Monthly Archives: November 2020

Disruptive IoT Trends to Watch in 2021: Strategic Industry-Specific Classification

Businesses have been rapidly evolving in the past few years by adopting digital transformation in their operations. The business climate is conducive, now more than ever, to accelerated digitization across industries.

IoT adoption has remained a gamechanger for businesses during the whirlwind 2020. And connected devices will continue to redefine business operations as industries evolve from the pandemic-induced challenges and step into 2021.

We recently conducted an elaborate research on the unmissable IoT trends of 2021, and here is an overview of our findings. We have classified the data based on industry, so that you clearly understand the trending IoT buzzwords!

IoT Trends in Automotive Industry – Digital Cockpit Solutions Lead the Way

The possibilities offered by In-Vehicle Infotainment systems are now no longer limited to navigation and music playback. These have undergone a significant transformation over the years and are now referred to as digital cockpit solutions in their new avatar.

Enhanced with phone connectivity, telematics functionalities, cloud connectivity and customized user experiences through HMI, custom-designed digital cockpit solutions have been redefining the status quo in the automotive industry.

• A digital cockpit solution combines the instrument cluster, head unit and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) functions on a single platform. This type of ECU consolidation is a big step ahead for the industry as automobiles are transforming into software-defined machines.
• Usage of Hypervisor technology to separate out the infotainment OS, enables distribution of workload across different computing resources. This, in turn, guarantees superior system performance and availability.
• Adherence to functional safety guidelines through ASIL compliance can assure complete safety of operations as well.
• Automakers are also using Augmented Reality-based Head Up Displays to enhance driver and passenger experience.
• Firmware of the Air (FOTA) updates enable seamless upgrade and maintenance of the system.

In a nutshell, the digital cockpit is one of the hottest automotive trends to watch out for in 2021.

Industrial IoT Trends – Automated Asset Management & Predictive Maintenance

In our article on Top Industrial IoT trends for 2020, we have explained the emergence of Cobots, Augmented Reality and 5G in Industry 4.0. These trends will continue to take center-stage in 2021 as well.

Let us now explore other key levers of business process efficiency in Industry 4.0 today:

• Automated asset management – Automated asset management is a hot Industrial IoT trend that will see increased adoption in 2021.

  Streamlined asset management processes can improve operational efficiency and boost revenue in Industry 4.0. Once businesses realized this, they have been harnessing the power of IoT and automation for effective asset management.

  Here is a case study of how the automation of asset monitoring benefited a solar power plant. The development of a cloud-based IoT gateway and SCADA solution to monitor and manage field-deployed solar panels significantly improved the efficiency of the plant.

• Predictive maintenance – Another trend that is being increasingly adopted in Industry 4.0 is predictive maintenance. This is essentially a strategic method of preventing the failure of industrial equipment through continuous monitoring and analysis of data. By doing so, unusual behavior/wear and tear of equipment can be “predicted” ahead of time through data analytics or AI algorithms. The necessary corrective/maintenance actions can also be taken based on the insights.

  Predictive maintenance, hence, keeps long periods of system downtime at bay. This also saves a lot of time, effort and resources in the long run. Our case study on predictive maintenance of the batteries in an industrial UPS network throws light on the many benefits it can bring to Industry 4.0.

  No wonder predictive maintenance is expected to be one of the primary business objectives for progressive manufacturing companies in 2021!

Healthcare IoT Trends – Telemedicine for Remote Patient Monitoring & Diagnosis

Telemedicine is one of the most disruptive technologies in the healthcare domain today. It is essentially the use of electronic information and communication channels by medical institutions to provide healthcare. Through this technology, patients at remote locations can avail quality medical care. Although telemedicine has been around for several decades, it saw renewed interest and adoption in the post-COVID era.

