The cyber and data security arm of Thales has become a member of the Industrial Internet Consortium, a global organisation aiming to accelerate the adoption of the Industrial Internet of Things.
As a member of the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC), Thales e-Security will collaborate with industry leaders on global initiatives for IIoT security, particularly in regards to data protection and device security.
The IIC represents large and small industry, entrepreneurs, academics and government bodies, all with a vested interest in helping to shape and grow the industrial internet. Founding members include: Bosch, EMC GE, Huawei, intel, IBM, SAP and Schneider Electric.
According to John Grimm, Thales e-Security’s senior director of security strategy, the business will work with member companies to develop secure and interoperable ecosystems, and to help “deliver robust technologies to fuel innovative digital transformation across a wide variety of industries”.
In the industrial internet space, Thales e-Security has developed a number of offerings, such as its digital birth certificate, code signing and transparent encryption, to help businesses manage device security and protect data efficiently.
Industrial Internet Connectivity Framework
In February 2017, the IIC published the Industrial Internet Connectivity Framework (IICF), a reference architecture for IIoT system and solution developers to evaluate connectivity technologies at the design stage.
The IIC reportedly drew up the IICF in an effort to help unlock data in isolated systems, enabling interoperability between previously closed components and subsystems, as well as to accelerate the development of new applications within and across industries.
Co-chair of the IIC Connectivity Task Group, Dr Rajive Joshi explained at the time: “As the Industrial Internet of Things continues to evolve, a common connectivity architecture is critical in enabling the seamless data sharing required to unlock the potential of the IIoT.
“The IICF provides this common architecture, clarifying the connectivity stack and defining criteria for core connectivity standards. The framework provides the roadmap IoT practitioners and system architects need to navigate the complex IIoT connectivity landscape.”
