Intel’s McAfee security division offered some details today about its strategy for protecting the Internet of Things as the number of connected devices continues to grow.
Analyst firm IDC has projected that by the end of 2020, the installed base of the Internet of Things (IoT) will reach roughly 212 billion devices around the world – roughly two dozen devices for every person on earth. According to McAfee, the goal is to maintain the trust of these devices, which will face unprecedented challenges in data privacy, safety and governance.
To address these challenges, McAfee is planning to build a strategy around these ideas:
- A secure and holistic solution for information rich environments across multiple environments and devices
- Assurance that devices are operating as intended by the manufacturer and have not been corrupted
- Life cycle security across the device, network, and data center
- Support for industry standards and device interoperability
- Ability to solve Information Technology/Cloud services challenges in connecting legacy and new systems to new and future services
- Provide technology to assure individual privacy
Recently both researchers and attackers alike seem to be paying more attention to the Internet of Things. At last year’s Black Hat conference in Las Vegas for example, there were presentations on hacking everything from smart TVs to surveillance cameras. Meanwhile, researchers at Proofpoint said earlier this year they had spotted possibly the first proven cyber-attack leveraging the Internet of Things.
Already, McAfee is working with other Intel and Wind River companies to offer security solutions to ensure connected devices, systems applications and data are protected. Last week, Intel introduced Intel Gateway Solutions for IoT, a family of platforms based on Intel Quark and Atom processors, as well as McAfee and Wind River software “that enables companies to seamlessly interconnect industrial devices into an IoT-ready system of systems,” according to the company.
“Security needs to be built in as the foundation of the Internet of Things,” said Michael Fey, worldwide chief technology officer for Intel Security, in a statement. “Any disruption to these IP connected devices can cause damage to the business and our daily lives. We need to have foresight into what is coming so we can prevent against threats and securely manage these devices. McAfee is enabling the future and the possibilities that the Internet of Things brings to our daily lives.”