Developing any product is a risky and complicated task. It takes a broad range of skills, and adding security is another requirement vying for valuable resource. Initially justification may seem difficult to advocate, after all if it does its job well, you may never know. However, it’s importance must never be underestimated.
Just how great is the risk?
As of 2023 there are over 51 billion connected devices installed worldwide, with predictions increasing that to 75 billion by 2025. Embedded devices at the edge are our bridges between the digital and physical worlds. They monitor, process, and transmit data - rendering them both indispensable and potentially susceptible to security breaches.
According to reports, the first 6 months of 2021 saw 1.5 billion attacks on IoT devices. Studies from 2020 indicated that almost 98% of IoT traffic is unencrypted. These are staggering figures and reveal a massive attack surface to unauthorized access, data breaches, and malware infections.
Design in security
There are of course many tools and technologies at our disposal. Take, for instance, Arm's TrustZone technology. This innovation facilitates hardware-based isolation, enabling secure execution environments for both trusted and untrusted code, protecting critical data and functions. Designing applications using best practices from the start is key and takes dedicated knowhow and specific skills. Quality toolchains such as Tasking and Keil provide a reliable development environment, but there is no substitute for engineering experience and training.
For processor demanding applications, we offer embedded boards & modules as well as comprehensive services providing security solutions, and product life cycle support. All helping to reduce time to market.
Our products for industrial automation support open standards and standard protocols such as OPC UA, MQTT, and http REST. This opens up a wide range of options for securely integrating machine and device data into IT applications.
In conclusion
Our future is connected and as developers, manufacturers, and end-users we're entrusted with safeguarding its integrity. We must collaborate to prioritise security by design, regularly update firmware, and adhere to industry standards.
Hitex have a wealth of experience, skills, training, tools, and products to enable you to take your ideas and realise them as efficient, robust, and secure products.
Visit us on stand H6 at EDS 2023 to learn more about our embedded products, design services, and training courses.
