Cloud Security Alliance Releases New Report Examining Ways in Which Blockchain Technology Can Facilitate, Improve IoT Security

Report offers high-level overview, use-case examples of blockchain for IoT security

SEATTLE, WA – Feb. 13, 2018 – The Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), the world’s leading organization dedicated to defining and raising awareness of best practices to help ensure a secure cloud computing environment, today released Using Blockchain Technology to Secure Internet of Things, a new white paper which explores the capabilities of blockchain technology in facilitating and improving the security of the internet of things (IoT).

Authored by the CSA’s Internet of Things (IoT) and Blockchain/Distributed Ledger Technology Working Groups, the paper highlights various features that should be considered when securing connected devices using blockchain technology. The document provides a high-level overview of blockchain technology, and then outlines a set of architectural patterns that enable blockchain to be used as a technology to secure IoT capabilities. It also offers specific use-case examples of blockchain for IoT security.

“Organizations on the forefront of implementing IoT are understandably encountering challenges in identifying appropriate security technologies that are capable of mitigating the unique threats that IoT presents,” said Brian Russell, chair of the CSA IoT Working Group. “We hope this document will inspire business leaders and developers embracing the blockchain opportunity to extend the capabilities of this technology to secure the internet of things.”

The report addresses two technologies with different maturity levels:

• Blockchain: A technology enabler that supports rapidly evolving cryptocurrencies such as BitCoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Dash and hundreds more. Blockchain’s success as a foundation for cryptocurrencies has spawned new research aimed at securing systems and technologies using the distributed ledger. Most initiatives in the business context are limited to prototypes that serve mostly to master the intricacies of this complex technology. Current applications only scrape the surface of their possible uses.
• Internet of Things: A fast-maturing set of technologies that support the transformation of business and mission processes. The IoT is the inter-networking of physical devices such as connected vehicles, smart buildings, industrial control systems, drone and robotics systems and other items embedded with electronics, software, sensors, actuators and network connectivity that enable these objects to exchange data. The IoT has reached varying levels of maturity across sectors such as consumer, transportation, energy, healthcare, manufacturing, retail and financial.

“The IoT is having a major impact on how many companies conduct business and people go about their daily lives. However, security has become a stumbling block to widespread adoption or implementation. Luckily, blockchain holds great promise for securing connected devices and systems,” said Sabri Khemissa, co-chair for the Blockchain/Distributed Ledger Technology Working Group and the lead author of the paper. “This research should serve as a roadmap to implementing technology that will push the dial forward in securing IoT.”

The CSA IoT Working Group focuses on understanding the relevant use cases for IoT deployments and defining actionable guidance for security practitioners to secure their implementations. The Blockchain/Distributed Ledger Technology Working Group works to produce useful content to educate different industries on blockchain and its proper use, as well as define blockchain security and compliance requirements based upon different industries and use cases.

Individuals interested in becoming involved in the future research and initiatives of either group are invited to do so by visiting the Internet of Things WG join page and the Blockchain/Distributed Ledger WG join page.

The Using Blockchain Technology to Secure Internet of Things white paper is a free resource from the CSA and is available at https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/download/using-blockchain-technology-to-secure-the-internet-of-things.