Ernest Worthman of Semiconductor Engineering recently interviewed Steven Woo, a VP and distinguished inventor at Rambus. The two discussed the numerous challenges facing the rapidly evolving Internet of Things (IoT), including security and low power sipping requirements. As Woo points out, security and privacy are critical topics, with a significant amount of concern being expressed over potential vulnerabilities in connected cars, homes and appliances.
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Semiconductor Engineering goes 1:1 with Steven Woo
Ernest Worthman of Semiconductor Engineering recently interviewed Steven Woo, a VP and distinguished inventor at Rambus. The two discussed the numerous challenges facing the rapidly evolving Internet of Things (IoT), including security and low power sipping requirements.
As Woo points out, security and privacy are critical topics, with a significant amount of concern being expressed over potential vulnerabilities in connected cars, homes and appliances.
“There is concern that, with all the different sensors and connectivity points, each one is a potential vulnerability that has to be able to be individually locked and unlocked to outside access,” he explained.
“There is a general consensus of agreement that security is difficult and it needs to be architected in from the ground up. The infrastructure needs to be able to define and limit access to such I/O ports. Today, many products still haven’t done that.”
Essentially, says Woo, the industry is retrofitting security on top of what currently exists.
“There is concern that there still isn’t a very well thought out security architecture that has been developed as a part of the IoT infrastructure. [Nevertheless], the industry has started to intersect some of the stuff we do with the envisioned infrastructure,” he continued.
“We have done a lot of work in memory, interfaces and security. We are also working on making energy sources more efficient, while at the same time chip power requirements will drop. That is kind of where the chip community is heading.”
According to Woo, Rambus has been active in the area of port security, which he described as one of the “driving forces” behind the development of CryptoManager.
“The number of high-profile break-ins that occurred in 2014 seemed to be much higher than in previous years. And one can definitely see the impact of security, or lack thereof, come to the forefront—2015 will see increased momentum in dealing with security,” he added.
In terms of power limitations, Woo notes that future IoT devices will likely function on a single charge for an extended period of time.
“The [trend] is to push the recharge times out for months, or even years, with some of the more remote or passive sensors. The movement is to have ‘watch battery’ form factors, but there is a lot of concern how that is actually going to happen with these IoT devices spewing out so much data,” he continued.
“There [is] a lot of general concern about how one minimizes power and what is the correct type of operating model for these IoT devices to conserve power. For example, if you have a bunch of data, is it better to send it at a very low data rate, with the idea that is will consume low power, or would it be better to burst it quickly at a high data rate, occasionally, where the device is in the off state most of the time?”
Interested in learning more? The full text of “One-On-One: Steven Woo” can be read on Semiconductor Engineering here.
Building smart cities with intelligent sensors
Rambus CMO Jerome Nadel recently participated in 4YFN’s MWC 2015 panel discussion about the Internet of Things (IoT), smart sensors and the evolution of smart cities.
Additional 4YFN panelists included Cisco CTO John Baekelmans, MLOVE Founder and Curator Harald Neidhardt, Intel Human Computer Interaction Expert Mara Balestrini, D4SC Designer-Founder Priya Prakash and Digitel director Amitai Gindel.
Nadel, who attended his first MWC in 2000, kicked off the panel by describing how the mobile industry has evolved over the years.
“Historically, the definition of mobile was limited to devices such as smartphones and tablets. However, there has been a paradigm industry shift, with connected endpoints acting as the new mobile,” Nadel explained.
“Although new mobile offers almost limitless opportunities for innovation, it does pose a significant challenge on the security side. For IoT to become a reality, we need to make sure vulnerable endpoints are safe from hacks by implementing security at the silicon level to provide a reliable root of trust.”
Once the endpoints are secure, says Nadel, the industry can create near ubiquitous intelligent endpoints based on small, inexpensive and low-powered sensors such as Rambus’ lenless smart sensors (LSS).
As Nadel notes, LSS technology will allow sensors to capture information-rich images using a low-cost phase grating. Although the raw ‘snap’ is indecipherable to the naked human eye, the sensor, which is approximately the size of pinhead, is capable of capturing all of the information in the visual world up to a certain resolution.
“Disruptive innovation is contrarian and we need think beyond the mobile status quo to a brave new future four years from now when ubiquitous intelligent sensors positively redefine human interaction with technology and our surroundings,” Nadel concluded. “Let’s work towards creating adaptable smart cities that empower residents by melding the physical world with the digital realm.”
Interested in learning more about Rambus lensless sensor technology (LSS)? You can check out our article archive here.
Jerome Nadel to talk smart cities @ MWC 2015
On March 3rd, Rambus CMO Jerome Nadel will participate in 4YFN’s MWC 2015 panel discussion about the Internet of Things (IoT), smart sensors and the evolution of smart cities.
Additional 4YFN panelists include Cisco CTO John Baekelmans, MLOVE Founder and Curator Harald Neidhardt, Intel Human Computer Interaction Expert Mara Balestrini and D4SC Designer-Founder Priya Prakash.
