Launched on Wednesday, September 23 at the Digital Catapult in London, The Internet of Things Security Foundation (IoTSF) will set out its intent, mission and programme of activities designed to promote security excellence in IoT systems.
The need for such an initiative has been validated through analysis, stakeholder consultations and an IoT Security Summit held earlier this year at Bletchley Park. The result is an initiative which will be vendor-neutral, international and collaborative, and will be dedicated to propagating security excellence in IoT applications. Pre-launch, IoTSF already has the backing of over 30 organisations from global brands to academic institutions.
As more and more devices are being attached to the Internet, for a multitude of reasons, the potential attack surface and corresponding security threat increases dramatically. Adversaries with wide-ranging motivations have an ever-rich target where security gaps, sometimes caused by a basic lack of knowledge, are being exposed on a daily basis. IoTSF has been formed in response to a spectrum of security concerns as the rise in global IoT system deployments is greatly anticipated.
“The opportunity for IoT is staggering," says IoTSF representative, John Moor. "There are a great many possibilities for businesses in all sectors including manufacturing, transport, health, home, consumer and public services. However, there are ever-real security challenges that accompany those opportunities.
"It is vital to the adoption of existing and new systems that security is addressed from the start, that it is fit for purpose and it can be managed over the lifecycle of the system. Our intention is simple – drive excellence in IoT security. By creating a dedicated focus on security, IoTSF aims to be the home for providers, adopters and beneficiaries of IoT products and services.
"Given the nature of IoT systems, this can only be done by working internationally and with others. We will therefore be inviting organisations throughout the IoT ecosystem, who have a commitment to secure products and services, to join IoTSF. We also intend to work with colleagues in other IoT alliances and the standards bodies, so we can effectively achieve our common goals.”