Embedded system security service
workshops & engineering services to enhance your embedded system security

Security risk assessment

Secure software development

Security maintenance

Director of Engineering
The pillars of embedded systems security
SUCCESS STORY
Ensuring Adeunis building management embedded security
- Identify potential attack paths and security breaches
- Cryptography and embedded security layer design
- Complete embedded system design and integration with secure boot and security vulnerabilities patching
- Secure over-the-air (OTA) update architecture
Ready to strengthen your embedded devices' security?
6 Benefits to secure embedded systems
Protection against cyber threats
Building user trust
Meeting regulatory standards
Expanding market opportunities
Ensuring system reliability
Maintaining operational continuity
FAQ on embedded system security
What are some security risks associated with embedded systems?
- Software-Based Attacks: Targeting the embedded systems core, such as applications managing devices. For instance, making use of a runtime error (buffer overflow, race condition, …) may give an attacker with capability of running its own code on your device
- Network-Based Attacks: Exploiting network infrastructure security vulnerabilities, such as in Man-in-the-Middle (MITM) attacks, where hackers intercept or modify transmitted data by manipulating connection parameters.
- Side-Channel Attacks: Exploiting hardware security breach to weakened embedded devices.
How can embedded systems be secured?
- Requirements Risk Assessments: Address embedded device security needs, environmental considerations, user access, and sensitive data protection requirements.
- Architectural Risk Assessments: Evaluate attack surface linked to the exposure of components, network hosts, and peripheral devices to ensure tight control over embedded systems security vulnerabilities.
What key hardware and software security features can harden an IoT device?
- Communication Security: Ensure data integrity during transmission by utilizing reliable tools for secure data transfer with secure key storage.
- Boot Security: Guarantee the integrity of software running on your embedded device starting during the boot process through secure boot mechanisms and encryption.
- Runtime Security: Safeguard the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of application and operating system by managing access privileges during execution.
- Physical Security: Protect the system from physical attacks, especially for edge devices exposed to external environments, to prevent unauthorized access.
What essential practices help secure embedded systems to comply with Cybersecurity Regulations?
- Embedded Security Risk Assessment: Regularly assess and mitigate potential risks. This is foundational for cyber security for embedded systems.
- Secure Development: Implement security-first practices throughout the development lifecycle.
- Vulnerability Monitoring: Track and address software vulnerabilities in the apps and operating system of your embedded devices throughout their lifespan.
- Embedded Security Updates: Provide timely updates to maintain robust protection and address new security vulnerabilities.
- Authority Notification: Comply with regulations by notifying authorities when security breaches occur.
How much security is sufficient?
What are the key characteristics of embedded systems that impact security?
- Limited resources: Many embedded systems have restricted processing power and memory, making it difficult to implement heavy security solutions.
- Optimized algorithms: These embedded systems often use computationally efficient algorithms to conserve resources.
- Lightweight protocols: Communication protocols are designed to minimize resource consumption while maintaining functionality.
- Real-time performance: Most embedded systems operate in real-time environments, meaning they cannot afford delays caused by resource-intensive security processes.
- Securing the real-time operating system (RTOS): The real-time operating system (RTOS) should be protected from potential attacks, possibly using techniques like separation kernels or microkernels.
- Long lifespan: Embedded systems typically remain in service for many years, making them susceptible to new and evolving security threats over time.
- Long-term support and maintenance: It’s essential to provide security updates and maintenance (LTS releases, software vulnerabilities patching, etc.) throughout the device’s operational life.
What is the difference between embedded security and cybersecurity?
What is embedded systems security?
What differentiates a comprehensive cybersecurity risk assessment from a basic security audit?
A comprehensive cybersecurity risk assessment goes significantly deeper than a basic security audit, which typically focuses on compliance with predetermined standards or identifying existing configurations. A cybersecurity risk assessment, particularly one for embedded systems security, involves a proactive and systematic process to identify, analyze, and evaluate potential cyber threats and vulnerabilities that are specific to your unique operational environment and IoT devices.
This includes not just scanning for known flaws, but also assessing the likelihood of various attack vectors, the potential impact of a data breach, and determining the actual risk levels. We also help you prioritize risks based on their severity and your business context. This holistic approach to cyber security risk assessment empowers you with a detailed roadmap for risk mitigation, allowing you to implement tailored security measures and build a truly resilient security posture, rather than simply checking off a compliance list.
We know embedded systems security
4 Countries
4 countries
ISO 27001 certified
ISO 27001 certified
