Trend Micro IoT Security 2.0 enhances end user protection and device makers’ reputation

Trend Micro launched Trend Micro IoT Security (TMIS) 2.0 to help manufacturers and managed service providers improve the security of their products and the wider IoT ecosystem, while enabling them to drive differentiation.

With most traditional security products, it’s not possible for end users to install protection for IoT solutions by themselves, which is where TMIS 2.0 comes in.

“IoT threats are no longer theoretical: endpoints around the globe are being hijacked for data theft, attacked with ransomware and crypto-mining malware, conscripted into DDoS botnets and more,” said Akihiko Omikawa, executive vice president of Trend Micro.

“It’s vital that manufacturers step up to raise the bar on security. By integrating threat monitoring, detection and protection into the device itself, consumers and businesses will enhance their security from the moment they install and switch on TMIS 2.0. That’s the kind of value the market is increasingly demanding of IoT device makers.”

The TMIS 2.0 platform can be pre-installed onto IoT devices during the product development lifecycle, requiring minimum deployment effort and providing protection through a range of system hardening and risk detection features.

This updated version offers integration with Trend Micro’s threat intelligence platform the Smart Protection Network to offer a Web Reputation Service and IoT Reputation Service which block visits to malicious URLs/websites.

The improved installation script makes integration easier for device makers and IoT MSPs, and provides new capabilities to automate security learnings for these firms with less operational effort.

Reports on vulnerabilities, virtual patch deployment and more are emailed to administrators and device makers to provide more flexible management capabilities. A security detection log is stored locally and can be accessed by the device maker for each specific purpose (e.g. to show red light on the device). TMIS 2.0 also boasts an offline mode and proxy support for a wider range of networking environments.

All of these enhancements come alongside the product’s range of security capabilities: Application Whitelisting, Hosted Intrusion Prevention Services (HIPS), and System Vulnerability Scanning.

Together, they work to reduce the device attack surface, ensure firmware integrity and block active attacks — minimizing cyber risk for the end customer but also keeping device maintenance costs as low as possible while burnishing the corporate reputation of the device maker/MSP.