Blurry Box Encryption Scheme and Why it Matters to Industrial IoT
These and other components need to be configured, calibrated, or replaced during initial commissioning or later maintenance, e. g., calibrating an arm, the quality data of a spindle, or motor parameters. The process is time-consuming and requires highly trained staff.
It would be an immense benefit for all parties involved if components could be installed and replaced in a simple plug-and-play process, not unlike that known from USB devices. This creates a new challenge: plug-and-play processes must be secure to guarantee the safety of the machine and the quality of its output. It must also comply with all open standards and be interoperable to enable vendor independence. This can be achieved by using OPC UA for secure communication and standardized data with protected software that ensures integrity and protects the vendor’ s know-how and USPs.
5.8 USE CASE: AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY
In modern cars, embedded software has become ubiquitous. One typical application for software protection would be the car diagnostic system. It needs to be updated regularly, as new models are brought to market and new part numbers or repair instructions are added. The diagnostic mechanisms contain a lot of AI( artificial intelligence) and know-how of the system’ s vendor. Integrity is key, as are licensing and software protection.
Vendors of diagnostic systems use software protection to safeguard the know-how in their software and data and offer subscription-based licensing to car maintenance stations.
5.9 USE CASE: BANKING INDUSTRY
Automatic Teller Machines( ATMs) have to handle substantial amounts of cash and are exposed to severe threats: Gas is inserted to blow up the ATMs, banknotes are forged, and ATM software is manipulated with maintenance functions originally meant for authorized service staff only. The answer is software protection with strong authentication and mobile security devices like dongles. This offers strong protections for the integrated software, licensing for additional service functions, two-factor authentication with dongle and password, or time-limited authorizations that can be regularly renewed for authorized staff.
5.10 USE CASE: MEDICAL INDUSTRY
Software protection is used for protection against product piracy and integrity protection for embedded software to fulfill the regulatory standards for medical equipment( such as FDA, Medical Products Act, etc.). Flexible feature licensing expands existing business models with payper-use schemes for dental, computed radiography, or medical diagnostics systems. Dental labs or dentists can buy machines at a reduced price and pay separately for the actual fillings produced by pay-per-use billing. Small laboratories, orthopedic doctors, and other healthcare facilities, who often cannot afford large upfront investments, can rent top-of-the-breed equipment, offer highly professional service, and stay competitive.
- 16- June 2016