M2M : Machine 2 Machine

Can your M2M deployment be compromised?

There is widespread agreement on the benefits that are provided by M2M applications. You see a lot of buzz around cost saving, new service initiatives, Customer Satisfaction and more. M2M now puts your asset on the network – intranet, corporate web, Internet. In the past there were a limited number of people who had access to the asset. Now anyone on the network has access to the asset and has the potential of accessing data that they should not be looking at. This problem becomes acute when information is being sent over the Internet.

Does this mean I should not implement M2M services?

Certainly not!! You need to take the right precautions that you would normally take to protect your corporate network. All the best practices that are in place for securing and fortifying you network apply to any M2M deployment. In addition to that you need to identify security holes that are unique to you application. These are dependent on the technology you use for communicating to your asset, the level of remote access you provide and the network safeguards that you have placed around your Remote services.

I came across this article that talks about how thieves are using wireless doorbells to jam remote locking systems on vehicles. The doorbell transmitters are used to block the signal from the motorist’s key fob, leaving the car unlocked Crooks wait until the owner has walked away and can then take the car or steal anything the owner may have left inside the vehicle।

M2M

M2M Expo will be held in Chicago from May 22 – May 24

2007 Event

• 4th year defining M2M (Machine-to-Machine)
• The first and only M2M Expo reaching global issues and subjects with global players
• Held in partnership with Harbor Research, the thought leader in M2M and Pervasive Internet

Target Audience

• Technologists, product and component makers as well as system and service providers
• OEM adopters and industry experts from the breadth of M2M application segments
• Integrators, IT consultants and M2M-centric service providers
• Thought leaders in the evolution of M2M, Pervasive Internet and the second generation Internet

Expected Demographics

• Executive-level stakeholders (CEO, Presidents, Vice Presidents and divisional / area managers)
• Strategic decision makers, with high-level buying authority
• Experts in device-centric technology from IT, Wireless, device management and applications

2007 Conference Topics

• Focus on Service enabling products and technologies
• Applying M2M in energy and sustainability issues
• M2M as a Grand Integration methodology of multiple industry segments
• Strong case studies and success experiences from thought leaders in many segments
• Discussions on new and relevant technologies for M2M applications

Goals – Plan to publish at least one paper a month on the emerging M2M trends focusing on

• Why shoudl you care about M2M?
• M2M value Chain – How does this fit into your overall Corporate ecosystem
• M2M Security
• M2M Hurdles
• Technology Trends that Support M2M
• M2M Case Studies , Examples of live M2M Deployments.

Came across this company that uses rudimentary technology to enable remote monitoring. The beauty lies in its simplicity. The company creates a box that plugs into your asset. The black box has a built in pager that responds to pages that it receives. Based on the page that it received it performs an action – turn of the power supply, turn on the power supply, turn the motor on etc. I am sure they must have built in some sort of security mechanism – could not find any information on that on the website.

System like this that are simple are much more likely to succeed in the short term than sophisticated mesh systems. The reason for this type of set up to succeed more than other M2M applications is that it is an incremental evolution in the existing infrastructure. Customers get it, Minimal changes to their operations and you are able to see the benefits at a much lower price point. They offer solutions for telecoms, Utility companies and Amber alert systems.

Update from  NightHawk Systems on the security aspect of the product – ” There is a security mechanism built-in.  The user must enter an access code and then a command to tell the device whether to turn something on, off, or cycle power.  Thanks for writing about our product.”

Quote – The NH100 allows a user to remotely control power to any device that can be plugged into a standard household outlet. Simply page the unit just as you would an ordinary pager—it’s completely wireless, no phone line is required. The NH100’s smaller size makes it perfect for rebooting and simple on/off applications. Convenient installation options include an audible alarm and serial data port allowing for printed messages which makes it a popular choice for emergency notification applications.

M2M, Automation, Telemetry, Remote Monitoring, LBS

Data Remote Inc provides cellular modems that allows you to connect your asset via the cellular network. They have customized vertical specific solutions such as -

• Remote Meter Reading
• Fleet Management
• Power Station Monitoring Control
• Gas Water and Oil flow Monitoring
• Cellular ATM transactions and more

Cellular Modems from DataRemote, Inc. have consistently been at the forefront of cellular data transmission technology since 1991. Our self-contained CDMA, GPRS cellular, PCS and analog Cellular Modems have been successfully deployed across diverse applications including automatic meter reading (AMR) remote telemetry, SCADA, automatic vehicle location (AVL) and remote point of sale (POS). And as one of the first companies to design, build and market cellular modems that operate on CDMA and PCS networks, we use cutting-edge technology to tailor our solutions to the individual needs of our customers. Our cellular modems and other real-time technologies provide communication capabilities that are cost-effective, flexible and efficient. Plus, not only do we provide these outstanding cellular modem solutions, but we back them up with the most reliable, skilled technical support in the industry.