Semiconductor company Micron Technology has partnered with Microsoft to release a new solution to secure IoT hardware. The two companies introduced Micron Authenta that builds roots of trust (RoT) into IoT hardware.
Semiconductor company Micron Technology has partnered with Microsoft to release a new solution to secure IoT hardware. The two companies introduced Micron Authenta that builds roots of trust (RoT) into IoT hardware.
RoT is a set of functions in the trusted computing module that are always trusted by the computer’s operating system.
Micron’s solution integrates RoT into the company’s flash memory which will be built into IoT devices and sensors. The flash stores the initial start code for each device so that security checks begin before the device is up and running.
The flash will be powered by Microsoft’s Device Identify Composition Engine to verify the identity of each device before it connects to the cloud. Moreover, it will establish trusted links between devices and Microsoft’s Azure IoT Cloud.
The combined approach enables IoT developers to strengthen security systems without adding any extra hardware components, according to Micron.
“Combining these technologies will enable critical security competencies to be underpinned at a low-level in both hardware and software so that users can quickly begin to add their value to these solutions without many of the resource burdens that have been repressing innovation in the industry,” said Sam George, director of Azure IoT cloud services at Microsoft, in a statement.
Software development kits that provide secure cloud management and connectivity capabilities for IoT devices and platforms will also be released. The kits may also be used to retrofit older devices and sensors.
RoT play important roles in securing IoT devices operating in the cloud. And improving security in the hardware level is better because it allows IoT deployment to scale to any size, said Amit Gattani, senior director of segment marketing at Micron.
The Authenta technology will be available to users of Microsoft’s Device Identify Composition Engine and Azure Services, but the exact release date was not announced.