InterDigital Engineers Help Drive the Future of IoT Standards

IoT Security

Article | June 28, 2023

Internet of Things, generally known as IoT, is a network of objects or things. Embedded sensors help connect and exchange data with other objects via the internet. IoT is often related to the concept of smart homes, including devices like home security systems, cameras, lighting, refrigerators, etc. With all this data being transmitted over the internet, it is easy for the data to be modified, deleted, or stolen, which can lead to an invasion, theft, etc. IoT forensics plays a vital role in maintaining the integrity and security of the data being transmitted. Join us as we explore this fascinating web of devices and how you can get started in this vibrant field of forensics.

Industrial IoT, IoT Security

Article | July 12, 2023

Edge computing enables the IoT to move intelligence out to the edge. If organizations have a lot of data and need to use it, they should do so in end-to-end paths, environments with lots of sensors, or environments where a lot of data is generated at the edge, thanks to the Internet of Things (IoT) and edge data sensing. Additionally, traditional methodologies fall short of the necessary standards when dealing with real-time information and the growing amount of unstructured data, which includes a sensor and IoT data. For management, power concerns, analytics, real-time needs, and other IoT situations, speed and high-speed data are essential elements. This enables edge computing to handle data. The Internet of Things (IoT) benefits from having compute capacity close to the location of a physical device or data source. IoT device data needs to be processed at the edge rather than traveling back to a central site before that analysis can be done in order to react quickly or prevent concerns. For the data processing and storage requirements of IoT devices, edge computing serves as a local source. Benefits of Using IoT and Edge Together The connection between IoT devices and the main IT networks has less latency. Greater operational efficiency and quicker response times. Network bandwidth improvement. When a network connection is lost, the system continues to run offline. Utilizing analytics algorithms and machine learning, local data processing, aggregation, and quick decision-making are possible. Industrial IoT, often known as IIoT, is the application of IoT in an industrial setting, such as factory machinery. Consider the lifespan of the large, factory-used machinery. Equipment may be stressed differently over time depending on the user, and malfunctions are a regular aspect of operations. The parts of the machinery that are most prone to damage or misuse can be equipped with IoT sensors. Predictive maintenance can be performed using the data from these sensors, cutting down on overall downtime. Because IoT devices can be used as Edge Computing, the line between IoT and Edge Computing can occasionally be razor-thin. However, the most significant difference is the ability not only to compute data locally (in real-time) but also to sync that data to a centralized server at a time when it is safe—and feasible—to send. IoT and edge computing are both here to stay since they fulfill crucial societal and commercial needs.

Security, IoT Security

Article | July 13, 2023

The Internet of Things (IoT) and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) markets have experienced explosive growth as a result of the digital industrial revolution that followed the COVID-19 epidemic. To fully benefit, however, organizations have had to handle security concerns associated with these revolutionary technologies. Therefore, finding the correct security strategy is crucial for any organization because of the increasing dependency on IoT and IIoT to manage essential business systems. IoT and IIoT can be implemented quickly, but they come with inherent vulnerabilities. This risks businesses from cyberthreats such as device theft, spoofing, denial of service attacks, and data breaches or siphoning. Attacks of this nature adversely affect an organization's operations, finances, safety, and reputation. Many IoT and IIoT devices have passwords hard-coded into their firmware, making it challenging to patch or update security, which is a significant problem. Even when security is deployed on a device, it can usually be bypassed by taking advantage of a variety of known weaknesses. As a result, IT teams may find it challenging to identify an occurrence when IoT or IIoT devices are compromised before affecting systems and data. Mitigating IoT and IIoT Security Risks Separate IIoT and wireless devices from the SCADA or ICS network. Micro-segmentation allows only authorized device connectivity in certain circumstances. Control network access by monitoring what connects and validating each device's security. Demand visibility across all enterprise security networks and devices. This should be centralized so all devices, networks, risks, traffic, and policies can be handled in real-time across production and IT environments. Use an intrusion protection system (IPS) to identify threats and patch IoT and IIoT devices virtually. Counter unexpected attacks with active protection and deception techniques. It's crucial to check that security solutions can grow automatically to meet business requirements before using them. This entails responding to network changes, foreseeing risks and controlling them proactively, and offering real-time threat intelligence.

Article | April 14, 2021

Trying to secure the industrial network in one go is like boiling the ocean. Better to view it as a journey. At each step in the journey, you’ll make incremental changes to people, process, and technology. Minimal security. This is the current state for most manufacturers. If you’re here, you’ve segmented the industrial network from the IT network. Traffic can’t cross from the IT network to the industrial network without clearing the DMZ. You can block malware from entering the industrial network. You can block malware from leaving the industrial network to infect the enterprise network. But if the industrial network is exposed to malicious software, you don’t have a way to contain it. That means the malware might affect multiple manufacturing cells or production lines — even multiple plants.