Telit White Paper: Hardening IoT Modules with End-to-End Security

As awareness of the transformative nature of 5G is increasing, the industry is slowly waking up to the enormous challenge of securing not only the networks but also all the things these networks connect and the vital data they carry. When it comes to the Internet of Things (IoT), the challenges of security and the stakes involved couldn’t be more significant. The spread of IoT in homes, enterprises, industries, governments and other places is making wireless networks the backbone of the country’s critical infrastructure. Safeguarding it against potential threats is a basic need.

IoT security indeed is very complex and multifaceted. The entire system, including the infrastructure, devices and the links that connect them, needs to be secured to be effective. Many times, with national interests and security at stake, the challenge becomes about not only the system but also the supply chain, as well as how the various system components are sourced, deployed and managed.

IoT modules, being at the heart of IoT devices, are fundamental to the system security. Unlike smartphones, modules are simple and very vulnerable to intrusion. Any compromised module exposes the entire system and puts it at risk. Hence module security must be comprehensive, including the device hardware, software, firmware and management system (a.k.a., cloud platform) that facilitate ongoing operational security throughout the device lifecycle. The responsibility of securing the IoT modules typically falls on the shoulders of module vendors, as many IoT device vendors and users may not have the expertise or the means to access and secure the module themselves.