News
GlobalPlatform standardizes remote management for constrained IoT devices and networks
May 2024 by Marc Jacob
GlobalPlatform has released a new standardized Secure Channel Protocol for secure elements, enabling remote application and file management on constrained IoT devices and low-power networks. This latest update will help stakeholders to accelerate the adoption of robust end-to-end security in IoT devices, comply with IoT cybersecurity regulations, manage updates and patches, save energy, and simplify device management.
Gloria Trujillo, eSIM Group Technical Director, at the GSMA welcomed GlobalPlatform’s new protocol which, alongside the GSMA’s new eSIM IoT specifications as defined in SGP.31 and SGP.32, enables the creation of a secure ecosystem to support the rapid proliferation of network constrained IoT devices.
Supporting the next generation IoT use cases
GlobalPlatform’s new protocol supports IoT secure element manufacturers, application developers, device makers, module makers and platform providers across a wide range of use cases including:
• Single charge battery powered devices (e.g. emergency buttons and trackers) – for less energy-demanding transactions.
• Smart metering, especially water meters – to help reduce power consumption and encourage more sustainable practices, while extending the life of devices.
• Automotive – to enhance in-car connectivity, asset tracking and vehicle-to-vehicle communication.
• Smart cities – to automate and optimize data transfer for a number of urban functions such as traffic management and pollution control in a sustainable, cost-effective way.
Standardizing protocols for the IoT age
To communicate over Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) like NB-IoT, new communication protocols have been adopted:
• User Datagram Protocol (UDP) replaces Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) – to enable faster data transmission and limit bandwidth requirements.
• Constrained Application Protocol (CoAP) replaces Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) – to optimize the size of data packets and reduce power requirements.
• Datagram Transport Layer Security (DTLS) replaces Transport Layer Security (TLS) – to provide end to end security.
