Our everyday personal experiences prove to us that innovation surrounding the Internet of Things (IoT) is rapidly changing the way we live and work. 2023 saw over 16 billion connected devices worldwide, but this is just the beginning. By 2030 this figure potentially quadruples by some estimates.
This means you, and everyone you know, will be interacting with a connected device every few seconds, for the rest of your life. This represents vast amounts of highly sensitive data which, if compromised, intrudes on your personal privacy and safety.
While there are different types of IoT devices, many mass deployments are based on low-end constrained computing resource hardware. As a result, security is often an overlooked, undervalued consideration. Making them ideal as potential backdoors that also have the capacity for extensive disruption.
Take for example, the Colonial Pipeline breach in 2021. It not only affected oil supply and caused panic fuel buying but prompted the rerouting of international flights. Clearly, IoT devices remain malicious actors’ primary targets.
Thus, striking a balance between continually improving your IoT offering, while safeguarding your assets and customers, is imperative. This is not only a moral obligation, but a strategic necessity to maintain a competitive edge in the fast-moving IoT landscape.
In the second of our four-part series, we look at how ZARIOT and Able Device’s joint solution achieves that balance. Removing barriers and delays to support your innovation, while keeping security, data privacy and regulatory compliance at the core of your IoT solution.
Secure by design
SIMs are universally recognized as an embedded secure element, underpinning the trillion-dollar telecoms industry for decades. We make this underutilized and undervalued resource available to you. Giving you the means to develop an end-to-end “secure by design” IoT solution.
ZARIOT’s advanced eUICC SIMs are used as a secure base to host Able Device’s embedded SIMbae applet. SIMbae unlocks the processing power of the SIM, allowing your device to benefit from functionality and features. It also allows you to embed additional security measures, balancing feature evolution with a resilience to attacks.
The IoT ecosystem is constantly evolving, but innovation must always be balanced with security. Commercially, ongoing development protects revenue streams, while security aligns you with current and upcoming regulations whilst protecting your brand and customers.
For more details on our joint solution and features, check out our first article here.
Additional features
Below are some of the options readily available from ZARIOT and Able Device. SIMbae security options can also be activated and combined with other features that the applet supports.
- SIMbae ‘Key Store’ – Stores keys and certificates based on Key ID. It is fully compliant with GSMA’s IoT SAFE standards as the key storage for TLS protocol. Keys can also be securely updated over-the-air for ongoing lifecycle management and as a proactive measure in cases of evolving threats.
- SIMbae ‘Secure It’ – Securely update device security credentials over public networks via a Credential Exchange Manager. This uses the mobile network and SIM authentication to transfer IoT app security credentials to devices.
- ZARIOT–Atsign ‘IoT Trust’ – Also based on GSMA’s IoT SAFE standards, IoT Trust embeds Atsign’s unique multi-patented encryption solution to create a novel security environment, Networking 2.0. The solution can be extended to combine protection across your whole IoT estate, regardless of connectivity type (e.g., cellular, WiFi, wired etc.)
- ZARIOT–SmartAxiom ‘SIM-secured Blockchain’ – Blockchain can be an effective and secure way to distribute data collected by IoT devices. While data is highly secure once written, the data source must be 100% trusted. Our solution delivers indisputable proof of device attestation via the SIM.
- ZARIOT ‘Anti-IMSI catcher’ – Protect devices from fake networks, information extraction, data interception and denial of service (DoS) threats.
- ZARIOT ‘Network security management’ – Extends “secure by design” beyond the device, to the core network. With enhanced signalling security and the ability to actively control your devices.
Note: These features above may fit your needs, but our goal is to support your individual solutions. Therefore, we are happy to discuss adapting any proposition to better suit your requirements.
Powering secure innovation
Together, Able Device and ZARIOT offer a simple, future proof, and economical approach to deploy, manage, optimize, secure, and scale your IoT project.
Our highly flexible and customizable offerings give you access to a growing toolbox of features and the ability to shape your connectivity. Enabling you to add value and create a cohesive holistic end-to-end IoT solution.
These features extend to quality of service, device diagnostics, optimized device administration, security, and more. All features can be added and adapted over the lifetime of your deployment. Meaning your connectivity continues to evolve with your needs.
The SIMbae SIM applet also allows you to achieve this with no-coding training. You can easily create and integrate bespoke applets and additional features into your IoT solution. All while safeguarding your customers and your business from cyber breaches.
Closing thoughts
Regardless of where you are in your IoT development cycle, ZARIOT and Able Device can help you bring your proof-of-concept to life, accelerate growth, and streamline your global deployments.
It’s time to leave the feeling of being torn between innovation and security behind, as we have the tools to enable you to realize your ideals securely. Advance your IoT while future proofing your solution from malicious actors, while staying ahead of global security legislation and data privacy regulations.
Reach out to us to discuss how we can create bespoke IoT solutions that balance your business, engineering, and regulatory compliance needs.
Stay tuned for next week’s post on how to maximize your investments in private networks and gain control over your public network consumption costs.
