The emerging Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to encompass every aspect of our lives, generating a paradigm shift towards a hyper-connected society. IoT devices range from sensors and security cameras to vehicles and production machines, and are used in the industry, energy, mobility, smart home, and smart city application domains. The IoT raises major security and privacy concerns. Security weaknesses in these systems not only lead to severe privacy breaches, but also have safety-relevant implications if safety-critical components are attacked. As more and more devices get connected, the number of attack vectors and possibilities for adversaries will grow rapidly. Maintaining privacy requires solid security that is built hardware-up.
In the industrial space, with Industrie 4.0, companies have recognized that cyber- and information security is of central importance. Hyper connectivity of cyber-physical systems will lead to a shift in the structure of the current industrial economic system and society. Industrie 4.0 including (I)IoT is no short-term hype, but a vision which can be implemented in many small steps. Even if I4.0 looks revolutionary, in retrospect, the implementation of I4.0 is rather evolutionary. Confidence in data security, functional safety and trust are decisive for success in the implementation and the global competitiveness of smart services and technology.
At Fraunhofer Singapore, our research is focused on solving a broad set of key problems in the areas of industrial cyber security for emerging technologies and services. We research and develop mechanisms and technology for protecting interconnected industrial systems and cyber-physical systems where data is exchanged to facilitate new services and business processes in smart industrial ecosystems. Our research therefore provides a basis for creating and using secure and reliable services, while at the same time ensuring the digital sovereignty of data owners.
We provide research on Internet of Things (IoT) and the security of its connected underlying communication technology, eg. LoRaWAN and NB-IoT. We have extensive technical background in cyber-physical systems and embedded security and in particular with physical attacks and hardware security components such as TPMs and HSMs. Additionally, we have an understanding of the economics surrounding embedded and network security. We work on solutions that not only fulfill stringent security requirements but that also take into account the limited available resources in embedded systems as well as their economic realization.