Strengthening IoT Security: The Role of SESIP Certification

The rapid expansion of the Internet of Things (IoT) revolutionized industries, cities, and homes, connecting billions of devices to streamline operations and enhance everyday life. However, with this exponential growth comes an equally growing concern: security. IoT platforms, which provide the backbone for IoT networks, face unique security challenges; securing not just the devices but the entire platform is crucial to ensuring the safety and reliability of these interconnected systems.

The Security Evaluation Standard for IoT Platforms (SESIP) provides a framework specifically designed to assess and validate the security of IoT platforms. In this article, we’ll explore the role of IoT platforms, possibilities offered by a SESIP certification, and our services as an approved SESIP laboratory.

The Role of IoT Platforms

An IoT platform serves as the bridge between hardware devices, communication networks, and cloud services. It is responsible for:

• Device Management: Registering, controlling, and monitoring connected devices.
• Data Integration: Collecting and processing data from IoT devices for analysis or automation.
• Connectivity and Communication: Managing communication protocols to facilitate secure, reliable connections between devices and the cloud.
• Security Controls: Ensuring the authentication and authorization of devices, secure communication, and protection of sensitive information.

With such pivotal responsibilities, IoT platforms must be secure to prevent unauthorized access, data breaches, and system vulnerabilities that could impact entire digital ecosystems.

SESIP Certification for IoT Platforms

Designed specifically for the unique needs of the IoT industry, SESIP focuses on evaluating the security functionality of a platform in a modular and flexible way. There are several levels of SESIP certification, each corresponding to the complexity and security requirements of the platform:

• SESIP Level 1: Self-assessment
• SESIP Level 2: Black/Grey-box penetration testing
• SESIP Level 3: White-box vulnerability analysis and penetration testing
• SESIP Level 4-5: Reuse of Common Criteria evaluation and higher attack potentials

atsec’s Role as an Approved SESIP Lab

“We are excited to announce that atsec is now an approved laboratory for SESIP level 1 and level 2 assessments, and level 3 is pending under TrustCB. atsec is now officially qualified to evaluate IoT platforms against the SESIP standard,” said Rasma Araby, Managing Director of the atsec Sweden’s operation.

“With this accreditation, atsec bolsters up its commitment to IoT evaluations and assessments that started two years ago when we became a Medical Device testing facility for the standard IEEE 2621,” added Sal La Pietra, atsec’s president and co-founder.

As an approved laboratory, atsec offers:

• A readiness assessment to help you estimate the level of effort required for your product to comply with SESIP requirements
• SESIP assessments at SESIP level 1- SESIP level 2 (pending SESIP level 3 approval)

With atsec now an approved lab for SESIP, companies developing IoT platforms have a trusted partner to help them achieve certification and build more secure, resilient solutions.

For more information about our SESIP services, please visit the Security Evaluation Standard for IoT Platforms (SESIP) page on our website.