The Art of Connectivity Part 2: Providing the Right Level of Protection

In the context of our IoT developments, cybersecurity is an indispensable aspect and must therefore be developed architecturally into the system. Cybersecurity in this context is defined as:

Confidentiality

This principle addresses the protection of information from unauthorized access and disclosure. It ensures that only authorized users can access certain data, protecting sensitive information from unauthorized people.

Integrity

Integrity aims to ensure the accuracy and integrity of data and information. It ensures that data cannot be manipulated or altered unnoticed, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the information.

Availability

This principle focuses on ensuring that systems, services, and data are always accessible when they are needed. It protects against disruptions, failures, or attacks that could affect the availability of information.

Authentication

Authentication refers to the process of verifying the identity of a user or entity to ensure that it is indeed who it claims to be. This is often achieved through the use of username and password, biometrics, or other security mechanisms.

Authorization

Authorization defines the permissions and access rights granted to an authenticated user. It determines which actions or resources a user is allowed to use after authentication. Authorization helps ensure that users can only access the resources they are authorized to access.

REQUIREMENTS ENGINEERING

In our projects, it is our task to work with you to find out which data needs to be protected and to what extent. Any additional protection does not provide 100% security, but only increases the time and effort it takes for an attacker. Each system therefore has different requirements.

A medical pump for diabetics, for example, requires absolute safety, which of course greatly increases the effort into design, verification and implementation.

On the other hand, a charging station does not have fatal consequences, but only affects money, reputation and customer satisfaction. Here, too, investments should be made in security, but customer benefits should not be ignored.