Greetings from Digitopia!

Greetings from Digitopia!
by Bill Boldt on 02-15-2015 at 7:00 pm

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When it comes to the privacy and security of data, what does the future hold for consumers, companies and governments?

A tremendously interesting document, called “Alternate Worlds,” was published by the U.S. National Intelligence Council. It’s a serious document that not only examines four different alternatives of what … Read More


10 Cyber Security Predictions for 2015!

10 Cyber Security Predictions for 2015!
by Bill Boldt on 02-02-2015 at 3:00 pm

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In 2014 worries about security went from a simple “meh” to “WTF!” Not only did high-profile attacks get sensational media coverage, but those incidents led to a pivotal judicial ruling that corporations can be sued for data breaches. And as hard as it is to believe, 2015 will only get worse because attack surfaces are expanding asRead More


Is the Internet of Things just a toy?

Is the Internet of Things just a toy?
by Bill Boldt on 01-03-2015 at 5:00 pm

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The Internet of Things (IoT) is arguably the most hyped concept since the pre-crash dot-com euphoria. You may recall some of the phrases from back then such as “the new economy,” “new paradigm,” “get large or get lost,” “consumer-driven navigation,” “tailored web experience,” “it’s different now,” among countless other mediaRead More


What is Ambient Security?

What is Ambient Security?
by Bill Boldt on 12-17-2014 at 7:00 pm

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New technology and business buzzwords pop up constantly. Hardly a day goes by that you don’t see or hear words such as “cloud”, “IoT,” or “big data.” Let’s add one more to the list: “Ambient security.”


You’ll notice that big data, the cloud, and the IoT are all connected, literally and figuratively, and that is the point. Billions … Read More


Getting up close and personal with symmetric session key exchange

Getting up close and personal with symmetric session key exchange
by Bill Boldt on 12-03-2014 at 2:00 am

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In today’s world, the three pillars of security are confidentiality, integrity (of the data), and authentication (i.e. “C.I.A.”). Fortunately, Atmel CryptoAuthentication crypto engines with secure key storage can be used in systems to provide all three of these.

Focusing on the confidentiality pillar, in a symmetric system… Read More


Don’t be an “ID-IoT”

Don’t be an “ID-IoT”
by Bill Boldt on 11-20-2014 at 8:00 am

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Let’s just come out and say it: Not using the most robust security to protect your digital ID, passwords, secret keys and other important items is a really, really bad idea. That is particularly true with the coming explosion of the Internet of Things (IoT).



The identity (i.e. “ID”) of an IoT node must be authenticated and trusted … Read More


ECDH Key Exchange is Practical Magic

ECDH Key Exchange is Practical Magic
by Bill Boldt on 10-28-2014 at 7:00 pm

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What if you and I want to exchange encrypted messages? It seems like something that will increasingly be desired given all the NSA/Snowden revelations and all the other snooping shenanigans. The joke going around is that the motto of the NSA is really “Yes We Scan,” which sort of sums it up.

Encryption is essentially scrambling a
Read More


There’s good news about BadUSB

There’s good news about BadUSB
by Bill Boldt on 10-22-2014 at 4:00 am

The good news about the recently-revealed BadUSB is that there actually is a cure: Hardware crypto engines were invented to protect software, firmware and hardware from exactly these types of attacks, among many others. These uber-tiny, ultra secure hardware devices can be easily and cost-effectively added to USB sticks (andRead More


Take a drive on the IoT with V2V

Take a drive on the IoT with V2V
by Bill Boldt on 07-08-2014 at 11:00 pm

What platform has become the most sophisticated and intimate personal electronic environment ever? The car. To paraphrase a famous automotive company’s top executive, car companies are transforming the car into a powerful smartphone that allows drivers to carry around, customize, and interact with their digital world. AutomotiveRead More


Is this thing real? Symmetric authentication will tell you!

Is this thing real? Symmetric authentication will tell you!
by Bill Boldt on 07-01-2014 at 6:00 pm

The act of authentication is very straightforward. Essentially, it is making sure that something is real.

There are two parts to authentication:

[LIST=1]

  • Identification
  • Confirmation of identity

    Authentication in the “crypto-verse” typically happens on a host and client basis where the host wants to ensure that a client is

  • Read More