Today, Micron Technology (Nasdaq:Technology MU) and Microsoft announced a partnership to tackle the difficult task of offering reliable computing models for Internet of Things deployments in commercial, automotive, and residential settings. One of the main issues and hurdles to the expansion of IoT installations and related business models is cyber-security as digitalization and the adoption of Internet Protocol (IP) for sensors and devices become more prevalent. In order to create a secure connection between an IoT device and the cloud, the new solution makes use of a hardware 'root of trust' built into Micron's flash memory in the IoT device and the Microsoft Azure IoT cloud.

Micron has also unveiled Micron® AuthentaTM, a new IoT security technology at Hannover Messe 2017, which supports strong cryptographic device identity and device health management in flash memory. In order to evaluate a device's health, the idea of tracking persistent memory storage is becoming more and more important. The combination of the Microsoft Azure IoT cloud and Micron® AuthentaTM Technology helps ensure that only trusted hardware has access to the IoT cloud by utilising Microsoft's support of Device Identity Composition Engine (DICE), an emerging standard from the Trusted Computing Group (TCG).

The crucial feature of the integrated approach is that an IoT device's identification and state are checked in hardware on the device, which is often where vital code is kept.

The crucial feature of the integrated approach is that an IoT device's identification and state are checked in hardware on the device, which is often where vital code is kept. This makes it possible to use more sophisticated features like hardware-based device authentication and provisioning, as well as to safely fix a compromised device in the field.

Starting with the boot process, Micron's AuthentaTM Technology offers an exceptional level of security for the software running at the lowest levels of IoT devices. Utilizing already-existing standard flash memory ports allows system developers to strengthen system level security without including more hardware, resulting in a more robust and affordable IoT solution.

Microsoft and Micron also said today that they will give software development kits (SDKs), which will make it simpler to provide secure IoT cloud management and connectivity for new platforms and devices as well as the capability to upgrade legacy systems.

'Microsoft and Micron are working together to offer clients a unified strategy to enhance IoT security. By enabling customers to expand their IoT connectivity while lowering the implementation expenditure, this capability will hasten the adoption of the newest IoT concepts 'Sam George, director of Azure IoT cloud services, stated Combining these technologies will make it possible for crucial security capabilities to be supported at a low level in both hardware and software, allowing users to quickly start contributing value to these solutions without many of the resource burdens that have been stifling innovation in the sector.