Adding new features or third-party apps to an IoT device can be risky, since new functions can make it harder to predict in-field performance, maintain security, and retain data privacy. Sandboxing is a technique, supported by the open source Legato development platform, that makes it easier and safer to design, test and deploy new IoT functions – without risking the core application.
Upgrades, modifications and new features are a fact of life in the IoT. Many IoT devices begin as relatively simple electronic systems that perform a fairly limited set of functions, but quickly evolve to take on new capabilities that support multiple applications. A first-generation device for vehicle tracking, for example, might be upgraded to support usage-based insurance, or the latest version of a gas meter might be configured with a payment app, to support new pay-as-you go and top-up services.
Adding extra functionality and supporting new apps can create a significant competitive advantage, but it also adds complexity to the system, and that can increase risk. It’s not always easy to know how a new feature, developed by a subcontractor, or a new app, supplied by a third-party partner, will interact with existing functionality. New services can slow performance, produce unanticipated results or, worse yet, introduce vulnerabilities, compromise security or make it harder to protect information.
Sandboxing for privacy and protection
One way developers minimise the risks of complex functionality is through ‘sandboxing,’ a technique that makes it easier to create, evaluate and expand system operation while maintaining security. Sandboxing lets one isolate an application and control its behaviour, so as to ensure performance and increase security. In the IoT context, the key points of sandboxing are data privacy and access privileges.
Data privacy
Sandboxing prevents one app from accessing the data of another app, so sensitive information remains private. A sandboxed app is restricted to the confines of its sandbox, and can only work with authorised data. The relevant data can be stored anywhere in the system – in a non-volatile file system or in volatile RAM – and can be linked to one or more sandboxed apps. Each sandboxed app can do what it needs to do, and access the data it needs, without seeing or disturbing the rest of the system.
Access privileges
Sandboxing also makes it possible to grant access privileges, so as to increase security and manage system resources more efficiently. A sandboxed app can be allowed only limited use of a function or API, so that, for example, the app only opens an authenticated channel to access a single server, or to request device positioning. Any other actions are strictly forbidden.
Similarly, access to the CPU, memory or network bandwidth can be restricted, so the app can’t monopolise resources and thereby slow performance or waste energy. A sandboxed app only works with the resources it needs, without overtaxing the system.
The Legato sandbox
Sandboxing has its origins in large-scale virtualised systems, such as servers and PCs, but it’s a technique that, when scaled to a smaller size, brings significant benefits to the compact embedded systems used throughout the IoT. The Legato sandbox can be used throughout a device’s life cycle to reduce risk while creating greater differentiation, expanded functionality and new revenue streams.
During development, the Legato sandbox creates a safer programming environment, so designers can do what they need to do – test ideas, create new features, integrate third-party apps – without jeopardising security. Once devices are deployed in the field, the Legato sandbox makes it easier and safer to update devices and introduce new services, for a more secure approach to staying competitive.
The Legato sandbox creates a protected and restricted environment for adding new services to devices that are already in the field. New features and apps can be added natively or remotely, using over-the-air (OTA) updates. The update can be loaded directly into the sandbox for quick, secure validation, and the sandbox in each module can be managed from a central point, in the AirVantage cloud. New rollouts can be issued and validated all at once, or in stages. By enabling the quick, secure integration of new functions, the Legato sandbox increases flexibility and responsiveness, for faster differentiation.
When combined with applications that track data or network usage, the Legato sandbox can also be used to lower operating costs and increase efficiency. It isolates apps and makes it possible to monitor each one individually, so the network usage for any given app can be tracked and billed. Invoices are more precise, and there’s room for special options, such as tiered billing and member discounts.
In similar fashion, the Legato sandbox can be used to track and manage data traffic on devices that are operated as a Wi-Fi hotspot, for a better overall customer experience. Heavy users can be billed extra, as a way to discourage accounts from going beyond a set limit, and to prevent users from taking more than their fair share of the available bandwidth.
The Legato sandbox reduces the unknowns, surprises and intentional mistakes that are an ever-present part of the creative process. Developers can try out new ideas and test different scenarios, in a secure environment. They can experiment using a carefully regulated, step-by-step approach that makes it easier to catch errors and fix bugs, without disrupting what already works.
The Legato sandbox also provides a secure environment for test driving third-party apps, so it’s less risky to work with subcontractors, partners and other outside developers. A third-party app can be run in isolation, with tight restrictions on access to data and the rest of the system, to identify any potential impact on the system and its resources before being accepted for use.
For more information contact Gyula Wendler, Arrow Altech Distribution, +27 (0)11 923 9600, gwendler@arrow.altech.co.za, www.arrow.altech.co.za
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