Breaking & Entering: IoT Security — Zuora

Consider how car break-ins are done in the past and in the future. With a car that is not connected to the Internet, the car’s physical security is at risk and customers may bear the loss of a music system or personal valuables. With a connected car, we are talking about a systemic cybersecurity threat with results that could be as severe as a remote car hijacking with you still in the driver’s seat. This is one example of where a lack of security poses life-threatening dangers. As more and more devices around us are connected to the Internet, we become more susceptible to these types of threats.

Recent incidents involving connected cars, such as the Chrysler Jeep Cherokee hack, pose a threat to customer confidence in IoT technology. Chrysler had to physically recall 1.4 million vehicles. If it had happened to Tesla cars, the fix would be possible with a remote software patch overnight.

Securing the realm of IoT requires applying two basic principles of information security: strong authentication and secure communication. The current leading solution to apply these principles has existed for decades in the form of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI).

Originally published at www.zuora.com.