• If a healthcare provider’s technology is enabled for telemedicine, doctors can communicate with patients in real-time and provide a treatment plan. This is particularly beneficial for patients in rural areas where public health facilities are limited.
• Remote patient monitoring systems enable continuous collection of patient data at regular intervals. This information is then sent to the healthcare agencies for interpretation. This is of immense benefit to elderly patients who are homebound. A nurse can visit the house of the patient and configure the remote patient monitoring equipment. The tests can also be conducted and sent electronically to the doctor.
• Telemedicine technology is increasingly being used by doctors for continuing medical education and research.

Since telemedicine has been found to deliver on all its promises, this trending technology is expected to grow in popularity in 2021.

IoT Trends in Ecommerce – Personalization Through Artificial Intelligence

Ecommerce trends for the future are heavily influenced by the use of machine learning (ML) and artificial intelligence (AI). Today, AI is enabling unparalleled user experiences in online retail through personalization.

• Personalized product recommendations are now seen on most leading ecommerce websites. These recommendations have completely replaced endless product lists to offer unique shopping experiences to users. A product recommendation engine uses machine learning algorithms to gather data about each online user based on their historical browsing and purchase activity. Collaborative Filtering and Next-in-Sequence models are predominantly used for these predictions.
• Personalization also goes a step beyond product recommendations. Ecommerce websites use different welcome texts, product descriptions, online shop navigation sequence, etc. based on the user’s historical data.
• Big ecommerce players are additionally using visual search solutions to offer unique user experiences. Consumers can take photos of the products that they have seen offline and upload the images to get similar product suggestions.
• Dialogue-oriented online retail involves the use of voice-controlled services or smart chatbots to engage with the customer.
• Consumer location data is crucial for ensuring their convenience. An example of this is the curbside pickup facility that has gained popularity in some countries since the pandemic-induced lockdown. Such location-based services will see further growth in 2021.

Enterprise IoT Trends – Workforce Management Solutions

IoT systems and workforce management can go hand-in-hand as they rely on similar technologies – communication protocols and cloud storage of data. Hence, integration of an IoT infrastructure in an organization can be a great value-add. It provides flexibility and improved visibility of operations. Analytical tools can also be deployed to predict profitable measures for the organization.

In the post-COVID era, it is expected that a large number of companies will adopt comprehensive strategies for the offices of the future. This includes enhancement of employee safety and measures to increase productivity through the usage of smart lighting, environmental monitoring, and effective space utilization.

IoT Trends in Banking/Finance – Capacity Management, Personalization and Improved Security

In 2021, the financial sector will leverage the potential of IoT for improved efficiency of operations. Some areas where the impact will be clearly visible are as follows:

• Improvement in security of payments – Smart cards and biometrical tokens are emerging as new forms of payments. These technologies are likely to see increased adoption in the upcoming year.
• Personalized wealth management – Valuable wealth management insights can be gathered by employing IoT-enabled data processing algorithms. This facilitates increase in the speed and accuracy of data collection as well. IoT-powered wealth management solutions are also beneficial to customers as they receive alerts when their financial stability is at risk.
• Capacity management – IoT-enabled sensors can be deployed to gather and process data regarding customer footfall at branches. This real-time data can be used by the banking authorities to plan for maximum efficiency of operations. They can decide how much staff is needed for peak efficiency and how the counters can be manned full-time. They can also predict the amount of cash that needs to be in stock at the ATMs in bank branches.

Conclusion

In 2021, the adoption of IoT in various industries is expected to reach new heights. Meanwhile, the challenges of IoT security that has been a hot topic of discussion within the industry is being diligently tackled by system designers and developers.

A holistic IoT security approach is the need of the hour, wherein security best practices are engraved in the design strategy and development life cycles right from the beginning of the project.

If you have a great idea in mind and are looking for assistance on developing a real-time application based on that, reach out to us. As a leading IoT development company, we have been crafting transformative IoT solutions for clients across industries for the last 15 years.

Can AGILE Methodology and ISO 26262 Based Functional Safety Go Hand in Hand?

