How Flex and PSA Certified Are Building Trust Across Multiple Markets

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As more intelligence moves from the cloud to the edge device, this will completely change how we architect or design devices today. As connectivity expands and 5G becomes well-established, this will trigger an even more extensive deployment of IoT devices with accurate control and a reliable connection.

It can be challenging to objectively define what ‘secure’ means for IoT, but we can move towards a standard definition by speaking a common language. By proactively achieving PSA Certified Level 1, customers using Flex products know they are working with a device that is already “intrinsically secure”.

Why Security is Important to Flex

Historically security has been a priority for cars and nuclear plants or for stopping the theft of confidential data in a medical device. However, Flex believes we need to think beyond security only for “complex systems” with high-value assets. Instead, we need to consider the business impact when everyday operations are interrupted.Even a modest device performing a modest activity can have a considerable effect when deployed at scale. 

To help reinforce their work, Flex has been educating their partners on the importance of security and working proactively to inform their customers why security is essential. As part of their proactive approach, Flex has ensured that security is considered and built-in at the beginning of their projects. Then following up this proactive thinking to demonstrate security credentials with certification programs like PSA Certified, as it adds credibility to the investment in security and means they can demonstrate best practices to their customers.

Security is something that has to be considered from the beginning and then demonstrated to the entire ecosystem, like, for example, passing or going through a certification program, as PSA Certified validates from somebody from an outside organization that the device is secure.

Dr. Juan Nogueira, Senior Director of Connectivity Center of Excellence, Flex

Cost of Security vs the Cost of Insecurity

The total cost of ownership (TCO) is the primary concern of Flex’s customers. However, they believe it’s essential to not just look at security implementation as a short-term cost but to understand the ramifications of not securing devices long-term. Some of Flex’s customers are experienced OEMs, but others have less expertise in connected devices and security. Flex are focused on immediately offering intrinsically secure platforms, ensuring that security standards are already there from the beginning of designs. They believe there is always room in the Bill of Materials (BOM) to compensate for the additional cost of security. It’s just as necessary as your power supply.

We should not be saying that security is adding another cost on the bill of materials – it shouldn’t be considered like that. It should be necessary, like the power supply, you need to power the device and you need to have security as well.

Dr. Juan Nogueira, Senior Director of Connectivity Center of Excellence, Flex
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IoT Security for the Remote Healthcare Market

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Podcast: IoT Devices and the Cost of Cybersecurity with Flex

In this episode of the #beyondthenow IoT security podcast, Dr. Juan Nogueria, Senior Director of Connectivity Center of Excellence at Flex, joins David to explain how Flex approaches IoT security for devices, why cybersecurity cost is still a challenge, and why there should always be space on the bill of materials for security.