When companies don’t use certified hardware for their IoT solutions, it can have serious consequences. Learn why certification is important and which benefits it provides.

Starting in January 2020, there has been a smart meter requirement in Germany: Private households with an annual electricity consumption of more than 6,000 kilowatt hours must install an intelligent electricity metering system. In a large city, that can quickly mean several hundred thousand of these devices all connected to the Internet of Things (IoT). Such smart meters can transmit their readings via the NarrowBand IoT (NB-IoT) wireless standard, which enables reliable reception even in basements and cellars. The devices themselves also have to be dependable: Faulty firmware could theoretically cause all the smart meters in the system to send data at the same time – potentially overloading the NB-IoT network.

SIGNALING STORMS AND OVERLOADED WIRELESS NETWORKS

Occasionally, mobile networks are exposed to so-called signaling storms, which are started by malware or badly programmed applications. They can overload the capacity of the wireless cell, backend, core network or cloud server – while simultaneously exhausting the battery power of mobile devices. And it’s not just smartphones: With an increasing number of IoT devices used for IIoT, smart city or smart home applications – there are currently more than 30 billion active worldwide – the number of potential vulnerabilities is steadily rising. Moreover, the operating system of a smartphone determines which interfaces an app may use. But for IoT devices, there is currently no operating system as widespread as Android or iOS to protect an object before activation.

According to network equipment provider Ericsson, as many as 500 incorrectly configured devices can generate a signaling storm strong enough to paralyze a local network. This also affects other users of the network. And if a company has non-certified hardware deployed, the network operator is almost helpless: They have no access to the devices and cannot assess the hardware or software errors – meaning they cannot fix them. Moreover, malfunctioning components in the field aren’t easily reached, leaving customers to fend for themselves.

WHY IOT HARDWARE CERTIFICATION IS IMPORTANT

Companies have to be able to expect the digital hardware they select for an IoT project will operate in a network-compliant manner. But network operators can make sure their trust isn’t misplaced: At Deutsche Telekom, for example, customers can choose from a constantly growing catalog of pre-certified hardware. Deutsche Telekom’s experts examine the entire value chain of sensors, actuators, gateways and routers, as well as components like chipsets and modules. Every stage in the IoT hardware lifecycle – from product development, introduction and operation to maintenance and service – is closely monitored.

The technicians don’t just check whether an IoT device and its technology supports all features of a Telekom mobile network. For example, it also has to be compatible with energy-saving functions or special data transmission features. Above all, a strict “no harm to network” policy applies: the networked hardware must not pose any danger to the network itself. This is important, if only because IoT devices – unlike laptops and smartphones – have to function independently. They switch themselves on and send data without a user having direct control. So any device hast to be able to work safely as soon as it leaves the factory.