Security solution could enhance SoftBank’s growing portfolio of IoT investments
SoftBank Technologies is partnering with Rambus in an effort to bolster IoT security and device management. Rambus makes semiconductors and IP cores for memory chips, security solutions, smart sensors and lighting products. The company said its CryptoManager solution enhances IoT security in three ways.
- Facilitates secure mutual authentication between an IoT device and the cloud with an embedded security core.
- Allows only legitimate, verified cloud services to communicate with each other by detecting and thwarting unauthorized communication attempts.
- Verifies secure over-the-air (OTA) updates.
SoftBank Technologies is tapping into this technology along with two other SoftBank subsidiaries, Cybertrust Japan and Miracle Linux Corporation.
“Our combined expertise brings an innovative, secure solution that provides highly secure, in-field device updates, safeguarding sensitive information and mitigating cyber-attacks,” said Rambus CEO Ron Black in a statement.
Rambus already has a partnership with Cybertrust Japan. Last May the two companies said they will work together to deliver secure key provisioning and security services for a range of connected devices, including multi-function printers and connected cars.
For SoftBank, the partnership with Rambus is the latest in a series of investments and partnerships designed to give the Japanese carrier a central role in enabling the internet of things. SoftBank is deploying three different IoT technologies in Japan: LoRa, narrowband IoT, and LTE Category M1. The carrier has also launched an embedded SIM solution to facilitate machine connectivity. In the United States SoftBank owns a controlling interest in Sprint, which recently announced an IoT network based on LTE Category 1. SoftBank also expects to sell billions of chip designs for IoT-related devices, through its British subsidiary ARM. The company will also participate in the growth of IoT data analytics software through its investment in California’s OSIsoft. SoftBank has also invested in Encored, a provider of energy use data analysis. In addition, SoftBank is buying Boston Dynamics for robotics, and has invested $5 billion in Chinese ride-sharing service Didi Chuxing, which is working to develop autonomous cars.
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