IoT news of the week for July 26, 2019

IoT security questions? Start here: This report from the Industrial Internet Consortium is my new favorite resource for explaining security concepts related to IoT devices and networking. It lays out exactly what tools are available and how they should work, which makes it essential reading for anyone in a business trying to buy or sell connected equipment or services based on connected devices. If you need it, the report starts with the context and rationale for securing your IoT devices. But it’s in the best practices and definitions where this document really shines. It provides best practices for key management, authentication, hardware roots of trust, encryption and more. It also does a good job stressing the importance of auditing and ensuring that the whatever security system in place tracks data and ensures that the data coming from machines is legit. Seriously, this is a great read. Yes, it’s dry, but it puts security terms in context and does so in plain English. (The Industrial Internet Consortium)

Edge computing startup Balena raises $14.4M: Balena, a company I profiled 18 months ago when it was Resin.io, has raised a $14.4 million Series B round led by OpenView, with participation from existing investors including Threshold Ventures, Aspect Ventures, and GE Ventures. Balena brings containers to all kinds of edge devices and lets companies run their apps at the edge. Its edge can include traditional computing devices, but it can also include things such as light bulbs or thermostats. (Balena)

This doesn’t look awesome: Vice has more on the story of Amazon as the purveyor of the surveillance state with an article detailing how Ring gets police departments to push its cameras and doorbells on citizens. Basically police departments get free Ring doorbells to give to citizens and then encourage those citizens to download Ring’s “Neighbors app” to report suspicious activity. When they download the app the police get more doorbells to distribute. Oh, and the police also get access to the footage shot by those Ring cameras, under specific circumstances. Ring and Amazon have clearly thought about building an ecosystem. Too bad it’s designed for police surveillance. (Vice)

When a network fabric is an actual fabric: Researchers in Singapore have developed a low-power sensor network that can transfer gigabytes of information for personal wearable devices. This method uses a sensor network transferring information through textiles, be they clothing or patches. The system is more secure than existing personal area networks; it also saves on battery power. After all, if we’re moving to a world where wearables gather heart rates, glucose levels, and other metrics, we’ll probably want to avoid plugging those devices in every night and will also want our information to be secure. (Medgadget)

Iridium sees IoT as the fastest-growing segment of its business: The excitement/hype around using satellite networks for IoT connections around the globe is gaining ground. Most companies entering this market are planning on using small satellites because they are cheaper to launch than bigger ones, but Iridium says it provides a connection for 678,000 active IoT devices, an amount that is up 26% year-over-year. This article is a nice overview of the satellite and IoT market, with a lot of input from a satellite industry veteran. (DCD)

PTC is struggling: PTC, which spent big buying industrial IoT companies a few years ago, has reported disappointing revenue for the second quarter in a row. CEO Jim Heppelmann blamed the lackluster performance on a switch to a subscription sales model from a licensing model. Apparently not as many customers opted to make the switch as PTC had hoped. (CRN)

Firewalla is worth a look: Kevin Tofel tested the Firewalla home security device over the last two weeks and recommends it for folks who want a deep dive into their IoT device traffic. It has a few caveats, but I’m thinking I may get it and replace my Eero subscription. (StaceyonIoT)

I wrote about changing our architecture for robots and VR: My monthly column over at IEEE is all about how we need to make our roads and buildings match our tech. It’s a lot of fun to think about creating a robot-readable world. (IEEE Spectrum)

Like this story? Get it and more every Friday when you sign up for my free IoT newsletter. Sign up here.