How You Can Secure IoT Devices With PKI As A Service

admin March 11, 2022 in Technology Tagged PKI as a service - 5 Minutes

The Internet of Things or IoT has connected everything on the planet and offered improved productivity, connectivity, and attentiveness. IoT devices are hardware devices that exchange and collect data, such as gadgets, sensors, appliances, and other materials. However, IoT devices have become easy targets for security attacks over time. This necessitates the use of a security system.

This is where PKI jumps in as a solution. You must have heard about PKI or Public Key Infrastructure, used to secure IoT devices. Are you unsure about what it is and how to use it to secure IoT devices? Well, keep reading our extensive guide to learn everything about PKI as a service and its use for securing IoT devices.

What Is PKI?

Public Key Infrastructure comprises hardware, policy, and software systems for creating, managing, updating, and distributing digital certificates over time. PKI evaluation has evolved in recent years as a versatile and adaptable solution with unique abilities for meeting the service and data security concerns of the Internet of Things.

Certificates and keys are the most critical aspects of understanding how PKI works. The key comprises long strings of bits in the form of a number used to encrypt data. The PKI certificate serves as a passport for any entity allocated to engage in a PKI secured discussion.

The certificate has necessary details like the public key of the entity and the mechanism by which it shares the key. When there is a requirement of digital security, such as encrypted data, SSL signatures, or smart card logins, PKI secures the identities involved and the private information in use. Using PKI as a service has become crucial to secure IoT devices.

What Are The IoT Security Requirements?

Following are some basic IoT security requirements that you must look out for:

Before deploying devices, make sure they’re genuine. It is necessary to safeguard the integrity and privacy of the data gathered, stored, or transferred by the instrument.
They must also provide digital signatures and certifications to verify each device.
It should be compliant with industry standards.

How To Use PKI As A Service To Secure IoT Devices?

Access control and authentication are at the heart of most security solutions. PKI offers considerable benefits to both companies and individuals and access control. PKI, when properly deployed, is a valuable tool for assisting and securing enterprises.

Here are five PKI-based methods that can come to your aid and help you protect IoT devices from security threats:

Utilizing Individual Identities

One method for securing IoT devices is to use unique identities. A secure network can be accessed and processed using a code throughout the device’s lifecycle by cryptographically integrating a verified identity. Additionally, certificates are customizable based on the manufacturer’s policy and updated and revoked per device.

Defining and enforcing security protocols

PKI offers open standards that enable defining systems cryptographically. It includes a variety of alternatives for certificate distribution and enrollment, including EST, SCEP, and REST, as well as trusted root standard protocols and revocation.

Maintaining Greater Security

Certificates from a well-managed PKI provide a much-needed layer of security that no other authentication technique can match. IoT devices also use secured hardware for cryptographic key storage, with a duration that far outlasts the functional token’s or password’s lifespan.

Securing Scaling

Asymmetric encryption implies that all certificates are issued by a single trustworthy certificate authority that is strictly managed. The disconnected verification concept eliminates a centralized server or agent-based software to authenticate the device application.

Securing with a Small Footprint

PKI stands out as more beneficial since it enables manufacturers to integrate safeguards with small device footprints. Asymmetric keys are also efficient for devices with little computational and memory power. Elliptic Curve Cryptography (ECC) is a popular IoT algorithm that uses reduced key sizes, making it appropriate for networked sensors and devices.

What Are PKI’s Benefits For IoT?

PKI is gaining immense popularity currently owing to the numerous benefits it can offer. Here are some significant advantages of using PKI as a service for IoT devices :

It provides the necessary mechanisms for robust cryptographic encryption and encryption to assure private communication.
Encryption aids in support of a variety of IoT devices.
Provides strong encryption for both data in transit and data at rest.
Secure authentication across devices without the use of a password.
Builds trust between gadgets and users.
Data Integrity assures that the data sent has not been tampered with in any way.
Authorization and digital integrity are provided through digitally signing documents, emails, and other data.

What Are The Limitations Of Using PKI?

Working on IoT Devices with PKI presents a few obstacles. Because IoT is a relatively new technology, several issues may arise during its execution. Some of them are:

Traditional PKI Infrastructure cannot do everything because its design allows it to work without restrictions, and problems may arise in such circumstances.
PKI scalability may become a concern, necessitating the creation of an IoT-focused Certificate Authority.
Because there are so many devices in IoT, standard PKI implementations may have trouble providing certificates and implementing security.

Takeaway

In cybersecurity, public key infrastructure has long been a benchmark. PKI technology delivers verified device identities in IoT applications requiring increasingly complicated data structures. PKI is the key to the security demands of organizations wishing to take advantage of IoT’s newest technology.

PKI provides an appropriate foundation for IoT-connected devices to identify and protect the transferred data. It can remove the stress and threat of security attacks and keep the data safe by preventing it from falling into the wrong hands. Now that you know how to secure your IoT devices using PKI services, you can try it for yourself and use it to protect yourself and your information.