Blog

As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to become more prevalent in our everyday lives – both at home and in the workplace – security of connected devices remains an ongoing priority of Open Connectivity Foundation specifications (OCF). OCF technology is at the forefront of IoT security and OCF members regularly monitor industry cybersecurity guidelines to remain abreast of new trends, guidelines and regulations. This is made evident by OCF’s alignment with five key industry security baselines.

One such regulation OCF is closely following this year is the IoT Cybersecurity Improvement Act. Passed in late 2020 with bipartisan support, the law requires device manufacturers or OEMs selling to US government agencies to demonstrate compliance with cybersecurity guidelines. Although the act currently only applies to federal government agencies, the regulations are expected to trickle down to the private sector.

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2020 saw many exciting new ventures and initiatives for Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF). From launching the Universal Cloud Interface (UCI) certification program, to being the first IoT standards body to offer end-to-end encryption, OCF is proud to lead the IoT community in addressing today’s issues head on. To learn more about OCF’s 2020 activities, read the Year in Review blog.

A core pillar in OCF’s work is industry and member collaboration all around the world. This includes the important work being done by our Regional Forums. Based in China, Korea and India, these Regional Forums advance OCF technology in IoT communities across the globe, increasing interoperability and security regardless of their form factors, operation systems, service providers or transports.

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While 2020 brought many challenges as well as a significant shift in work-life circumstances, OCF’s members remained dedicated to the OCF mission. In a collaborative effort amongst key industry leaders, OCF made significant progress in OCF technology development, cybersecurity and smart building initiatives. Below we have shared a few exciting highlights from OCF’s 2020 efforts:

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As the leading IoT standards body, Open Connectivity Foundation (OCF) continues to address the needs of the IoT, providing industry-leading connectivity and best-in-class security.

To continue building upon OCF’s security framework, the recently completed OCF 2.2.1 specification now includes new support for end-to-end encryption leveraging open (IETF) standards. This encryption works to prevent third parties from accessing data while it’s transferred from one end system or device to another. With this update, IoT device users can be confident that the data sent through their OCF devices is protected and private.

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OCF Offers New Educational Resources

With an increasing number of people confined to their homes, the year 2020 has shed light on the utmost importance of simple, secure IoT technology. This year, OCF has made numerous updates to its specifications, with a common goal to make IoT manufacturers’ product development both cost-effective and uncomplicated, and the end-user’s experience seamless and secure.

These updates include the release of the OCF Universal Cloud Interface (UCI), IoT security baseline mapping and the new Simple Secure Multicast (SSM) feature. To help OCF members and the industry better understand these technological advancements, OCF experts have developed educational white papers on each topic. These white papers offer deep dives and unique insights into how and why these advancements have been made. Below we provide an overview of the new topical white papers now available for download:

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