Project Profile
AutoTrust4IoT – Secure & Automated IoT Integration
We are researching how industrial IoT devices can be securely and largely automatically integrated into existing networks through trusted digital identities and cross-standard security mechanisms.
AutoTrust4IoT is funded by the Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) as part of the Startup Secure II funding programme.
Motivation
As machines, sensors, and industrial systems become increasingly interconnected within the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), the attack surface for cyber threats continues to expand. At the same time, the secure onboarding of new devices remains a manual, time-consuming, and error-prone process in many organizations. Misconfigurations and insecure deployment procedures can jeopardize production facilities, energy infrastructures, and entire supply chains.
Growing regulatory requirements, such as NIS2 and the Cyber Resilience Act, further increase the pressure on organizations to strengthen their cybersecurity posture. As a result, there is a growing need for a vendor-independent, easy-to-use, and highly secure approach to automated device integration.
Objectives & Approach
AutoTrust4IoT explores how industrial IoT devices can be securely integrated into existing networks with a high degree of automation and without requiring extensive cybersecurity expertise—even in complex and highly protected environments.
At the core of the project is the development of an open security framework that bridges different technical standards and enables the trustworthy transfer of digital device identities across organizations and supply chains.
The resulting concepts are analyzed scientifically, evaluated technically, and validated in a laboratory environment. In addition, the project investigates usability aspects, long-term cryptographic resilience, and seamless integration into existing security architectures and network infrastructures.
Innovation & Outlook
The project's key innovation is a true “zero-touch” approach, enabling devices to be securely onboarded without manual configuration or physical access. At the same time, AutoTrust4IoT establishes an interoperable trust model that reduces dependencies on individual standards and proprietary solutions while addressing European cybersecurity requirements.
By doing so, AutoTrust4IoT strengthens the resilience of industrial value chains, reduces integration and operational costs, and helps organizations comply with evolving regulatory requirements. In the long term, the project contributes to the development of an open, sovereign, and future-proof security infrastructure for connected industrial devices across Europe.