Managing firmware and patching updates
Patching and updates concern how software and firmware binaries are provisioned to IoT devices. Most legacy and even some new systems require direct connections (for example, USB, console, JTAG, Ethernet, or others) to locally and manually update a device to new versions. Given the migration to cloud-based monitoring and management, many newer devices have the capability to update or patch software over the network from the manufacturer or dedicated device/system manager. Severe vulnerabilities are possible in software update and patching workflows; therefore, in the device engineering process, it is crucial that the following be supported in any over-the-air patching capability:
- End-to-end software/firmware integrity and authentication from the build system through any staged transit to the device (in many cases, confidentiality may also be needed)
- The software/update process should only be performed via a special access function that is only available...