WISeKey and SAP Collaborate on IoT Security

Embedding SAP HANA IoT devices with WISeKey’s Root of Trust allows for secure device-to-device interaction. (Image courtesy of WISeKey.)

Internet of Things (IoT) devices could soon see increased security as a result of a collaboration between Swiss cyber security company WISeKey and German enterprise software maker SAP. This partnership will see an integration of WISeKey’s Managed Cryptographic Root of Trust (RoT) secure IoT Edge devices and the SAP HANA cloud IoT platform.

WISeKey’s Managed Cryptographic RoT works as a common trust anchor that is recognizable both to applications and operating systems. The RoT already enables confident and secure online transactions. By embedding the RoT onto an IoT device, the same confidence can be achieved for interactions between devices on the IoT using the SAP HANA platform.

Engineering Security for the IoT

The wealth of information generated by sensors and devices on the IoT will only be effective if it can be trusted, which is why companies like WISeKey and SAP are putting so much effort into IoT security. SAP’s General Manager of IoT Security, Gil Perez, spoke of how this collaboration with WISeKey is contributing to the effort.

“Securing data communications from edge devices to the SAP HANA Cloud Platform for the IoT and SAP solutions for the IoT is a prerequisite for any bi-directional enterprise IoT use case,” Perez explained. “By working with WISeKey, we are continuing to offer our customers options for ensuring the validity and scalability of sensor data powering SAP IoT platform and solutions.”

Still not convinced? Engineers can look beyond WISeKey and SAP’s opinion and go directly to IoT consumers, as a recent Intel Security survey reported that 66 percent of respondents are worried about cybercriminals having access to their private data. This is not an unwarranted fear, considering a separate report from AdaptiveMobile that shows that up to 80 percent of IoT devices lack sufficient security measures.

With this in mind, IoT engineers must take security seriously when designing products for both consumer and enterprise applications, for which insecure systems could result in lost revenue. This means staying on top of the latest info on possible vulnerabilities and taking measures to secure systems and gain user trust.

While the onus of personal security is on users as well as designers, the engineers behind IoT applications are the front line against hackers and cybercriminals. By being conscious of this responsibility, engineers can ensure that users have the proper tools to defend their data.

To learn more about IoT security, check out 3 Software and Hardware Tools to Help Secure Your IoT Designs.