The Importance of Machine to Machine Interaction - Case Study Example

M2M Interactions from the Baby to the Boardroom Executive Summary This report focuses on the importance of machine to machine interaction and the emerging risks that are faced by this new and innovative aspect of technology. At present we are living in a world where the numbers of mobile phones that are being used globally are same as the number of people living in the world. Connectivity is considered to be a way of life that usually drives expectations. The M2M device management provides a platform, which enables people to profit from this growth and also support the new technology and devices that emerges in the marketplace. Defensive practices are significant and therefore they should be implemented at almost every stage of the development process. This report also identifies the risks associated with M2M interactions starting from babies to businesses. It mainly focuses on the revealed as well as the hidden risks associated with this innovative and advanced technology. It also suggests that M2M interactions have led to some important advancement in technology but it has also been the source of creating a number of risks and security challenges. It is important to address these challenges for the purpose protecting the reliability, security and functionality of the devices which are embedded with the software that may effectively communicate with other devices. Research objectives The objective of this research is to address three main questions that are: What is the Condition of the current environment that brought for the Emerging Risk? What are the Risks presented by the Emerging technology? What Controls that should be put in place to mitigate the risks presented by the emerging technology? After addressing the questions this report also suggest appropriate recommendations that would help the companies to minimize the risks associated with M2M interactions. Scope of Research This report tends to evaluate some of the major aspects of Machine-to-Machine communication, which are required for ensuring that the network infrastructure is a viable interaction network option for the application concerned with M2M interactions. This report also takes into account the current conditions of the emerging environment that is brought as the result of the emerging risk. The study conducted analyzes the feasibility, benefits and potential requirements for supporting the sematic information on the applications that are related to M2M resources existing in the M2M system. Condition of the current environment that brought for the Emerging Risk There are many risks that emerge for the M2M market due to the current environment conditions. However the supply chain fragmentation cannot be considered to be the biggest problem associated with M2M market. The M2M service providers in order to make profits predictable and generate a revenue stream must work to put considerable effort. Not all the M2M interaction will become broadband. The biggest M2M network may consist of remote assets that communicate with low bandwidth data. The largest network of M2M is not available only on the public infrastructure of the operator. M2M interactions are known for bridging the private as well as public networks. Data delivery cannot be considered the biggest revenue generating opportunity for M2M interactions. In order to provide the customers with value, M2M data may serve as an effective tool for making business decisions and improving the efficiency of businesses. Selecting an appropriate vertical app for selling is not at all a risk. However searching for applications and functional commodities present across the industries are considered to be the best ways to build scale. Value exists beyond the point of facilitating the data delivery from the end points of M2M. It is also a risk for M2M market to effectively help their end customers understand and responding to what exactly the global network of measuring and sensing things is telling them. One may anticipate that the revenue of M2M market may shift to favor those who may effectively fulfill their roles. Risks presented by the Emerging technology M2M is considered to be the world of finite costs and infinite possibilities. While each of the M2M deal is considered to be unique, whereas the underlying cost of M2M service provider remains the same. There are seven main areas that may help in boosting the predictability of the M2M profitability. These areas are accounting, structure, modules, roaming, platforms, charging and partners. There is the requirement of the changing the mindset that is essential for exploiting the M2M market at its full potential. A self-fulfilling prophecy is being architecting by the M2M service provider; if no changes are taking place from within (M2M (Interaction Between Machines) Forum, 2013). The recent advancements of the M2M network interactions has occurred rapidly without taking into concern the benefits of the network security that can be applied to the account of interactive users. Organizations have performed a tremendous job while identifying and accessing the issues related to interactive users and the hidden danger that is lurking for almost every company. The major threat of M2M is that its nature has not been checked for a long time. Many of these devices will see very little human intervention for almost weeks or even months, so there are chances that the exploited vulnerabilities may go undetected that eventually increases its impact. Another risk is that supposes if the mobile device is substantially tactic or embedded, it cannot be removed easily and the cost of repair is also high. There is no such patch mentality involved in M2M interactions. In the healthcare suppose, the role these devices are performing and the business model they are associated with are long life and have low possibilities for upgrading. Another risk associated with M2M is the single tasked and the unsophisticated nature of many of the M2M devices; which make it a tricky job to include security software. The last risk associated with M2M interaction is that the effect of the occurrence can be far more insightful than before. (M2M presents new security risks that require new security solutions, 2012). Mitigating the risks presented by the emerging technology There are a number of opportunities that may help in mitigating the risks related to M2M interactions. The whole collection of the access points into the device or the system defines the attack surface. The bigger the attack surface the more is the potential security risk associated with it. The analysis of the attack surface helps the engineers to uncover the potential risks associated avenues. This however does not refute the need of all the routes into the devices and the analysis of the components of third party’s attack surface that is in use. A secure M2M embedded system may be based on a number of different crucial elements that are being applied at the development stage. The first element is the enforce boundaries, which is used for enforcing strict boundaries between the process and the operating system. Second element is the protection of data that includes protecting data at rest by the help of the encryption features of the underlying file system and employs separate keys. Non-repudiation is indeed another element used for securing M2M embedded system; it uses a hash data for example SHA2 for the purpose of establishing the authenticity of the data. For the purpose of mitigating there is a need for making the authentication strong and managing it certainly to ensure that the inputs are being extracted from trusted sources (Chinese Hacking Team Caught Taking Over Decoy Water Plant, 2013). Conclusion and Recommendations It is due to the availability of low cost devices, actuators and sensors with lower power and increased computing, which has created immense growth opportunities for development in the M2M service application. For the purpose of realizing the rapid potential growth requires lower cost, faster marketing time and reusing the application present within the vertical application that are present possibly across the market. Standards such as ETSI TC M2M may help in accelerating the development and also the re-use of the service solutions. The M2M application developers can be used to develop applications more efficiently and quickly. The M2M device vendors may also expand and improve the quality of their products with more value added features and more adaptability with different devices. Research suggests that in nearly future M2M will bring new opportunities for businesses and will come up with more innovative services related to the device, machine and equipment networking. More opportunities will also emerge for the software industry that will eventually provide information tools for managing the vast and ongoing streams of data generated by the help of different devices. The availability of the networked equipment data and real time give a total new and innovative meaning to the word “disintermediation”. When the networked products are created by a firm that possesses the ability of sending real time information, the firm do owns the access to such products and also a primary link to its customers. Now no other third party is allowed to trade profitable service to their customers without accessing the historical data from the networked product (The M2M (Machine-to-Machine) Revolution, 2013). References M2M presents new security risks that require new security solutions. (2012). Retrieved May 14, 2013, from Infosecurity Magazine: http://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/view/24180/m2m-presents-new-security-risks-that-require-new-security-solutions/ Chinese Hacking Team Caught Taking Over Decoy Water Plant. (2013). Retrieved May 14, 2013, from MIT Technology Review: http://www.technologyreview.com/news/517786/chinese-hacking-team-caught-taking-over-decoy-water-plant/ M2M (Interaction Between Machines) Forum. (2013). Retrieved May 14, 2014, from ICT Summit: http://ictsummitnow.com/m2m-interaction-between-machines-forum/?lang=en The M2M (Machine-to-Machine) Revolution. (2013). Retrieved May 14, 2014, from Jim Pinto: http://www.jimpinto.com/writings/M2Mrevolution.html Read More