in New York with offices in the U.K., Australia and three development centers of excellence in India. For more information, visit https://www.appviewx.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter.

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