Jan 27, 2017Juniper Research Warns that IoT Botnets Present Huge Cybersecurity Risk
New data from Juniper Research indicates that the consumer Internet of Things installed base will reach more than 15 billion units by 2021—an increase of 120 percent over last year's numbers. As evidenced at this month's CES technology conference, embedded connectivity is increasingly being used as a product differentiator. Juniper cautions that unless action is taken, the vast scale of this connectivity will lead to an unmanageable cybersecurity risk created by botnets in excess of 1 million units.
Juniper's research, titled "Internet of Things for Security Providers: Opportunities, Strategies, & Market Leaders 2016-2021," finds that recent IoT botnets—uncovered as a key factor in the largest distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attack ever recorded last year—are just the beginning of cybersecurity problems. The use of botnets to disrupt Internet services forms part of the near-term threat landscape, the report notes, adding that botnets will be used for more malicious purposes in the future, impacting consumer, industrial and public services markets.
"Attacks such as those on Dyn last October can be viewed as proof-of-concepts," noted research author Steffen Sorrell in a prepared statement. "In the medium-term, botnets will be used far more creatively—not only to disrupt services, but also to create a distraction enabling multi-pronged attacks aimed at data theft or physical asset disruption."
The research calls on IoT device manufacturers to "take responsibility" by implementing security-by-design, adding that corporate-scale vendors such as Amazon, Google and Samsung should lead efforts to galvanize other vendors to apply security best-practices. Additionally, the report finds that the market is open for challenger cybersecurity vendors. It highlights providers such as Crossword and Positive Technologies that are using machine learning to disruptively protect against DDoS and malicious network activity. And it predicts that the industry will be forced to move beyond traditional signature-based detection methods in the near-term, in order to address IoT cybersecurity effectively.
A white paper titled "IoT—Internet of Transformation" is available to download at Juniper's website. The document contains further details regarding the research.
NXT-ID Chooses Nordic Semiconductor's Wireless BLE and NFC Module for Smart Cards, Wearables
Nordic Semiconductor has announced that security technology company NXT-ID has selected Nordic's nRF52832 Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) system-on-chip (SoC) to provide BLE and Near Field Communication (NFC) wireless connectivity for its IoT Stamp module. The module is designed for integration into wearables, portable devices and Internet of Things applications.
The IoT Stamp is intended to help manufacturers with little or no RF engineering expertise reduce development time and speed time-to-market for connected products. The module supports a range of personalized services, including identity management, multifactor biometric authentication and payment methods, such as BLE, NFC and dynamic magnetic stripe.
The IoT Stamp can be used with a range of batteries, from 10mAh to 480mAh or more. With a 10mAh battery, the company reports, it can last for several months prior to recharge, due to the ultra-low-power operating characteristics of the nRF52832 SoC, as well as motion activation, a low-power touch control user interface and buttonless wake-up technology.
The nRF52832 SoC is built to minimize power consumption, according to the company, with an automatic power-management system that reduces power consumption by up to 80 percent compared with Nordic's nRF51 Series SoCs. The system-on-chip combines a 64 MHz, 32-bit ARM Cortex M4F processor with a 2.4 GHz multiprotocol radio (fully compatible with Bluetooth 4.2, ANT and proprietary 2.4GHz RF software) featuring -96dB RX sensitivity, 512 kB of Flash memory, 64 kB of random-access memory (RAM) and an NFC-A tag for touch-to-pair operations.
"We selected Nordic's nRF52832 SoC because it provided us with both a Bluetooth Low Energy and NFC solution on a single chip, giving us a smaller footprint, as well as the low power consumption we required," said David Tunnell, NXT-ID's CTO and executive VP, in a prepared statement. "Moreover, Nordic's technical support proved outstanding and the company's engineers were always very responsive."
NXT-ID has already partnered with travel and lifestyle community membership vendor WorldVentures to develop the flye smart card, which will be one of the first applications of the nRF52832-powered IoT Stamp. WorldVentures' 500,000 worldwide members can use the flye smart card for electronic payment, rewards and other purposes. Users can load up to 10 records—such as credit, debit, ID and loyalty cards—on the card.
TrackNet Secures Series A Investment to Develop, Deploy IoT Solutions
TrackNet, a LoRaWAN Internet of Things solutions provider for consumer and industry, has announced a $7 million series A investment from Minol Zenner Group and Gemtek Corp. TrackNet will use the funds to develop end-to-end consumer, tracking and facility-management IoT solutions.
TrackNet was created by a founding team from Semtech, IBM and Cisco who played critical roles in bringing LoRa LPWAN technology to market and building the ecosystem that became the foundation of the LoRa Alliance. TrackNet will unveil its first complete LoRa solution at the Mobile World Congress event, to be held in Barcelona, Spain, from Feb. 27 to Mar. 2.
