authentication Archives

authentication

Bitcoin Blockchain: A New Foundation for Online Trust?| NYTimes

March 3, 2015 Paul Roberts

The New York Times has a really interesting story on the rise of Bitcoin’s “blockchain” technology as the foundation of a whole new wave of start-ups and applications – some of which could have big implications for Internet of Things. From the article: “As Bitcoin’s price has declined over the last year, critics have been quick to declare the virtual currency dead. Bitcoin’s true value, though, might be not in the currency itself but in the engine that makes it possible. Underlying Bitcoin — created as a way to make payments directly, anonymously and outside government control — is the block chain, a decentralized database that is driven by cryptography.” While the future of Bitcoin as a form of digital “cash” is uncertain, block chain is turning out to be a very useful technology for a variety of purposes – from streamlining financial transactions online to vouching for the authenticity of […]

Verizon: 5 Billion Business IoT Connections by 2020

February 24, 2015 Paul Roberts

In-brief: A report by Verizon finds business adoption of IoT is growing quickly, boosting that company’s Internet of Things numbers. But increased business adoption of IoT brings risks to privacy and security.

FTC Report on Internet of Things Urges Security and Privacy Protections

January 27, 2015 Paul Roberts

In-brief: The FTC issued a report on Tuesday that provides guidance to U.S. businesses on protecting consumers’ privacy and security in the design and deployment of “Internet of Things” devices.

Why Network Segmentation is Imperative on the Internet of Things

January 27, 2015 Scott Harrell

In-brief: adoption of Internet of Things technologies puts a premium on the use of network segmentation to ensure connected devices don’t undermine the overall security of the network, according to Cisco’s Scott Harrell.

Security Needs Context in IoT| SC Magazine

November 24, 2014 Paul Roberts

SC Magazine has a worthy editorial on IoT and security by John Barco, VP of product management at the firm ForgeRock on how Internet of Things (IoT) technologies requires both security and a better understanding of what Barco calls “context.” “It’s not just about protecting IoT devices but the entire ecosystem, from the customer to the partner, the web page, mobile device, mobile app, the cloud and everything else in between,” he writes. Organizations that do not grasp the complex interactions between static devices, mobile devices and (of course) the cloud risk leaving sensitive, regulated data or intellectual property at the mercy of malicious actors. Barco’s recommendations? More and better user authentication to support IoT use cases outside the firewall, and future-proofing your IoT deployment by eschewing proprietary platforms and technologies. To quote Barco: “open source gives IT a platform it can build on and customize, while open standards offer the flexibility to adapt to future […]