The internet of things (IoT) is a growing area of interest for the tech industry as a whole, with the number of internet-connected devices, such as vehicles, smart meters and home monitoring systems, predicted to reach in the billions by the year 2020. With all of those web-facing devices coming online, security requirements are top of mind. Verizon Enterprise Solutions (VES) is tackling the challenge with an enterprise portal for bulk digital certificate creation and management capabilities for IoT.
Verizon’s approach is to authenticate objects and machines, verifying object and machine “identities” for the trusted exchange of information — and secure data transmitted between these connections. The company calls it “two-factor authentication of people and machines.”
For example, certificates can be deployed during production or client-site installation for smart meters. So, devices can be authenticated when “talking” to each other, while also maintaining a secure connection for the traffic to traverse. Devices not configured with a certificate would not be able to penetrate or attach to the network, helping to protect the energy grid.
Use cases for VES’s Managed Certificate Services (MCS) platform include authentication and verification applications, online shopping applications and smart grid deployments, e-government service delivery requiring identity-proofing capabilities (i.e., license plate renewals and passport services), medical devices, consumer electronics and supply chain tracking.
“With the massive growth of the internet of things and the use of connectivity to make devices smarter, businesses require a simple, scalable and effective way to manage identity and data integrity,” said Mike Denning, vice president of global security for Verizon Enterprise Solutions, in a statement.
According to the recent Harvard Business Review IoT report, maintaining privacy and regulatory compliance is the number one obstacle (46%) blocking IoT deployment for enterprises. Another 28% were concerned about securing IoT sensors and associated data.
“We are at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the growth of the internet of things,” Denning said. “A lot of enterprises are asking about the best way to secure connected objects. Like any other device connected to the network, we are helping clients to develop the best safeguards depending on their specific implementation as well as their business and regulatory requirements.”