Securing communication of devices in the internet of things

Abstract

It is recognized herein that current messaging protocols for internet of things (IoT) architectures are often weak from a security perspective, and are often poorly suited for resource- constrained devices. An example IoT system described herein combines device authentication and application-layer key establishment using facilities of IoT messaging protocols. The IoT system may include a Trust Broker, which acts as a registration point for devices, and an edge gateway, which manages communication between a given device and the trust broker (and IoT servers). The edge gateway may acquire a trusted role, such that it may be a secure intermediary for device-server messaging, and such that it can facilitate authentication of devices to services.

Description

[0001] Cross References to Related Applications [0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 455,071, filed February 6, 2017, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Background technique [0003] Devices in the Internet of Things (IoT) are usually not directly connected to communication networks. Typically, small IoT devices connect to hubs and gateways, which in turn establish connections to the Internet. A characteristic of such devices is that they are loosely connected through gateways. For example, the devices are not always connected to and reachable by a web service, and their bandwidth may be low. Additionally, IoT devices typically have a long lifespan and are deployed in remote, hard-to-reach areas. [0004] Typical application-layer communication protocols for such resource-constrained IoT devices follow a simple message-centric paradigm, such as a publish (pub) / subscribe (sub) approa...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

For example, the devices are not always connected to and reachable by a web service, and their bandwidth may be low

Images