Securing Your Connected Devices: 11 Pillars of Ironclad Security

The benefits of cloud connectivity for hardware and device manufacturers and their customers can be substantial. Connected devices can be controlled, configured, monitored, and updated remotely – enabling rapid issue resolution and effective predictive maintenance, improving device performance and enhancing user experience. The cloud offers vast storage capacity, allowing for features like data backup and personalized settings. Connectivity can also enable features like remote control and integration with other smart devices, creating a more interconnected ecosystem. 

And most importantly, connected devices are the gateway to a new world of revenue streams. ‘As-a-service’ models offer a new way to engage with customers, work with channel partners, and even define the essence of what a ‘product’ is.

Yet hardware manufacturers remain understandably hesitant to connect their devices to the cloud – primarily owing to security concerns.  Cloud breaches can expose sensitive user data, compromise device functionality, or even pose a risk to business continuity. The decision to connect devices involves a careful risk-benefit analysis. In this blog, we’ll examine the key capabilities manufacturers need to effectively secure devices and enjoy the full potential of revenue, functionality and user experience that device connectivity offers.

Four Principles of Device Security

To protect devices from data breaches and other cyber threats, a layered approach to security is essential. Broadly, device security can be broken down into five principles: authentication, data protection, software updates, hardware security, and smart device management. By understanding these components and implementing them effectively, you can create a more robust shield for your devices.

Device authentication and authorization

Device authentication and authorization act like a digital bouncer for your devices.  Just like an ID check at a club, authentication verifies a device is who it claims to be. Authorization then determines what that device is allowed to do on the network. ‍

Data encryption and secure communication‍

Data encryption ensures information cannot be read by any third party or attacker directly from storage, while secure communication protocols protect data in transit between the device and the cloud. This combination safeguards sensitive data, ensuring it remains confidential and unaltered, adding a crucial layer of security to your devices.‍

Regular software updates and patch management

Software companies constantly discover and fix weaknesses in their programs.  These fixes are delivered through updates and patches.  By keeping software up-to-date, security stakeholders can close gaps and make it much harder for hackers to exploit them.

Secure boot and hardware-based security‍

Secure boot verifies the legitimacy of software trying to launch, ensuring only authorized programs start up. This prevents malware from infiltrating the system at its core. Hardware-based security features like tamper detection and encryption capabilities built directly into the device's hardware add another layer of protection. These features are much harder to bypass compared to software-based solutions, providing a crucial first line of defense against cyberattacks.

‍Mitigating Risk: 11 Pillars of Ironclad Device Security

Once they understand the principles of device security, what should manufacturers look for when considering device connectivity solutions? Here are 11 core capabilities that every device security stack should cover:

1. Secure hosting ‍

Hardware manufacturers hesitant about cloud connectivity should prioritize secure hosting facilities.  These facilities offer robust physical and digital safeguards, minimizing the risk of data breaches or unauthorized access that could compromise devices or user information.   ‍

2. Regular penetration tests‍

Simulated cyberattacks in pen testing identify vulnerabilities in cloud-based systems before malicious actors exploit them, mitigating risks and boosting confidence in the cloud's ability to protect devices and user data.

3. Data encryption (in flight and at rest)‍

Data encryption scrambles data both while moving to the cloud (in flight) and while stored (at rest). This ensures even if hackers intercept data, they can't decipher it, mitigating the risk of stolen sensitive information or compromised devices.‍

4. Continuous backups‍

Continuous backups address a key concern for hardware manufacturers moving to the cloud: data loss. Constant data  replication means that even if a cloud server fails, another copy remains readily available. This minimizes downtime and ensures critical device data is always recoverable.‍

5. GDPR compliance

‍GDPR compliance is a key capability for manufacturers using cloud services in Europe.  It ensures user data collected from their devices is handled according to strict EU regulations. This mitigates risks of fines and reputational damage for manufacturers in case of data breaches or privacy violations.

6. Privacy by Design‍

Privacy by Design embeds privacy considerations from the start, ensuring user data is only collected when necessary and stored securely within the cloud environment. This mitigates risks of privacy violations and fosters trust from users who value control over their information.

7. Tenant Management‍

Tenant management reassures hardware manufacturers by isolating their data in the cloud. This creates separate, secure environments (tenants) for each manufacturer's device data - mitigating risks of unauthorized access or accidental exposure.

8. Device-Level Authentication

This strengthens cloud security by focusing on authenticating the device itself, not just the user. This adds an extra layer of security, making it harder for unauthorized devices to access the manufacturer's data in the cloud. Likewise, the manufacturer can define granular authorization of device access on the cloud level. 

9. Strict User Roles‍

By defining limited access levels for cloud users, manufacturers can ensure only authorized personnel can interact with their device data. This minimizes the risk of accidental data modification or unauthorized access, keeping their sensitive information secure within the cloud environment.

10. Static Code Analysis and Peer Reviews‍

Static code analysis is a method of debugging by examining code without executing the program. Together with peer reviews, it checks for programming errors and security vulnerabilities. 

11. Device-Level Audit Logs and Alerts‍

Audit logs enable users to track all activity and device state history to assist in debugging efforts and identifying security vulnerabilities. Manufacturers can also define device-level rules that alert the end-user to any issue - security or otherwise - related to the device.   

‍The Bottom Line

While cloud connectivity unlocks a treasure trove of benefits for device manufacturers, security concerns remain a hurdle.  Understanding  the specific capabilities offered by cloud providers can help manufacturers feel more secure and pave the way for a profitable and safe cloud integration. By embracing a layered security approach and partnering with a provider offering these essential features, device manufacturers can unlock the full potential of the connected future.

‍Learn more about how Xyte enables security at scale here.