At the moment, there is a lot going on in the IoT landscape, including mobile operators shutting down old technology environments like 2G and 3G to create new space for the latest technologies, including 5G, LTE-M, and NB-IoT.

This is being done in order to create a more connected world where providing information is seamlessly integrated with our daily lives. From temperature readers and dishwashers to parcel delivery and EV charging status, it all starts with connecting these devices and providing information in a secure way. But is it really secure? Security both for today and for the future should be near or at the top of the list when you’re deploying, yet far too often, we see it being treated as an add-on.

Some things to consider in order to enable a future proof, secure, and manageable deployment:

Evaluate your current deployment

• Is your communication secure?
• Are you using a legitimate device?
• Are you getting future firmware updates regularly?
• How robust is the SIM environment (is it easy to remove the SIM from the device, particularly if it’s remote or otherwise out in the field)?

Start or continue building your IoT/M2M solution based on your evaluation

• Once you’ve completed your evaluation and gotten insights, this is where you start your deployment on a small scale, testing, and then rolling out. That might work if this is a new deployment, but what about one that has already been rolled out? If it’s all legacy hardware the best way forward may be to aggregate it from the newest deployment. Another thing option: if firmware is not available after X number of years, you might want to consider switching out hardware.

Make sure your IoT solution is future-proof

• Roll out small, test, don’t forget about ‘can I upgrade firmware remotely’. Ask yourself: Do I have challenges doing this and how can I solve that before I mass deploy my devices?

Let’s look at the devices you are using

• Are they future proof, built with the latest firmware, and able to connect with the latest technologies like e.g., 5G, LTE-M and possibly NB-IoT?
• What about the data transmitted from the device to your platform or vendor? Is it connected using the internet and do you want to review your connectivity? Reach out to us for other – possibly smarter – ways to connect your deployment to your datacenter or Cloud.

You should also look at the way you control your connectivity in you Connectivity Management Platform (CMP). Is it secured by 2FA (two-factor authentication)? Ask yourself is users are administrated in a good way. Your account manager can explain the benefits of 2FA.

When you first deploy, security is often the last point on the roadmap. It might be better to consider making it the first point on the roadmap, so that you ensure that your solution is safe and secure.  We are always happy to guide you in the right direction, such as where you can start to roll-out quickly, and how you can test and add the security features along the way to make your deployment future-proof even before you start your project.

Our service managers and solution architects are always there to help you, please get in touch.

Arjen Zijlsta
Solution Architect
Tele2 IoT