LPWAN is expected to make up the volume of connected devices and growth for the Internet of Things. LoRa is the leading technology in the LPWAN space, due to its long-range capabilities and ability to create low-cost sensors with a long battery life. TrackNet is a member of the LoRa Alliance, which is ensuring interoperable LoRaWAN networks and certified devices that can be utilized globally.
"We invested in TrackNet due to the expertise the founding team brings and the scalability of its business model," said Howard Chen, Gemtek's CEO, in a prepared statement. "We expect significant growth in the LPWAN market over the next few years, and want to align our products and investments to capitalize on this growth."
Alexander Lehmann, Minol Zenner Group's CEO and chairman, added in the prepared statement, "We plan to utilize TrackNet solutions to transform our metering business and enable new business models. We believe LPWAN will enable many different high-volume use cases in consumer and industry to create a more sustainable world."
Eir Business Releases IoT Store Built on Asavie Platform
Asavie, a provider of enterprise mobility management and Internet of Things connectivity solutions, has announced that eir Business, the principal provider of fixed-line and mobile telecommunications services in Ireland, is making available its IoT Connect system, designed to allow businesses to harness the Internet of Things. Eir Business is the first Irish carrier to launch an online IoT-managed connectivity service with global coverage.
IoT Connect provides the ability to offer single SIM IoT connections to enterprises, and to rapidly scale them to thousands of connections as required. The self-service online store enables global users to set up and manage cellular connectivity for Internet of Things devices. It provides small and large businesses with cellular mobile connectivity, including global roaming, and offers an online self-service portal to manage IoT assets inside a secure private network. IoT Connect is built on Asavie PassBridge, an Internet of Things connectivity platform designed to enable telecom providers to supply their global customers with scalable, secure, SIM-based machine-to-machine (M2M) connectivity solutions.
"Eir IoT Connect is the latest innovative technology solution that eir Business is bringing to market, and we are already seeing the huge benefits that it can bring to businesses," said Bill Archer, eir Business's managing director, in a prepared statement. "Together with Asavie, we are committed to ensuring our customers can access all the benefits of the Internet of Things. Our online store offers customers immediate deployment, scalability and control of IoT projects. The reliability, security and reach of the eir network, together with our analytic tools, make it easier than ever for our customers to benefit from advances in IoT deployments, as well as gaining the intelligence needed to drive business decisions."
IoT Connect enables businesses to create, control and manage their private network static IP address, and to set data usage policies, as well as regional usage restrictions, fully integrated with flexible SIM life-cycle management. From a security standpoint, it offers a private access point name (APN) that is invisible to the public Internet, delivering real-time alerts of usage patterns, as well as the ability to recognize unusual activity and provide notifications of breaches in usage policies.
"We are delighted to partner with eir Business to deliver its IoT Connectivity management solution," said Ralph Shaw, Asavie's CEO, in the prepared statement. "IoT Connect is built on our secure connectivity platform to enable global enterprise of all sizes to immediately deploy and scale their IoT projects. By securely managing their connection to the Internet and eliminating the typical delays in deployment and revenue generation, enterprises can immediately benefit from the IoT economy."
Digi International Intros Embedded Modem
Digi International, a global provider of machine-to-machine (M2M) and Internet of Things connectivity products and services, has announced the general availability of its Digi XBee Cellular system. Newly developed for the North American market, this addition to the company's Digi XBee family of products will allow original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to integrate LTE CAT 1 cellular connectivity into their designs.
Digi XBee Cellular is intended for OEMs that need to provide cellular solutions for remote equipment monitoring and control in precision agriculture, environmental monitoring, smart cities and other industries. According to the company, Digi XBee Cellular enables cellular communications at lower cost points and more efficient power consumption levels. It transmits embedded serial data via TCP, UDP or SMS text message over the cellular network, and offers flexible communication options, including a transparent serial mode and an application programming interface mode, with structured frames for more advanced applications.
Digi XBee Cellular is FCC pre-certified and Verizon end-device certified, with no carrier certification required for OEMs. Features include an authentic Digi XBee form-factor; over-the-air firmware to provide ongoing feature and security updates; 3.3 volts of power, with low-power options offering sleep and deep-sleep modes for battery-powered applications; and Digi TrustFence security features, including Secure Boot, encrypted security keys, secure JTAG and SSL/TLS 1.2 cryptographic protocols.
A suite of development tools is designed to make integrating the Digi XBee Cellular system fast and simple, the company reports. The free XCTU utility is suitable for quick configuration of the modem, and Digi XBee libraries for Java and C can accelerate code development for external microcontrollers.
"Digi XBee is known as one of the most advanced and innovative product lines in the industry," said Joel Young, Digi International's chief technology officer, in a prepared statement. "With the addition of Digi XBee Cellular to the Digi XBee product line, we're bringing the same characteristics of reliability, flexibility and value to allow OEMs to quickly and easily integrate LTE CAT 1 cellular technology into their devices and applications."
