Symantec Corporation (NASDAQ:SYMC) has initiated the Embedded Critical System Protection a novel security solution tailored to safeguard more than one billion Internet of Things (IoT) globally. As per Symantec, it is investing in protecting IoT items inside the connected home. More than one billion IoT devices can be shielded if the new Embedded Critical System Protection solution is implemented. The IoT devices cover everything from smart TVs and automobiles to smart meters and more.
While IoT devices can make the home life smoother, the instant a product is connected to a network it is faced with possible security risks. As per research firm Gartner, around 25 billion networked and connected devices will be in operation by 2024 end. This will be challenging to both security firms and vendors who are engaged in fighting a current surge in cyber attacks across the industry.
Symantec’s approach involves leveraging management, authentication, analytics, and device security. This ensures medical gadgets, industrial control systems, automobiles and several consumer electronics to not be the victim of hacks, or be monitored or electronically hijacked.
In keeping with Symantec’s strategy for IoT, the organization is now providing Embedded Critical System Protection. The security solution shields IoT devices having the software embedded in the gadget locked down to safeguard from zero-day attacks and avoid compromise.
Symantec has already roped in Wincor, which provides IT solutions for the retail as well as financial industries. Incidentally, Wincor Nixdorf is famed for ATM manufacturing. Also, Symantec has signed up other major industrial and automotive manufacturers.
Symantec is collaborating with cryptography specialists as well as chip makers globally which includes wolfSSL and Texas Instruments Incorporated (NASDAQ:TXN) to deliver hardware level security. The alliances fuse Symantec’s robust Certificate Authority with the other entity’s embeddable engines to fashion new “Roots of Trust” the benchmark for gadgets to safely authenticate and encrypt information.
To make sure that code operating on IoT devices is fully authorized, Symantec offers a cloud-based signing-as-a-service as well as code signing certificates for many code formats applicable to IoT.
The advantages of Symantec’s security strategy is to let only trusted updates be put on devices, verify that data streaming to and from the gadgets remains unhampered while in transit and make sure communication happens only with the intended entity.
Sources: zdnet, marketwatch