The automotive industry is a highly competitive and regulated industry in terms of innovation and standardization. A delay in rolling out of new technology by one OEM can prove to be a blessing for another. Add to it the concept of Functional Safety (ISO 26262) and you have a plethora of parameters to meet, which only increases the time-to-market.

The race to develop robust software in a tight timeframe has prompted the automotive product engineering companies and OEMs to adopt a fast and efficient software development methodology.

While analysis records are fundamental requirement of ISO 26262 standard, AGILE methodology is more inclined towards working software than the documentation. This practice helps save a lot of time and cost. You can see the contrast very clearly here. However, since AGILE is a proven methodology for reducing development time, the automotive stakeholders decided to ditch the concept of ‘pure Agile’ and instead modify it to suit their requirements.

How do the automotive developers align Agile and ISO 26262? How does ISO 26262’s concept of extensive analysis record keeping and Agile’s ‘working software’ concept go hand in hand? We will try to answer these questions but first let us understand both Agile methodology and ISO 26262 standard in brief.

Commandments of Agile Methodology

Agile is centered around the idea of iterative development. It implies that the solution evolves as the teams interact for continuous planning and improvement through learnings. It brings about flexibility and dynamism in the problem-solving approach.

There are 4 core values that define Agile:

• Individuals and team interactions are given more importance than tools and processes
• Working software is preferred over documentation (artifacts)
• Customer collaboration is preferred over contract negotiation
• Response to changes takes precedence over adherence to a plan

Based on these core values, Agile puts customer’s satisfaction at the forefront by ensuring fast delivery of a highly efficient software. Even if the requirements change at a later stage of the development lifecycle, it is welcomed by the developers.

Team members are supposed to meet face-to-face for information exchange as Agile considers it to be the best way of interaction. Daily meetings ensure that the entire team is on the same page and none of the team members are facing any kind of issue.

Now to put things in perspective, we will delve into the Functional Safety aspect of automotive software development.

Fundamentals of Functional Safety w.r.t Automotive Hardware and Software Development

A gamut of electronic and electrical systems operates in automobiles. The risks and resulting hazards emanating from the systems must be minimized for the safety of the passengers. The aspect of safety that may be compromised due to the function of a system is called Functional Safety. It covers only the hardware and software part of a system. In the context of an automobile, ISO 26262 standard has been created to ensure functional safety.

For an automotive hardware or software to be Functional Safety compliant, it must adhere to the practices mentioned in the various parts of the ISO 26262 standard.

The standard considers a V-cycle model for product development which is iterative in nature, and hence, similar to Agile. However, ISO 26262 standard is deeply focused on analysis records which is in a sharp contrast with Agile. The analysis records assume a lot of importance in ISO 26262 compliance as they serve as the evidence to support the activities performed during the safety lifecycle.

As you may have noticed, Agile and ISO 26262 are two different worlds that the automotive industry aspires to connect. The resulting conflicts and how they are resolved make for an interesting read.

AGILE + Functional Safety: The Conflicts and Opportunities

The difference in the basic principles of both concepts brings in a lot of contradiction. While Agile’s goal is satisfaction of the customer, Functional Safety deals with mitigating risk to life. There is a huge difference there!

Following is a list of conflicts that arise when Agile and FuSa are brought together:

While the conflicts appear discouraging, they in fact pave the way for a thoughtful implementation of Agile methodology in a safety lifecycle.

A little tweaking of Agile methodology conjures up the magic. It begins with pre-defined compliance workflow and approval process workflow and is executed by carefully planned scrum meetings and user roles.

Agile Practices Suitable for Safety Critical Software (SCSW) Development

There are more than 70 identified Agile practices and most of them cannot be used as-is during an ISO 26262 compliant software development. One such subset or Agile practice is Scrum which is modified for SCSW.

Let’s look at the roles, workflows and artifacts to be considered in Scrum.

