Technology & IT | Wednesday 1 July, 2015 3:16 pm |

There are currently 25 billion connected objects in the world, making an average of more than 3 objects per person (Cisco survey1). The rapid expansion of connected objects (including 'wearables') raises new challenges around data security for the industry players who will be present at CARTES SECURE CONNEXIONS.

The major security and trust issues that the proliferation of connected objects has generated (with 50 billion objects predicted worldwide by 2020) and the growing number of uses for them in our daily lives are key themes at 2015 CARTES SECURE CONNEXIONS, which is devoting a whole day's conference to these issues, entitled "Hyper-connectivity & wearables: smart and invisible, but are they safe?"

Technologies central to the digital revolution

The 'internet of things', 'machine-to-machine communication', 'wearable technology' .... these terms have now become an everyday reality. They are based on the principle of data-processing devices communicating with human beings or with each other. This can be anything from computers, smartphones, tablets, contactless cards and passes to Withings Aura, Parrot, Pebble, Apple watches, etc. Or objects such as vehicles, meters, household appliances, etc. All of these devices rely on technical solutions (RFID, mobile technology, etc.) or protocols (TCP/IP, NFC, Bluetooth...) that either identify the objects or capture, store, process and transfer the data attached to them, both within the physical environment itself and between the physical environment and virtual worlds.

These technologies herald the transition from mobile computing to ambient intelligence and are already widely used and present in many contexts. They are having a significant economic and social impact in all areas of human activity, including health, business, sport and transport.
The reason we are hearing so much talk about connected objects is that they are now playing a major role in the digital revolution.

Firstly, in terms of volume: the number of connected objects in existence had already begun to outstrip the world's population in the 2000s, probably around 2007. According to a survey commissioned by Cisco, this year there are a total of 25 billion connected objects in the world, compared with a population of 7.2 billion. That makes an average of more than 3 objects per person and the figure is likely to be twice as high by 2020.

Secondly, alongside the clear progress and benefits that these new objects represent, this digital revolution is not without its risks, both in terms of security and reliability and in terms of personal data protection.

Separate but complementary eco-systems

The various elements of this phenomenon originate in quite separate eco-systems.

The first is that of automatic identification of objects, originally based in the world of industry and comprising technologies such as barcodes, RFID, mobile terminals, GPS solutions and all the various types of sensors. It primarily covers industrial, logistics and manufacturing processes.

The second and more recent eco-system is connected with the move towards mobile and ubiquitous computing: electronic devices are added on to everyday, mainstream objects, which then produce data and change the ways in which we have traditionally used them. These data then tend to be relayed by social networks.

The third eco-system brings together internet-based players, who offer collaborative platforms capable of processing large volumes of data and acting as intermediaries between the information supplied by consumers/citizens and the added value services aimed at them.

The major issues of security and trust

The issues associated with user security and trust are considerable, in terms of both economics and ethics. Data theft can cause serious harm to individuals and consumers, especially theft of identity data connected with an object. For example, it is a huge benefit for a driver to have a smart vehicle that can relieve some of the tiredness caused by driving. However what happens if certain data connected with driving the vehicle are altered, whether intentionally or not?

Another related issue alongside system security is that of the now widespread processing of personal data linked to the use of connected objects, which raises serious questions about how users of connected objects can control their personal data.
Technologies for anonymising, pseudonymising or simply minimising data need to be developed and implemented. Individuals will go from having had to manage only a limited number of basic personal details (surname, name, address, social security number, etc.) to a situation where they will need to control a large quantity of other additional data (IP address, IMEI, serial number, etc.).

Solutions from industry

The companies taking part and exhibiting at CARTES SECURE CONNEXIONS are also players in this evolving area.
With their expertise and wide experience in issues surrounding security and trust, they are excellently placed to deal with the challenges posed by this exponential growth in sensitive data, of which an ever increasing amount will be handled by connected objects.

These companies cover the whole chain of the components and knowledge involved in the connected object revolution, whether it be at the level of microelectronics – from chips to microprocessors – or secure data processing software, contactless communication protocols and devices or sensor networks.

The advent of wearables: portable technology

The stakes in this digital revolution sparked by the proliferation of connected objects and almost invisible processing of vast quantities of data have become even higher since the advent of wearable technology. Over the next few years, we expect the 'Worldwide Wear' to take shape ...

It is barely two years since 'Google Glass' paved the way for an ever-growing trend towards wearable devices with built-in chips, cameras and monitors. The range of wearable tech has expanded to include bracelets and watches and will soon extend to clothing itself.

Wearables capture data both actively and passively and send them to software platforms that interact with users' choices. We are now increasingly seeing technology that sticks to the skin or the body, either for comfort or for health and lifestyle monitoring. These are all transformations that will have a major impact, both in our private lives and in public settings.

Objects connected to our health

The 'Quantified Self' movement, which began in 2007, consists in gathering as much data as possible about our health and physical activity, so that we can then adjust our lifestyle or performance. The principal areas it covers are individual wellbeing and sports. Wearable tech with genuine medical value is also being developed. Patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure are following developments in wearable medical devices with keen interest.

The smart blood pressure reader that measures your blood pressure when connected to an iPhone, iPod or iPad and sends the results to your GP for their opinion ...

The bracelet that can be hooked up to an iPhone app to record how long you sleep and the length of your light and deep sleep cycles ...

The scales that measure weight, BMI and heart rate ...

According to the German firm Research2Guidance, the Quantified Self market could be worth 26 billion dollars by 2017.

Connected objects and wearables at CARTES SECURE CONNEXIONS 2015

As the strategic meeting point for trusted technologies, CARTES SECURE CONNEXIONS will provide a forum for discussion and exchanging ideas around the security issues raised by the connected objects boom. These technologies may make almost anything possible, but they will only be here for the long-term and actually be used if consumers trust them. Following the series of major cyber attacks in 2014, security and trust are a higher priority than ever both for players in the digital security industries and users themselves.