Introduction xix
problems arise in this new universe, such as identity management and
the security of communications with the sensors. The price of
identification is often set at $40 per object, which is absolutely
incompatible with the cost of a sensor which is often less than $1.
Security is also a complex factor, because the sensor has very little
power, and is incapable of performing sufficiently-sophisticated
encryption to ensure the confidentiality of the transmissions.
Finally, there is one last reason to favor migration to a new
network: security. Security requires a precise view and understanding
of the problems at hand, which range from physical security to
computer security, with the need to lay contingency plans for attacks
that are sometimes entirely unforeseeable. The world of the Internet
today is like a bicycle tire which is now made up entirely of patches
(having been punctured and repaired multiple times), and every time
an attack succeeds, a new patch is added. Such a tire is still
roadworthy at the moment, but there is the danger that it will burst if
no new solution is envisaged in the next few years. At the end of this
book, in Chapter 7, we shall look at the secure Cloud, whereby, in a
datacenter, a whole set of solutions is built around specialized virtual
machines to provide new elements, the aim of which is to enhance the
security of the applications and networks.
An effective security mechanism must include a physical element:
a safe box to protect the important elements of the arsenal, necessary
to ensure confidentiality, authentication, etc. Software security is a
reality, and to a large extent, may be sufficient for numerous
applications. However, secure elements can always be circumvented
when all of the defenses are software-based. This means that, for new
generations, there must be a physical element, either local or remote.
This hardware element is a secure microprocessor known as a “secure
element”. A classic example of this type of device is the smartcard,
used particularly prevalently by telecom operators and banks.
Depending on whether it belongs to the world of business or public
electronics, the secure element may be found in the terminal, near to
it, or far away from the terminal. We shall examine the different
solutions in the subsequent chapters of this book.
www.it-ebooks.info
problems arise in this new universe, such as identity management and
the security of communications with the sensors. The price of
identification is often set at $40 per object, which is absolutely
incompatible with the cost of a sensor which is often less than $1.
Security is also a complex factor, because the sensor has very little
power, and is incapable of performing sufficiently-sophisticated
encryption to ensure the confidentiality of the transmissions.
Finally, there is one last reason to favor migration to a new
network: security. Security requires a precise view and understanding
of the problems at hand, which range from physical security to
computer security, with the need to lay contingency plans for attacks
that are sometimes entirely unforeseeable. The world of the Internet
today is like a bicycle tire which is now made up entirely of patches
(having been punctured and repaired multiple times), and every time
an attack succeeds, a new patch is added. Such a tire is still
roadworthy at the moment, but there is the danger that it will burst if
no new solution is envisaged in the next few years. At the end of this
book, in Chapter 7, we shall look at the secure Cloud, whereby, in a
datacenter, a whole set of solutions is built around specialized virtual
machines to provide new elements, the aim of which is to enhance the
security of the applications and networks.
An effective security mechanism must include a physical element:
a safe box to protect the important elements of the arsenal, necessary
to ensure confidentiality, authentication, etc. Software security is a
reality, and to a large extent, may be sufficient for numerous
applications. However, secure elements can always be circumvented
when all of the defenses are software-based. This means that, for new
generations, there must be a physical element, either local or remote.
This hardware element is a secure microprocessor known as a “secure
element”. A classic example of this type of device is the smartcard,
used particularly prevalently by telecom operators and banks.
Depending on whether it belongs to the world of business or public
electronics, the secure element may be found in the terminal, near to
it, or far away from the terminal. We shall examine the different
solutions in the subsequent chapters of this book.
www.it-ebooks.info