M2M Communications: A Systems Approach

Chapter 10

Smart Cards in M2M Communication

François Ennesser

Gemalto S.A., Meudon, France

10.1 Introduction

This chapter investigates how to best address the increasingly sensitive security and privacy issues arising from the M2M context, while minimizing the cost of terminal devices and their management infrastructure.

The security of many modern telecommunication networks already relies on an independent hardware element (e.g., a smart card based on the ETSI UICC platform, as in 3GPP networks) to secure the access credentials provided to terminal devices. This option also offers flexibility for end-device personalization and resolves ownership and liability issues when the service provider is not fully able to trust terminal devices. We explore how this model can address the new challenges arising from the M2M context, while resolving its inherent security needs.

10.2 Security and Privacy Issues in M2M Communication

General security issues related to M2M were considered in Chapter 8 of this book. It appears that while security in the context of M2M communication inherits most principles from human-based communication systems, a number of new constraints add extra security requirements, leading to increased system complexity.

At the network level, a large number of connected devices, and the need to efficiently manage them in an affordable manner, creates the need for enhanced device-management infrastructures with group-addressing capabilities, which can use broadcast and multicast ...