zigbee evolution continues with wireless IoT security updates

Feb. 22, 2017 – 

Since 2002, the zigbee alliance and its member companies have created standards, certification programs, and tools to develop interoperable products for the low-power wireless Internet of Things (IoT). With the release of the ZigBee 3.0 standard (now referred to simply as zigbee) in early 2016, an enhanced toolbox has been provided for product designers and ecosystem owners to implement robust networks and choose the right balance of security policies and ease of deployment.

Since its inception, the zigbee alliance has constantly monitored security trends in the industry and worked with researchers and white hats to continuously update offerings to stay ahead of emerging threats. In that tradition, the zigbee PRO mesh-networking protocol has added several important security capabilities designed for today's evolving market and risks, incorporating features originally developed for zigbee Smart Energy in use in hundreds of millions of revenue-grade utility meters with no known security breaches. In development of these capabilities the zigbee alliance engaged with leading wireless security experts to provide state-of-the-art security tools and features that allow zigbee developers to create some of the most secure wireless devices available today, including:

• Device-unique authentication at joining
• Runtime key updates during operation
• Secure over-the-air (OTA) firmware upgrades
• Logical link-based encryption

To satisfy a wide range of applications and ensure the optimal balance of security, ease of use, cost, and battery life, zigbee offers two network architectures and corresponding security models: distributed and centralized.

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