It should be noted that a growing number of cities across the globe have already allocated a significant amount of funds to track traffic flow, energy use and pollution. For example, Barcelona smart city sensors monitor everything from noise and humidity to pollution and traffic congestion.
“In addition to being used by the city, the data is made available publicly,” writes Fortune’s Shalene Gupta. “Businesses have tapped into that information to build apps that show public transit arrival times and let gardeners check which plants to water and when.”
Unsurprisingly, the number of smart cities worldwide is set to quadruple over the next 12 years, with local governments and the private sector collaborating to address a multitude of challenges confronting urban centers.
As Nadel recently told Rambus Press, smart cities will be built on the new digital infrastructure enabled by ubiquitous connectivity, smart sensors and hardened security.
“These are the basic foundations of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the elements that enable the chain of ‘capture, secure, move,’ from the sensor through the cloud to the end user. Smart sensors, secure transmission, and performant movement of data, coupled with applications and analytics, is what makes cities smart,” Nadel explained. “That is why 4YFN’s MWC 2015 panel will discuss how to ensure secure feature management and provisioning of sensor end-points in the field, as well as new disruptive sensor technologies that are ultra small, extremely low power and super low cost.”
Interested in learning more about smart cities and the Internet of Things? You can check out our IoT story archive here.
From smart dust to cybernetic implants
Smart dust can perhaps best be described as tiny, connected sensor motes tasked with performing a wide variety of functions. As Ernest Worthman of Semiconductor Engineering notes, the applications for IoT-enabled smart dust are practically limitless and include designing uber-mini drones the size of small bugs.
“Such a device would be ideal for deployment during a natural disaster where the communications infrastructure is knocked out,” writes Worthman.
Image Credit: SemiconductorEngineering
“Or, in a combat situation where dust eyes and ears can relay enemy data for troop and support ordinance. On a smaller scale, these motes can be deployed within a house, or on a ranch or farm, or even in a forest to report almost any type of event.”
According to Worthman, the motes will have to hit the air fully functional – capable of immediately interfacing with the network using a secure protocol during reporting.
“Typical methodologies for securing wireless motes include spread spectrum techniques, standard 128-bit AES encryption algorithms, data integrity via message integrity codes, replay counters and denial of service (DoS) techniques and algorithms,” he adds.
Similarly, futuristic devices that could potentially be implanted under the skin would also require high-level security features before hitting the market en masse.
Indeed, a Dutch entrepreneur known as Martijn Wismeijer recently had two wireless computer chips implanted in his hands to facilitate the easy storage of digital currencies like Bitcoin inside his body.
“Wismeijer has already experimented with storing crypto-currencies such as Bitcoin on the chip, but he adds that it is vital to encrypt them to prevent theft – especially if it’s common knowledge that you have a chip and tell people where it can be found,” reports Matthew Sparkes of The Telegraph.
“He had used it to store the private keys for his Bitcoin wallets. In the end he decided that it’s not yet secure enough for him to use permanently, but said that the experiment was a success.”
Although such a procedure is still highly experimental, Wismeijer says he already has real world uses for the implants.
“I personally feel that by supporting these bio-hacking developments we can learn what works and what doesn’t and that some day, in the not so distant future we will be able to implant more functionality like sub dermal glucose sensors or heart rate monitors and other vital health monitoring devices,” he told The Telegraph.
“Imagine a normally invisible tattoo on your arm glowing red when you get a heart attack, swipe your phone and your phone will notify doctor. By supporting these bio-hacking initiatives I believe we are paving the way for social acceptance while at the same time we support the bio-hacking technology that drives it.”
FIDO specs bolster secure authentication
The FIDO (Fast IDentity Online) Alliance recently published final 1.0 drafts of two primary specifications: the Universal Authentication Framework (UAF) and Universal 2nd Factor (U2F).
While the core 1.0 specifications are final, FIDO is also nearing completion of extensions that will incorporate Near Field Communications (NFC) and Bluetooth into the range of FIDO capabilities.
According to the Alliance, the specifications outline a new standard for devices, servers and client software, including browsers, browser plugins and native app subsystems.
In practical terms, this means any website or cloud application can interface with a broad variety of existing and future FIDO-enabled authenticators, including biometrics and hardware tokens. Simply put, FIDO specifications define an open, scalable, interoperable set of strong authentication mechanisms that reduce reliance on single-factor usernames and password logins.
“What’s most impressive is FIDO Alliance’s focus on the authentication plumbing. The protocols enable trusted client devices to trade just the right data about their users,” said Steve Wilson, Vice President and Principal Consultant at Constellation Research.
“FIDO specifications aren’t tangled up in messy identity policy decisions. It’s an elegant breakthrough, and, going forward, should drive a lot of the classic complexity out of the identity management (IdM) space.”
It should be noted that Rambus is a proud member of the FIDO Alliance, which comprises a wide range of device manufacturers, online service providers and enterprises.
Interested in learning more? You can check out the official FIDO Alliance FAQ here and read “FIDO specs: Moving beyond passwords” on BankInfoSecurity here.
