Ensuring the Security of Embedded Devices
Embedded computing systems “smart” devices comprise the Internet of Things (IoT). Connected smart devices pose a significant security vulnerability compared to offline, “dumb” embedded devices.
Smart embedded devices have extensive applications in consumer, commercial, automotive, industrial, healthcare and financial markets. When sensitive information is involved, it is especially important to ensure the security of these embedded devices throughout the network, because these devices are vulnerable to application, man-in-the-middle and malware threats which could lead to widespread infections on networks and servers.
The IT security paradigm is shifting away from predominantly software-centric solutions because the exponential rise in the number of network access points makes it hard to manage security through software alone. Programmable embedded systems are vulnerable to being reprogrammed with malware, so the front line of defense against this type of breach is to use secure processors which can validate the integrity of software and firmware via secure boot routines. Malicious software updates will attempt to bypass or disable a device’s secure boot. Therefore, it is essential that secure boot routines are mandatory and immutable; hence they rely on hardware roots of trust. However, there is plenty of room in application or over-the-air firmware updates that can expose software vulnerabilities. The possibility for vulnerabilities to exist in the integrity of software and firmware necessitates extra layers of security against malware threats. Trusted signatures, secure private keys, and unique certificates all help to foil malware threats, as long as they are non-accessible to potential attackers.
Advanced techniques such as real-time user pattern recognition, hardware access monitoring, behavior analysis and artificial intelligence detection methods can be powerful mechanisms of detecting threat attempts on an embedded device
Smart embedded devices typically communicate with remote servers, and this communication needs end-to-end security. Encryption is a necessity. Cutting-edge cryptography and anti-tamper mechanisms can be used to bolster secure processors in thwarting and detecting an attempt to install malicious software on an embedded device.
Commonly, the most vital part of an organization’s network is the data stored on it. Therefore, it is most important that the data stays safe from the influence of the attackers. This approach to security is known as data-centric security, where the security of data is emphasized instead of network access. This approach leads to a layered model of data security, where each layer of protection uses different methods to restrict access to data. Together, this collection of security methods should reliably be able to fend off any attack. The hope here is that, if any access point or device or even if a network is breached, the sensitive information, the data, stays safe.