Tata Communications and Thales join forces to address businesses’ data security concerns around IoT
Global IoT security solution aims to safeguard critical data in sectors such as automotive both at the device and network level
Reading, UK, July 12th 2019 – Thales, a global leader in digital security, and Tata Communications, a leading global digital infrastructure provider, are working together to develop a secure global IoT connectivity solution. Tata Communications MOVE™ mobility and IoT platform and Thales’s T-Sure warranted digital identity offering is set to unlock the value in data generated by connected devices such as cars and trucks, whilst maintaining the integrity and security of IoT data.
In Tata Communications’ global Cycle of Progress[1] survey, 30% of IT decision makers cited security and 25% cited privacy issues as the biggest barriers to IoT adoption. The combined capabilities of Tata Communications and Thales aims to lower these barriers and enable businesses and manufacturers to make the most of the transformational potential of IoT by giving them peace of mind that their critical IoT data is protected against cyber-attacks.
Thales will provide its T-sure warranted digital identity solution to Tata Communications MOVE™ SIM cards, based on technologies from Gemalto, a Thales company. While Tata Communications MOVE™ encrypts the data in motion (in current use), T-Sure protects the information at rest (archived) on the SIM, therefore safeguarding data both on the network and at the device level. The two companies look to undertake a series of proof-of-concepts with customers to test this solution in action.
The need to protect IoT data is a major concern for the automotive industry, due to advancements in connected cars and autonomous vehicles coupled with the continued threat of cyber-attacks. The Thales and Tata Communications’ solution aims to secure the data that vehicles carry and provide control over data and applications, whilst keeping hackers and cyber-criminals at bay. Reliable communications from vehicles to infrastructure (V2I) and from vehicle to vehicle (V2V) will help unlock the value in data generated by vehicles in applications such as driving pattern analytics, emergency services or preventive maintenance.
Thus, the manufacturer will be able to gather data through the SIM to ensure a vehicle is operating safely, the dealership can use the SIM for keeping track of the maintenance logs, and the vehicle car owner can trust that his or her private information stays private. The solution aims to allow for multiple secure ‘vaults’ within the vehicle to which only the vault owner has access. This means that the manufacturer, dealership and vehicle owner will each have their own private, secure space to store information, run applications and establish communications, and the security of these vaults would be enabled and managed via the Tata Communications MOVE™ platform.
“The only thing that will allow IoT to fulfil its potential and bring about innovations like autonomous vehicles is totally trusted and secure data connectivity. The marriage of Tata Communications’ expertise in the connected automotive sector with Thales’s leadership position in IoT and data security, reinforced by the integration of Gemalto, is driving an offering that will give end users complete trust in the integrity of their data whilst opening up new business opportunities for manufacturers.” Gareth Williams, Vice President, Secure Communications & Information Systems, Thales
“IoT could transform how businesses operate and how people engage with one another and with every ‘thing.’ Protecting data against cyber-attacks both at the device and network level is crucial to accelerate IoT adoption worldwide. Tata Communications MOVE™ together with Thales’s T-Sure solution aims to help businesses adopt IoT with confidence. It takes us closer to fulfilling our vision for a world where anything can be born connected – and born secure.” Anthony Bartolo, Chief Product Officer, Tata Communications.
About Thales
The people who make the world go round – they rely on Thales. Our customers come to us with big ambitions: to make life better, to keep us safer. Combining a unique diversity of expertise, talents and cultures, our architects design and deliver extraordinary high technology solutions. Solutions that make tomorrow possible, today. From the bottom of the oceans to the depths of space and cyberspace, we help our customers think smarter and act faster – mastering ever greater complexity at every decisive moment along the way. Thales generated revenues of €19 billion in 2018 with 80,000 employees in 68 countries.
About Tata Communications
Tata Communications is a leading global digital infrastructure provider that powers today’s fast growing digital economy. The company’s customers represent 300 of the Fortune 500 whose digital transformation journeys are enabled by its portfolio of integrated, globally managed services that deliver local customer experiences. Through its network, cloud, mobility, Internet of Things (IoT), collaboration and security services, Tata Communications carries around 30% of the world’s internet routes and connects businesses to 60% of the world’s cloud giants and 4 out of 5 mobile subscribers. The company’s capabilities are underpinned by its global network. It operates the world’s largest wholly owned subsea fibre backbone and a Tier-1 IP network with connectivity to more than 240 countries and territories.