Qualcomm is determined, alongside the likes of Intel, Samsung and IBM, to grow its presence significantly in the fast growing Internet of Things (IoT) market.
And it's no wonder that Qualcomm wants a piece of the action. It's a fast growing market and, depending on how it is defined and who you talk to, estimates suggest it could be worth anything up to $20billion this year alone.
But, as companies rush to get a share of the market, are they ignoring one key issue – security? And even if security is not being overlooked, are the security solutions being deployed fit for purpose? Horror stories already abound of hackers breaking into devices and of vulnerabilities across the supply chain.
Security is a top three issue for the IoT, according to ARM's chief technology officer Mike Muller. Speaking at a NMI sponsored IoT Security Summit held earlier this month, Muller warned that 'security must be architected from the beginning and not be made an option'.
Describing vulnerable security models, compromised communication protocols and insecure firmware updates, he warned that software complexity and bugs in any code would lead to serious security flaws.
What has to be of more concern is the fact that most engineers don't know where to begin when it comes to security and the growing complexity of designs is working against them. And who is actually responsible for addressing security?
Muller described a possible two level approach to IoT security consisting of a private and public state – the former built with strong security that rarely changes and the latter, while still secure, developed with an eye to faster times to market and quicker innovation cycles.
You can be certain of two things though. If your product is successful, it will be hacked and, as a consumer, you'll end up paying for enhanced levels of security.
