What is IoT PKI?
The internet of things (IoT) is booming, with more than 75 billion connected devices expected worldwide by 2025. Whether the purpose is to remotely control smart home devices, to manage communication between industry robots, or monitor the streetlights of a city, security cannot be overlooked.
All connected IoT devices and services must have trusted digital identities to be able to distinguish them from each other and from unauthorized or malicious parties trying to intrude on or disrupt your devices and services. Digital identities are the basis for security services; they enable encrypted communication,
verification of the origin of data, and guaranteed integrity of data and software being stored, transferred, or executed.
To enable true end-to-end security and prevent cyber attacks against IoT applications, an internet of things (IoT) public-key infrastructure (PKI) can be used to issue certificate-based identities.
Public-key infrastructure (PKI) certificates provide cryptographically secure, unforgeable, theft-safe identities, which enable devices and services to be empowered with:
• Authentication: Certificate-based authentication ensures that only authorized users, devices or servers can connect to a network or application. Revocation of certificates instantly blocks access in case of compromise or emergency.
• Encryption: Certificates enable encrypted communication between devices and services.
• Integrity protection: Digital signatures prove the origin and integrity of data and software.
Internet of Things (IoT) PKI also ensures the usage of other technologies and protocols that fit well into IoT applications including Automated Certificate Management Environment (ACME), Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP), Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT), Transport Layer Security (TLS), Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) and Enrolment over Secure Transport (EST).
PKI is a mature and well-standardized technology, so you can choose from a large pool of software vendors, open-source implementations, service providers, and system integrators. All these can provide you with the same core technology so that you are safe from being locked into a solution.