We are pleased to announce the latest release of Intertrust Platform. While there are a number of enhancements in this release, the most significant is that the Platform’s Explicit Private Networking (XPN) function now supports IoT network protocol MQTT (Version 5.0) . With this support, XPN-enabled client devices can now communicate using XPN and commands can be sent to XPN client devices over MQTT, ensuring persistent end-to-end security in this important IoT protocol.
MQTT is lightweight, machine-to-machine, publish-subscribe network protocol for message queue/message queuing service specifically designed for connecting to remotely located devices with resource constraints and / or limited network bandwidth. It runs over a transport protocol that provides ordered, lossless, bi-directional connections — typically TCP/IP. MQTT is broadly adopted by industrial IoT (IIoT) as well as consumer IoT devices and is noted for reliable message delivery within environments with unreliable network connectivity. According to a 2022 survey, nearly 48% of respondents said they used it to connect to devices, second only to HTTP.
XPN’s support for MQTT is significant as it represents a robust option for improving MQTT security for data payloads. MQTT natively supports transport layer security (TLS) which encrypts the transit communication link. However, TLS doesn’t encrypt the data itself and provides no further protection as the data travels to its final destination. XPN persistently protects data payloads, both in transit and at rest, from the originating device to the server and back, without relying on link security.
XPN with MQTT can enhance data security in numerous ways. For example, MQTT is often used as a communication protocol for industrial sensors or SCADA devices. By adopting Intertrust Platform and XPN, companies gain additional trust in the veracity of the data emitted from these devices. Another example is Virtual Power Plants (VPPs). VPPs rely on data from – and commands to – energy generators and energy consuming devices to modulate energy usage against rapidly changing grid conditions and load. By ensuring end-to-end security from transmission to reception, XPN greatly increases the security of these sensitive and critical applications.
We look forward to expanding Intertrust Platform’s protocol support and improving data security and interoperability across all devices. If you have any questions or feedback about this post, please contact us here.
