Hardware Security Lidera IIoT com Tamper-Resistance, Faster Market Entry e Strong Protection para Manufatura, Transporte e Utilities

Automação industrial é projetada para ser largest spend segment dentro do IoT landscape em 2019. A critical question para every manufacturer: como garantimos trustworthiness dos devices que tether estes sistemas à network? Este artigo examina por que hardware-based security emerge como most reliable solution para IIoT, delivering not only robust protection mas também faster time-to-market, greater scalability e enhanced manufacturing flexibility.

Investimento IoT por Setor

Segundo recent forecast by International Data Corporation (IDC), manufacturing, transportation e utilities dominarão IoT investment este ano. Global spend expected to hit $745 billion, com discrete manufacturing ($119B), process manufacturing ($78B), transportation ($71B) e utilities ($61B) leading the way. Manufacturers focarão em solutions que streamline operations e manage production assets, enquanto transportation sector allocará more than half seu budget para freight monitoring, seguido por fleet management. Utilities priorizarão smart-grid technologies para electricity, gas e water.

Superfície de Ameaça Crescente

Hardware procurement forecast to reach $250B, largely driven by $200B+ em modules e sensors. À medida que este mercado expande, threat surface de cyberattacks cresce em tandem. System integrators must deploy security technologies rapidly, weighing both hardware e software options. O decisive factor é often vulnerability profile de cada approach.

Hardware vs Software Security

Software solutions são inherently more exposed; attackers can dissect code to find weaknesses. Em contraste, hardware security chips são engineered for tamper resistance, featuring encrypted memory, fault-tolerance e protected code execution. Quando software roda em tal hardware, herda shielded environment que protects against reading, copying ou tampering.

O que dizem os Standards

Leading industry standards — IEC 62443, NIST e Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) — mandate hardware security para highest assurance levels. NIST's "Platform Firmware Resiliency Guidelines" emphasize que roots of trust (RoTs) e chains of trust (CoTs) must withstand tampering de any software running on host processor. Guidelines state que any data passed from host software to platform firmware should be treated as untrusted.

RoTs form foundation of resilience em industrial control systems e anchor chain of trust. Each successive component colabora para preserve trust established by RoT, enabling secure functions como device updates. After completing its task, RoT ou CoT may relinquish privileges, ou may pass control to lower-trust element.

Because RoTs perform critical security functions, they must be secure by design. Confidence em RoT hinges on thorough attack-surface analysis e effective mitigations. Vendors são responsible for safeguarding RoTs, typically by making them immutable ou verifying integrity e authenticity de any changes before applying updates. RoTs often operate em isolated environments com higher privilege levels ou complete their functions before exposure to potential modification.

Oferecendo Mais que Segurança

Steve Hanna, Senior Principal na Infineon Technologies, explica por que hardware security não é only most resilient mas também delivers added value. "Hardware-based security brings tamper resistance, accelerated time-to-market, scalability e performance. Também protects against theft e counterfeiting throughout supply chain," diz. A dedicated security chip, rigorously tested by independent laboratories e certified by international bodies, pode perform cryptographic operations, simplifying design e reducing implementation time de months to weeks.

Haydn Povey, board member IoT Security Foundation e CEO Secure Thingz, stress importance de immutable boot path. "Hardware provides control needed for root of trust, auditability e secure enclave que can enforce known good state," notes. Adiciona que silicon vendor pode provision secure elements at wafer level para high volumes, enquanto distributors como Arrow podem program secure keys para smaller batches, forming trusted ecosystem.

Infineon's Hanna highlights que ready-made, certified security chips allow designers embed device authentication, supplier key protection e other trust functions com minimal effort. Isto é especially valuable given steep learning curve de IIoT security.

Chart: Infineon's OPTIGA product family provides range of security chips for authentication e other functions. (Source: Infineon Technologies)

Scalability, Performance e Manufacturing Flexibility

Com IIoT adoption accelerating em 2019, time-to-market e scalability become critical. Hardware security modules podem ser tailored a different performance, security e platform requirements, enabling single discrete controller para secure entire product portfolio. Consistent security implementation across multiple devices enhances confidence para customers e regulators alike.

Adding security pode impact device performance e power consumption. Hardware solutions excel em secure storage e cryptographic calculations. A tamper-resistant chip pode execute key operation em single pass within protected environment, whereas software implementations may require multiple obfuscation steps, degrading performance e increasing power usage.

Supply-chain security é another major concern. Devices often receive unique key pair — public e private — para establish identity e access rights. Se private key é intercepted durante manufacturing ou shipping, counterfeit devices poderiam infiltrate network. Hardware security chips fornecem traceability throughout value chain, allowing verification of authenticity at each stage e reducing risk of counterfeiting.

Ultimately, Hanna asserts que hardware security oferece significant benefits para IIoT devices e systems. "Even if attacker gains access, they cannot easily decipher chip's operations. Our technology makes it extremely hard to locate ou exploit vulnerabilities," diz.