Understanding the various roles:

Agile & ISO 26262 Workflow and Artifacts

Sprint Planning I & II: Sprint planning is an extremely important activity attended by the Product Owner, Scrum Master and the scrum team. In the Sprint Planning I phase, the Product Owner introduces the main sprint task to the team. In the 2^nd sprint planning phase, the team creates a Sprint Backlog and also a Sprint Retrospective.

Daily Scrum Meeting: This is a communication activity highly recommended for the adoption of Agile in ISO 26262 software development. The focus of the meeting is to discuss and solve the current problems faced by teams and plan for the future. A safety expert must be involved in this meeting in order to assess the safety impact of the completed work.

Sprint Review: A sprint review meeting is conducted after each sprint and is a very important aspect of SafeScrum. During a sprint review, a coded and tested piece of software is presented for review. All kinds of errors such as modelling errors, tool errors or source code errors are reviewed at this stage.

Retrospective: This is among the communication activities performed at the end of one or more sprints. This activity is helpful in ensuring that the team is working in the right direction and if any improvement is required.

Backlog Refinement: During the sprint planning, the requirements are split into safety and non-safety critical requirements. After the splitting, each of these requirements are inserted into backlogs. The safety requirements are also tagged based on the ASIL value. This backlog needs to be refined by the Product Owner, Scrum Master and Safety Manager. This refinement leads to better understanding of the requirements and their efficient implementation.

The artifacts from the Scrum are Product backlog, sprint backlog, task board and a few more.

Key Takeaways

Various instances of combining Agile with ISO 26262 have provided ample evidence that it can be quite beneficial. Not only does this union promote faster time-to-market, but the developers also get complete control over the processes without worrying about the traceability issues. Additionally, Agile practices can support the V-model of development if used in a pragmatic manner. This makes the adoption of Agile in ISO 26262 software development even more realistic.

IoT Security – Part 3 of 3: IoT Cloud and Application Security

In part 1 and 2 of this blog series, we introduced you to the building blocks of an IoT infrastructure and explained how holistic security principles can be applied to the connected IoT devices and gateways.

In this article, we explore how the IoT cloud, applications and PAN/WAN communication can be secured.

IoT Cloud Security

Cloud computing offers several advantages to businesses, including greater technological flexibility, reduced operational costs and easy scalability. When cloud computing is implemented in an IoT network, the cloud platform and connected applications become highly vulnerable to cyber threats. Here are some ways in which the cloud infrastructure can be secured using holistic security principles:

Encryption of data at rest

Businesses embracing IoT for the first time lay a lot of focus on the security of the cloud infrastructure. So, it is crucial to deploy encryption technologies to secure the cloud. Encryption is a process in which legible data (plaintext) is converted into an output (ciphertext) that does not reveal any information about the input plaintext. An encryption algorithm is employed for this conversion. Encryption ensures that even if an attacker obtains access to storage devices with sensitive data, they would not be able to decipher it.

Encryption of data at rest implies that an encryption algorithm is used to safeguard data that is stored on any kind of disk, including backup devices and solid-state drives. Several layers of encryption can be used to protect data at rest. An example of this is the encryption of sensitive information prior to storage along with the encryption of the storage drive itself.

Encryption of data in transit

Data in transit is considered to be at higher risk for security breaches. So, whether the data is being communicated over the internet or  between data centers, it is crucial to ensure that an end-to-end security strategy is in place. In order to protect data in transit, encryption is enabled prior to moving the data. Encrypted connections such as HTTPS, FTPS, SSL, TLS, etc. can also be used.

Device identity

Each device in an IoT implementation should have a unique device identity. When a device comes online, this identity is used to authenticate it and authorize secure communication with other components of the IoT ecosystem.

Device authentication using OAuth 2.0

OAuth 2.0 is a powerful open standard that can be used by API developers to protect an IoT ecosystem. It is a token-based authentication and authorization solution that also offers a framework for the decisions associated with authentication.

User role and policy

As part of access management, a privileged user management system can be deployed to ensure that stringent authentication processes are followed for user access to IoT data. It is also possible to create policies that can be attached to identities/resources to define their permissions. The administrator defines the policies and specifies the access level of resources.

