New Jersey-based Somos has introduced SomosID, an IoT identity management service that provides a registry for IoT asset owners seeking to gain greater visibility into their installed assets.

With digital transformation continuing at a rapid pace, many organisations are deploying IoT technologies to streamline their operations through automation. Unfortunately, this progression also exposes them to damaging cyber-security attacks. While integral to modern connectivity, IoT devices serve as vulnerable entry points for cyber threats, contributing to a significant portion of malicious activities online.

Recent data indicate that IoT devices constitute 8% of fixed broadband network infections, yet they represent 88% of all attack traffic and over 40% of all DDoS incidents affecting millions of users daily. The transparency surrounding IoT devices and the people who manage them is opaque at best consisting of a vast array of supply, management and communications partners with no clear accountability for security.

Additionally, traditional perimeter security approaches are inadequate in safeguarding against IoT-related threats. With IoT devices often having direct access to core enterprise systems, malicious actors can exploit compromised devices to traverse organisational networks easily, leading to harmful and costly breaches.

SomosID (www.somos.com/somosid-iot-asset-management-services) provides comprehensive IoT asset registry management with transparency to IoT assets. This gives enterprises increased visibility into the activities and management of their IoT assets, thus helping fortify their IoT ecosystem through transparency and accountability. It provides the tools needed to track an IoT asset’s identity and technical attributes, including hardware and software bill of materials, as well as related certifications and vulnerabilities. This information is maintained through all lifecycle events such as updates, new vulnerability alerts, suspensions, reactivations, transfers of ownership and end-of-life to give IoT asset owners visibility into their assets’ current state.

“The growth of IoT technologies has undeniably improved efficiency across numerous industries,” said Sri Ramachandran, chief technology officer at Somos. “With that, however, it has also significantly expanded the attack surface for cyber criminals. SomosID is a paradigm shift in how IoT security is realised and implemented. By providing a detailed inventory of IoT assets and real-time vulnerability notifications, SomosID empowers owners to secure and manage their IoT assets with confidence.”

Somos (www.somos.com) enables brands, consumers and communities to communicate in an environment of greater trust and convenience. It is a source of phone number administration, routing data, identity verification and identity management services for the telecommunications ecosystem. As the administrator of the North American Numbering Plan (NANPA), TFNA toll-tree numbering and the Reassigned Numbers Database (RND), it supports more than 1400 service providers in North America and manages over seven billion phone numbers to enable seamless communications between enterprises and consumers.

Xconnect (www.xconnect.net), a Somos company, extends the reach of Somos’ products to a global audience through its portfolio of trusted phone number intelligent options covering hundreds of different datasets serving the global voice and message ecosystems.