Digi XBee Cellular is currently available for $99, while the Digi XBee Cellular development kit costs $199. The modem includes a one-year warranty. Digi XBee Cellular is available from numerous distributors, including Arrow Electronics, Avnet, Digi-Key Electronics, Future Electronics, Mouser Electronics and Symmetry Electronics.
Kony Helps KMC Controls Launch Mobile App With IoT Technology
Kony, Inc., an enterprise mobility company, has announced that it has helped KMC Controls develop the KMC Connect Lite mobile application, which speeds the pre-commissioning process of the company's KMC Conquest controllers by simplifying field configuration and installation. The KMC Connect Lite app is the first in a series of mobile applications and Internet of Things solutions that KMC Controls plans to develop using Kony's cloud-based platform, according to the company.
"For over 50 years, our goal at KMC Controls has been to help customers minimize energy use, maximize building efficiency, and ensure the comfort and safety of their occupants," said Richard Newberry, KMC Controls' chief executive officer, in a prepared statement. "To continue our leadership in manufacturing, we're building an ecosystem optimized to deliver IoT solutions that deliver genius buildings and facilities. We chose Kony to be part of this ecosystem because of their world-class expertise and market-leading platform. With Kony, we can develop mobile applications that can revolutionize building automation."
According to Kony, KMC Controls selected its platform because of its open architecture, which enables users to develop apps for both iOS and Android with a single code base. With Kony's MobileFabric solution, KMC Controls can develop back-end micro-services for the KMC Commander system, apply analytics, incorporate features and functions suggested by customers, and integrate them with its mobile app. What's more, using data enabled by the Kony Platform and saved on the Kony Cloud, KMC Controls can gain insight into how and where its mobile application is being utilized, which functions are proving most popular and how much time is being spent on each screen.
KMC Controls first collaborated with Kony to offer the KMC Connect Lite mobile app. Using Near Field Communication (NFC), the KMC Connect Lite app enables field service technicians to configure, customize and commission controller devices without powering the controller or opening the box. With the mobile app, a field installer places a mobile device on the controller box and can write the controller settings via NFC.
"KMC Controls is focused on providing innovative and intuitive solutions, and our mobile app saves an enormous amount of time, improves margins and helps our customers gain competitive advantage," Newberry said in the prepared statement. "What used to take customers four days to configure and install a system is now down to just a few hours." KMC Controls plans to leverage the platform to develop future mobile applications and IoT solutions.
Silicon Labs Acquires Wi-Fi Company Zentri
Silicon Labs has announced the acquisition of Zentri, a provider of low-power, cloud-connected Wi-Fi technologies for the Internet of Things. Zentri helps customers securely connect and manage products across a range of industrial, commercial and consumer applications.
Zentri's combination of modules, embedded and cloud software, application programming interfaces and tools are designed to enable the rapid development of secure IoT end-node products within a matter of weeks. By eliminating the need for wireless design expertise and providing a library of cloud-connected applications, Zentri allows IoT device makers to focus on differentiating their products and speeding time to market.
"Silicon Labs is proud to join forces with Zentri," said Tyson Tuttle, Silicon Labs's CEO, in a prepared statement. "This acquisition builds upon our strategy to deliver comprehensive, multiprotocol silicon and software solutions to securely connect IoT products to the cloud. Zentri's Wi-Fi expertise, software and tools will extend our multiprotocol connectivity portfolio to a wider range of power-sensitive IoT end node applications."
Frost & Sullivan Announces Technology Innovation Award for Antenna Company
Frost & Sullivan has presented Antenna Company with its Technology Innovation Award for advanced antennas for wireless communications. Frost & Sullivan reports that the rollout of new wireless standards is driving an increase in the number of multi-band antennas per system, while product form factors continue to shrink.
With the award, Frost & Sullivan has recognized Antenna Company's patented SuperShape technology, designed to enable antenna systems to overcome the challenges associated with the integration of multiple antennas into consumer and enterprise applications. SuperShape technology combines 2D and 3D optimization of antenna geometries with engineered polymer materials, the company indicates, in order to create dielectric resonator antenna (DRA) systems with high efficiency, isolation and coverage.
"Antenna Company is honored to receive this award from Frost & Sullivan," said David Favreau, Antenna Company's CEO, in a prepared statement. "The award recognizes the scalability of SuperShape technology across multiple applications where data throughput, extended coverage, or streaming video performance is critical."
Antenna Company is currently working with customers to integrate its technology into products such as Wi-Fi routers, set-top boxes, home gateways, notebook PCs, outdoor access points and telematics devices. "Antenna Company has successfully demonstrated the benefits of its technology for Wi-Fi and GPS applications," said Jabez Mendelson, a senior research analyst at Frost & Sullivan, in the prepared statement. "In addition to those examples, we see strong potential for the application of Antenna Company's technology in the emerging 5G market to help improve network capacity and coverage."