IoT Credential-Changing Plugin for Firmware and Security Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems fail to provide a centralized interface for effectively identifying and managing IoT devices, leading to vulnerabilities and increased risk of attacks due to unmanaged credential policies, outdated firmware, and insecure configurations.
Innovation Solution
A system that identifies IoT devices through network scanning, determines device families, and performs secure firmware updates, credential management, and configuration changes using machine learning and heuristics, leveraging a Privileged Asset Management system to optimize security.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a centralized management system is implemented for IoT devices, then security and management effectiveness are improved, but system complexity and implementation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a centralized IoT management system that acts as an intermediary between administrators and numerous IoT devices. This mediator provides unified credential management, device monitoring, and security policy enforcement, reducing the complexity of managing individual devices while improving overall security posture.
Solution Approach 2:
The management system performs multiple functions including credential storage, device identification, vulnerability assessment, firmware update management, and security policy enforcement. By consolidating these diverse functions into a single platform, the system improves security without requiring separate specialized tools for each function.
2Reliability
If regular auditing and updates of all IoT devices are performed, then security vulnerabilities are reduced, but time and effort requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The management system enables automated self-service capabilities where devices can be automatically discovered, authenticated, and updated without manual intervention. Credential rotation, firmware updates, and vulnerability patches are deployed automatically across the device fleet, maintaining high security while minimizing the time and effort required from administrators.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary actions by pre-configuring security policies, credential management rules, and update schedules before devices are deployed or vulnerabilities arise. This proactive approach ensures devices are secured in advance and reduces the reactive time needed when security issues are detected.
3Manufacturing precision
If manual management of each IoT device is performed, then control and configuration accuracy are improved, but scalability and efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The management system segments device management into standardized modules for different device types and functions. By categorizing devices into families with common credential and configuration patterns, the system maintains precise control over each device's specific requirements while enabling bulk operations across segments, thus preserving configuration accuracy while improving scalability.
4Device complexity
If credential policies are not regularly updated, then system simplicity is maintained, but security vulnerabilities increase
Solution Approach 1:
The management system implements periodic credential rotation and policy updates automatically. Credentials are renewed on scheduled intervals, and security policies are periodically reviewed and updated based on emerging threats. This periodic action maintains system simplicity from the user perspective while ensuring credentials remain secure through automated, time-based security enhancements.
Data Source
AI summary
A process for management of Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices includes a management system for identifying, interrogating, and updating devices connected to one or more networks. The management system can include a data store for storing various data related to the devices and the various processes of the management system. The management system can include a controller for executing processes such as interrogation processes, firmware change processes, credential change processes, and other processes. The controller can determine versions of firmware and other configuration properties of a device and generate various profiles for updating the firmware and other configuration properties. The controller can determine upgrade paths for updating the firmware and other configuration properties from a first version to a second version, the upgrade paths including one or more intermediary versions for facilitating the upgrade path. The management system can update devices individually, on a device family basis, or on a system-wide basis.