Security
CableLabs Expands Engagement in the Connectivity Standards Alliance
Key Points
- CableLabs has advanced to Promoter Member status in the Connectivity Standards Alliance, gaining a board seat and greater influence over global Internet of Things and smart-home interoperability standards.
- As the broadband industry moves beyond speed as the primary differentiator, CableLabs is helping shape secure, reliable and interoperable device standards that improve the connected-home experience for consumers.
CableLabs has strengthened its role in the Connectivity Standards Alliance (CSA), becoming a Promoter Member and joining the Board of Directors. As smart homes become smarter and fill with more connected devices, the need for secure, reliable and interoperable devices has never been greater. Our expanded role enables us to help shape the standards that make that possible — from Matter to Zigbee to emerging Internet of Things (IoT) security frameworks.
The CSA is a standards development organization dedicated to the IoT industry and the connected home. It creates, manages and promotes several standards across several working groups including Matter, Zigbee, Product Security, Data Privacy and Aliro (physical access). CSA Matter devices use Wi-Fi and Thread to create an ecosystem “fabric” within the home to allow secure interoperability of IoT devices.
This work is increasingly critical as the broadband industry moves beyond speed as the primary differentiator. The foundation for CableLabs’ Technology Vision, our Eras of Broadband Innovation model illustrates the industry’s evolution from raw speed to intelligent, adaptive services.
These differentiating services are based upon a subscriber’s engagement with their networked devices — making it clear that continued increases in capacity, although necessary, will not be sufficient alone to meet the future connectivity expectations. Subscribers experience the network through their devices, and one of the first places they will see this is within the smart home and IoT space.
One of the heuristics in corporate governance is to use outsourced or contract IT help when operating fewer than 50-75 hosts, but to hire the first network admin once there are 75–100 managed hosts (or over 50 employees).
This year, Comcast reported that the average subscriber home has 36 connected devices. This means that managing those devices is likely already a concern for many consumers. How can operators make managing devices easier and safer for those subscribers? How can they ensure the complexity doesn’t lead to insecurity through user apathy or burdensome expectations?
Delivering the Best Experience Requires Collaboration
The Alliance’s objectives center on a simple premise: if subscribers enjoy their device interactions, if those devices work reliably and make life easier, if they’re secure and protect privacy, and if those devices are interoperable — the networks that make it all happen benefit. But the only way to make it work across manufacturers, ecosystems and technologies is for industry stakeholders to come together around a standards-based approach to secure device interoperability.
All of these customer experiences are areas where the broadband industry’s objectives intersect with those of smart home device providers and operators. Improving these experiences leads to increased adoption, which then drives cycles of economic growth for all participants in this sector — including those providing connectivity solutions.
Standardized, secure interoperability reduces network operator costs (e.g., support calls), lowers risk (e.g., insecure devices and botnets), enhances subscriber safety (e.g., home network vulnerabilities, physical premise security), simplifies device management (e.g., software updates) and improves the overall user experience. This is a key part of our engagement. The broadband industry’s role in providing a safe and easy subscriber experience doesn’t end at the cable modem.
CableLabs is engaging in this work for several reasons, which all play toward a larger vision:
- To help shape the future of smart home global IoT interoperability standards
- To represent the industry and interests in the global marketplace with subscribers
- To ensure broadband ecosystems have compatibility with devices using these standards
- To enhance the security posture of the broadband industry and within the smart home
- To promote industry collaboration and engagement including device manufacturers, ecosystem operators, testing labs, integrators, silicon providers and network operators
Taking On a Larger Leadership Role with CSA
CableLabs’ move from participant to promoter member will enable us to engage in organizational guiding decisions and take on additional leadership roles within the working groups. We’ll have increased visibility and opportunities across the organization, and we can keep the broadband industry front and center in each of these engagement areas.
The board representatives for CableLabs will be our CISO and Distinguished Technologist Brian Scriber and principal architect Jason Page.
We look forward to contributing our unique perspectives on the network operator ecosystem and our Technology Vision for the industry. We’ll also bring a deep understanding of connectivity tooling like Wi-Fi, the home gateway/router experience, security principles across communications protocols and production PKI operations related to consumer electronics security, as well as a thorough understanding of the policy and regulatory space related to cybersecurity and connected devices.