Network security vendors are only just beginning to grips with securing vulnerable Internet of Things deployments, particularly in the leading edge of Industrial IoT infrastructure.

One upstart vendor that’s trying to cut its teeth securing ubiquitous embedded systems is Mocana Corp., which offers a platform-based approach to securing IoT clouds and devices. The company, based in San Francisco, said today that its new IoT Security Platform is able to secure a wide range of IoT devices covering everything from power grids to jet engines and more. The company boasts of several new features that have been designed to undermine the evolving nature of IoT threats that look for weak points in industrial networks.

The first component is something called a “trust engine,” which is basically an abstraction layer that leverages new security features from chipmakers like ARM Ltd. and Intel Corp. Last year, ARM unveiled a new processor that incorporates TrustZone technology to establish “trust anchors” wherein security is assumed instead of derived. Mocana says trust engines are essential building blocks for applications that determine, for example, when a jet engine requires maintenance.

Another key feature of Mocana’s “full stack” IoT security framework is its automated certificate management tool that ensures trust from system booting all the way up to Industrial IoT operations. Mocana says its automated security approach, which it calls “Enrollment over Secure Transport,” enables a lifecycle of trust for secure boot, secure firmware updates and trusted operations.

Mocana also offers a “strong” cryptographic engine that’s used to authenticate and control cloud applications, IoT devices and network gateways. This addresses one of the biggest vulnerabilities in IoT security, namely the devices, which can be hacked to gain access to networks. A recent example of insecure devices surfaced this month when researchers found vulnerabilities in numerous products made by Dahua Technology Co. Ltd., a company that security expert Brian Krebs describes as the world’s second-largest IoT device vendor.

Mocana’s cryptographic approach to controlling IoT devices could well catch on with security-conscious enterprises, as device vendors themselves are notoriously lax when it comes to securing their products.

“Hackers have demonstrated their ability to get behind firewalls and take over IoT devices,” said Mocana’s Chief Executive Officer William Diotte. “Once a hacker has control of an IoT device or controller behind a firewall, they can wreak havoc by manipulating flow controls, valves, compressors, power systems and engine controls.”

Image: Bablu Badmash/Flickr