Sectigo, the commercial Certificate Authority (CA) and a provider of web security solutions, has formed a strategic alliance with Kyrio, a subsidiary of CableLabs, which is engaged with more than 30 global standards groups spanning the energy, industrial and commercial Internet of Things (IoT), and Smart Cities. The alliance offers standards bodies, service providers, enterprises, industry alliances, device manufacturers, IoT integrators, and platform providers, valuable in-depth knowledge about planning and executing device security programs throughout the lifecycles of connected device networks.
Bain & Company predicts the combined markets of the IoT will grow to about $520 billion (€461 billion) in 2021 – more than double the $235 billion(€208 billion) spent in 2017. Despite this explosion of devices connected to networks worldwide, there is a severe lack of security knowledge and ability to secure IoT devices and the networks that they connect to.
“DDoS and Botnet attacks continue to target unsecured connected devices. Too many devices are connecting to networks with no, or weak, security pre-installed as a default, forcing governments to take action. Equally concerning, the technology industry hasn’t educated organisations about the importance of device security and maintenance, exposing businesses and consumers to risks,” explains Damon Kachur, VP of IoT, Sectigo.
“Enterprises across the globe are struggling with the volume of devices being connected to wired and wireless networks and how to secure those devices on a large scale,” says Jen Shelby, VP of Product at Kyrio. “Sectigo and Kyrio have the architectural and operational experience to guide customers through the process of PKI design, deployment and lifecycle management.”
“Together we can help manufacturers, enterprises and standards bodies navigate the complexities of controlling which networks devices are permitted to connect to, the level of privacy and security required, and how to deploy and manage PKIs in a cost-effective way without affecting production.”
The strategic alliance provides organisations across industries with the expertise needed for IoT projects to be designed, architected, built and deployed, with security designed from day one. In turn, numerous multi-vendor ecosystems, including the Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF), CBRS WInnForum and SunSpec Alliance have already chosen Kyrio and Sectigo to manage their global PKI deployments.
“Connected device security is a highly specialised area of knowledge, often requiring expert help to ensure device networks meet industry standards,” said Tom Tansy, chairman of The SunSpec Alliance, the information standards and certification organisation for the Distributed Energy Resource (DER) industry.
“Kyrio’s team of top security experts were instrumental in helping SunSpec define our specifications to secure networked DER devices and systems. Sectigo’s CA service is a foundational element of making the security vision of The SunSpec Alliance an operational reality.”
In addition to supporting multi-vendor ecosystems, Sectigo and Kyrio will deliver custom solutions that benefit organisations in sectors managing large numbers of devices, including energy, transportation, smart cities, and commercial facilities, among others – solving complex security challenges at scale through services such as:
- Assessing environments and outlining the steps needed to deploy a secure device ecosystem
- Gathering and executing on PKI security requirements, easing the burden on the customer
- Ongoing ecosystem management, taking the complexity of security away from the customer and deploying automated solutions that seamlessly integrate into customer process flows
- Complying with annual Web Trust Audits to ensure independent third parties validate processes and procedures
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