As connected vehicle technology is evolving at a rapid pace, it has changed the way people commute. On-road journeys are on the verge of becoming even safer and more efficient due to connected vehicles. This is increasingly burgeoning the demand for leveraging IoT devices in the connected mobility ecosystem. 

And when connected vehicles have become the new norm in the automotive industry, it’s essential to make this technology better. Adopting various data security methods is one of the ways where IoT network segmentation is the priority method. 

But what is IoT network segmentation all about? Why do we need it in connected mobility and what are its benefits? These are a bunch of doubts you must be contemplating as an OEM or enterprise owner. Let’s dive in and explore the answers to all these doubts. 

What is IoT Network Segmentation and why do enterprises need it?  

IoT network segmentation is a data security mechanism that divides a network into multiple segments or subnets. These subnets act as small networks which perform individual tasks to handle volumes of data while prioritizing its security. Let’s understand why enterprises need it.  

Attackers target enterprises with a plethora of IoT security threats and breaches. In the case of connected mobility, these threats can be unauthorized software updates, denial of service, password & key attacks, etc. Undoubtedly, there will be many more attacks and vulnerabilities on the horizon. One mechanism that OEMs and enterprises can use to protect their IoT devices and connected mobility ecosystems is IoT network segmentation. 

Now, you must be thinking about why you should choose IoT network segmentation over any other data security method. Well, scroll down to know the reasons behind it.  

How secure is the existing connected mobility ecosystem and why do you need IoT network segmentation?   

In the existing connected mobility ecosystem, the transmission of data between various telematics/IoT devices in connected vehicles takes place with utmost security. Here’s how:  Firstly, the IoT device establishes the TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) connection by sending a TLS (Transport Layer Security) handshake message request to the IoT platform.  

Once done, the IoT platform responds to a TLS handshake request via secure encryption keys.  On top it, there is a layer of MQTT protocol that uses client certification authentication (CCA) mechanism to prevent unauthorized data access, ensuring only authorized clients/users can connect to the MQTT broker  Even after the secure data transmission from IoT devices to Cloud, your data is still at Risk.

Once the data securely enters the cloud environment, it’s still exposed to data breaches and vulnerabilities. Here are some of the consequences of the larger attack surface data is exposed to:  Unauthorized OTA(Over-the-Air) software updates leading to firmware corruption, denial of service (DoS) attacks, etc.  Increased data congestion at the network level, further inviting malicious attacks on the virtual machines Unprecedented data loss during cluster failure due to misconfigurations, security vulnerabilities, or bugs in the system software.

All in All, it’s essential to ensure the data security inside the IoT platform after the secure data transmission from various IoT devices to cloud platform. Here is where network segmentation plays an important part. Let’s explore how.  

IoT Network Segmentation: Need of the Hour for the Existing Connected Mobility Ecosystem  

Vulnerable IoT infrastructures of the existing connected mobility environment are easy targets for attackers. And after going through the above-discussed points, you already know why. Therefore, it’s essential to ensure that your IoT network doesn’t become an open battlefield. Implementing the mechanism of IoT network segmentation is definitely a way to do it.  

It is a process of segmenting the IoT network into separate zones to prevent potential data breaches by reducing the attack surface. So, even if one part of the network is compromised, it prevents unauthorized access to the entire IoT platform.  There is a cornucopia of benefits of network segmentation in the connected mobility environment, such as:   Enhances network performance by isolating various types of data traffic for both users and operators. 

Reduces risk of data breaches due to isolated network segmentations, further limiting the spread of malware and other threats like denial of services, unauthorized access, etc.   Undeniably, enabling the mechanism of IoT network segmentation is an effective way to secure your vehicle data. However, there are a few factors you need to consider while choosing a relevant platform for it, such as:  Is it scalable to accommodate the growth of the IoT network? 

How easily can you manage and operate it? Is the network segmentation platform you are opting for cost-effective?  By carefully considering the above-discussed factors, it is possible to choose the right IoT network segmentation platform for your existing connected mobility networks. 

Condense, a scalable and click-to-deploy IoT platform, provisions a secure infrastructure at user’s cloud environment or virtual private cloud (VPC). It provides an authentication mechanism for further communication between the user deployment and Zeliot’s central tower. Enlisted below are a few ways in which Condense’s IoT network segmentation work to protect data from breaches: Executes unique username/password mechanisms, C2D communication methods, and other authentication tokens, further preventing unauthorized OTA(Over-the-Air) software updates.  Enables Just-in-Time access to the ports of a virtual machine, allowing clients (who have unique IDs and credentials) to access the data for a limited period of time. Consequently, it blocks all inbound traffic at the network level, further overcoming malicious attacks on the virtual machine. Securely saves all the user credentials that are essential for accessing the configuration dashboard. This mechanism is essential for recovering the data during cluster failure due to misconfigurations, security vulnerabilities, or bugs in system software.  Enables release management services which are isolated from the production network. As a result, it prevents any deployed malicious code from reaching the production data.  

Securely stores and manages all the container images relevant to the deployment process, isolating them from the production network, further preventing malicious attacks.  Wrapping it up, The connected mobility ecosystem is innovating at a high velocity and is getting automated, leaving manual dependency behind. All that the current automotive industry requires is an efficient and easy-to-operate IoT security platform to execute various data security mechanisms like IoT network segmentation. Zeliot’s Condense, a verticalized mobility IoT platform is definitely capable of executing it.  Was this blog post insightful? Do you have any questions about the importance of IoT network segmentation in your existing connected mobility environment?  We would be happy to address them all.