Network Security Solutions

The State of Network Security

Forrester Research has predicted that the number of devices on "the Net" will skyrocket to 14 billion by 2010 – 95% of these being a device other than a PC. According to Harbor Research, Inc., overall shipments of devices for wireline, wireless WAN, wireless LAN and wireless PAN combined are expected to rise from 22 million devices in 2005 to 436 million in 2011, an annualized growth rate of 64%. Both of these statistics acknowledge the high level of growth in the device market. We refer to this trend of connecting non-PC devices to the network as the ‘Internet of Things’.

What these statistics don’t speak to is the imminent security threat that these devices face as they connect to the network. To get a clear understanding of the magnitude and immediacy of the problem it is important to look at the amount of malware detected over previous years. According to several independent security labs, it is growing exponentially, actually accelerating in its growth rate, with no signs of slowing down. Current signature based methods of providing protection are no longer sufficient for protecting PCs and Servers let alone non-PC devices. What people sometimes overlook is that signature based approaches need to keep track of and analyze the 2-3000 new signatures per hour, PLUS all signatures from all previous days.
Historically, this malware has been primarily directed to PCs and Servers. This has been aided by the common OS and CPU environments on PCs and Servers and the increasing sophistication of malware. As more non-PC devices come online, and more devices standardize around operating system and CPU architectures to achieve economies of scale — more malware will be directed to these devices, or the Internet of 'Things'. This malware will be much more sophisticated than early malware that was directed at PCs and servers. Over time, attacks only get stronger, and a lot of the attacker learnings from the PCs and Servers will map to the Internet of 'Things'.

Compounding the problem is that with the Internet of Things, security breaches can have life altering implications. For example, in a networked healthcare environment, if life sustaining devices are compromised, those interruptions can directly impact patient care. In a networked retail environment, if the security of point-of-sale (POS) equipment is jeopardized in any way, identity and property are at risk. In a networked datacom environment, if switches and routers are breached, entire networks can be taken down.

At Mocana we believe that the next 18 months are a critical time for device manufacturers to invest in device security and get as far ahead of this curve as possible.

Networked Device Security Framework

Device security today is most often dealt with in an adhoc manner, with software never originally intended for connected devices. This is in sharp contrast to what is required - a holistic, company-wide approach to device security that leverages purpose-built software from a trusted source that is extensible and able to deal with emerging threats.

Often, security is thought of in very narrow terms, for example, security for the management plane of a device. The practical implications of security however, are much broader. Security is closely tied to identity and impacts:

• Quality of Service (QoS)
• Service Scalability
• Billing and Accounting
• Remote Device Access
• Automation and
• Personalization

At Mocana, we believe just as you can't take advantage of what the Internet has to offer without search capabilities, you cannot take advantage of the growing connectedness of our society without the right Device Security Framework.

Mocana's Device Security Framework is an open standards-based, embeddedable software framework that secures all aspects of connected devices and device communications. A high performance, small footprint and portable security solution is paramount for the next wave of networked devices. With this complete security solution, device manufacturers and service providers will be able to achieve:

• development and deployment cost savings
• lower hardware bill of material costs
• experience higher levels of scalability and performance
• allow developers to build devices that will enable a new class of services and
• deliver complete security for connected devices and the services they enable

There are many classes of devices that perform a variety of different functions, and while the tasks they perform are different, all can leverage a common Device Security Framework if the framework has been purpose-built with portability and extensibility in mind. Mocana's Device Security Framework has been designed from the ground up to meet existing and emerging security requirements in a device and network independent way.

Blue-chip, security-conscious companies around the world such as Philips, Dell, Motorola and Siemens, and service providers like 8x8 are using Mocana security software solutions today.

Solutions Chart

Industry	Device Examples
Networking	Servers, Storage, PCs, Routers, Switches, VoIP, VPNs, Session Border Controllers, Videoconferencing, IPTV
Wireless and Mobility	Cellphones, Dual mode VoIP/WiFi handsets, PDAs, Portable Gaming Platforms, Cars, Industrial Equipment, Portable Scanners
Consumer Electronics	TVs, Cellphones, Set Top Box, Gaming Systems, Power Systems, Meters, Lighting & Alarm Systems, Printers
Defense	Cars, Ambulances, Firetrucks, Tanks, Fighter Jets, Battlefield Communications, Jeeps, Surveillance Cameras
Retail	POS Terminals, Tags, Cash Registers, Vending Machines, Signs
Healthcare	MRI Machines, PDAs, Implants, Surgical Equipment, Pumps, Monitors, Telemedicine
Transportation	Cars, Trucks, Buses, Street Lights, Ships, Planes, Signage, Tolls
Industrial Control	HVAC, Transport, Fire & Safety, Lighting, Security, Access, Pumps, Valves, Conveyors, Pipelines, Motors, Vessels, Tanks

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