Certificate based authentication

A certificate is essentially a signed digital document that includes attributes identifying its issuer and owner (also referred to as subject). It contains two important fields – a public key that belongs to the owner/subject and a digital signature from the issuer. The issuer is usually a Certificate Authority (CA) and X.509 is a popular digital certificate standard.

The public key can establish a secure communication channel with the subject. The signature is proof that the subject’s identity is verified by the issuer. The subject also possesses a private key that matches the public key, but this is not a part of the certificate. The private key is used for proving the identity of the subject once a communication session is established.

Certificate based authentication is more powerful than password-based authentication.

There are several other cloud security mechanisms that can be adopted as well, i.e., MQTT token-based authentication, maintaining access control lists and IP Whitelisting/blacklisting.

IoT Application Security

Security at the IoT application side can be ensured by adopting the following technologies:

RESTful APIs

APIs are a set of tools, routines and protocols for building software applications. They also help in securely exposing connected IoT applications to consumers/apps in the IoT infrastructure. It is crucial that the API management process is scalable, flexible and secure. In this context, REST APIs are beneficial as they allow data to be transmitted over internet protocols. They also delegate and oversee authorization procedures.

A unified architectural style (REST) enables a single app to utilize software that is written with several different programming languages. This standardization of the information flow allows interoperable M2M (machine-to-machine) connectivity. REST has now transformed into a de facto protocol for the internet, as it is understood by almost all end point systems out there.

A RESTful architecture for IoT enables data security authentication and SSL/TLS encryption to safeguard sensitive information.

Authentication

Authentication literally means employing digital certificates or tokens to prove the identity of the IoT application connecting to the network. Some of the methods that can be used for the authentication are:

• Capability based access control model, i.e., single token for the access of a group of applications
• Standards like Transport Layer Security (TLS) and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI)
• Organization Based Access Control (OrBAC)

PAN and WAN Communication Security

PAN Communication

Some of the challenges faced in IoT PAN communication are the lack of coverage over a large service area and the inability to handle interference in operating frequencies.

• Spread spectrum signaling – When devices operate in a wide spectrum of frequencies, the signal is more robust as it is spread out. It is also less sensitive to selective frequency fading and interference. Frequency hopping is a type of spread spectrum technique.

  Frequency hopping – This feature enables devices to transmit and receive data over several channels. The device simply changes the receiver channel over different periods of time, based on a random sequence of channels. This helps in combating interference on its operating channels and allows increased coverage.

 

WAN Communication

• Encrypted transport protocol with TLS – SSL and TLS encryption layers are often used to ensure security of objects in the IoT ecosystem. TLS usually takes the role of a transport layer that reinforces the SSL (which is the secure layer). TLS supports a wide range of symmetrical encryption systems.
• Secure 4G LTE connection with 128-bit encryption keys – 4G LTE is a widely adopted cellular protocol for machine-to-machine (M2M) communication. Through this, it is possible to deliver cellular connection at low power and low throughput for high-speed data. 4G LTE connection can be effectively secured using algorithms that employ 128-bit encryption keys.
• SIM based authentication – Embedded SIM in IoT applications can be used as ‘Root of Trust’ to secure these applications. IoT applications can utilise the SIM capabilities to improve the security of internet protocols such as TLS, DTLS and 3GPP GBA.

 
Apart from the above points, device-based authentication can also be employed to secure WAN communication.

Conclusion

While the issue of IoT cyber security is a growing concern at a global scale, engineers ought to adopt a holistic IoT security approach to safeguard their IoT project implementations. As discussed in this blog series, the security of the infrastructure should be a priority right from the IoT component design and development phases itself.

Other articles in this blog series:

IoT Security – Part 1 of 3: Principles of Holistic Security and End Point Security Elements
IoT Security – Part 2 of 3: Analysis of Gateway Security in an IoT Infrastructure