End-to-end considerations

Industrial utilization of digital identities

Abstract

The IT security requirements for machines and systems are becoming increasingly complex. As a result, the use of machine identities is becoming increasingly important. They play a decisive role in establishing IT security in industrial networks. Machine identities enable the  establishment of trust between manufacturers and  operators, e.g. by proving the origin of components and creating secure traceability. However, digital identities are currently still difficult to introduce and manage in industrial
environments. Commissioning - combined with the initial  secure integration of devices into the network (onboarding) - is a particularly critical step. In this article, we look at the importance of digital identities for components and  systems, describe necessary solutions such as secure onboarding and, with our Trustpoint research project, provide an example of how secure management of digital identities can work in industry.