New standard facilitates remote management of IoT devices with restrictions

A new protocol for remote management of applications and files on Internet of Things (IoT) devices with restrictions and low-power networks was recently presented by GlobalPlatform, the standards organization for secure digital services and devices.

The new Secure Channel Protocol exploits the lightweight and efficient characteristics of the CoAP standard to meet the specific demands of constrained devices and networks, ensuring secure and reliable management to help accelerate the adoption of robust end-to-end security systems in the IoT device chain and comply with cybersecurity, update and patch management and energy-saving rules.

Saïd Gharout, a member of the GlobalPlatform committee that led the development of the specification, stressed that the new protocol is a major step forward in terms of sustainability and security for IoT. “We are contributing to NarrowBand IoT (NB-IoT) devices with restrictions that cannot be upgraded or patched due to a lack of SMS compatibility. This update will enrich the SIM and eSIM specifications of the GSMA, ETSI and TCA to expand the IoT with more sustainable devices that consume less energy,” explains Gharout.

The technical director of the GSMA’s eSIM group, Gloria Trujillo, welcomed the new GlobalPlatform protocol which, together with the GSMA’s new eSIM IoT specifications, as defined in the SGP.31 and SGP.32 standards, will enable the creation of a secure ecosystem to support the rapid growth of IoT devices in constrained networks.

“The network and bandwidth limitations of IoT devices have been a concern for the telecommunications sector and also for companies in general for some time now. This has become even more important given the growing global adoption of these types of connected devices in critical business environments,” says Trujillo. For Trujillo, the emergence of GlobalPlatform’s new protocol, alongside the new eSIM IoT specifications, will guarantee a secure and robust ecosystem to support and accelerate the implementation of IoT solutions.

Benefits of the new protocol

According to GlobalPlatform, the new protocol will help secure IoT device manufacturers, application developers and platform providers to enrich various use cases, including:

• Devices powered by single-charge batteries, for example, and emergency buttons and trackers, which will be able to carry out transactions with less energy consumption.
• Smart metering, especially water meters, which can also reduce energy consumption and maintain more sustainable practices, as well as extending the life of the devices.
• The automotive sector, which will be able to improve car connectivity, asset tracking and communication between vehicles.
• Smart cities, which will be able to automate and optimize the transfer of data in various urban functions, such as traffic management and pollution control, in a more sustainable and economical way.

“With the evolution of the ecosystem and technologies, we need increasingly optimized mechanisms like the new protocol to facilitate deployment and robust security management. Operators will now be able to update their (e)SIMs using this standard, which will help IoT devices on constrained networks. This will be key if we want to achieve the goal of net zero emissions worldwide by 2050, while still optimizing performance and ensuring end-to-end security,” says Gil Bernabeu, GlobalPlatform’s chief technology officer.

GlobalPlatform is an association run by around 90 member companies who share the goal of developing specifications so that digital services and devices can be trusted and managed securely throughout their lifecycle. The organization’s main focus is to protect digital services by standardizing in three development areas: Secure Element (SE), Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) and Device Trust Architecture (DTA).

IoT and eSIM partnership

eSIM technology is making the Internet of Things market more efficient via cellular networks and giving companies more flexibility and options, according to research by Omdia. As a result, the installed base of eSIMs in IoT devices is expected to exceed 3.6 billion by 2030, according to the study’s figures.

“eSIM technology has long been seen as an important form factor for IoT devices, but we are now seeing technological advances that are helping companies to provide over-the-air services in resource-constrained IoT devices,” points out John Canali, IoT analyst at Omdia. According to him, this will increase competition between communication service providers, as IoT solutions will be less subject to vendor lock-in and better positioned to negotiate connectivity tariffs.

Omdia’s study highlights that the new GSMA SGP.32 eSIM specification has been designed specifically for IoT. It offers significant advantages in terms of cost, flexibility and longevity for hardware OEMs and finally begins to close the gap between provisioning traditional consumer devices and more common IoT devices. “This will help accelerate adoption in important industries, not only those that have long desired eSIM standardization, such as automotive, but also in several others,” adds Andrew Brown, IoT practice leader at Omdia.