The expansion of devices connected to the Internet of Things is raising security and privacy concerns, spurring the Smart Card Alliance (SCA) to take action.
The Princeton, N.J.-based nonprofit has formed the Internet of Things Security Council to encourage widespread adoption of security standards and define best practices in the emerging niche, the organization said April 27.
The total number of devices connected to the Internet of Things is expected to reach 21 billion by 2020, with use cases spanning payments, transportation, government, general identity and access, health care and the mobile channel as a whole, according to the SCA.
The SCA helped bring industry players together to propel the use of EMV chips for payments, NFC for mobile devices and contactless for payment in global transit systems, said Randy Vanderhoof, the group's executive director. "We aim to do the same with IoT," he added.
Goals for the SCA's newest council include creating a central forum for participants in the IoT to share expertise and knowledge, and orchestrating cross-industry events to drive education and provide guidance on preserving security and privacy within IoT implementations. The organization's first IoT event is slated for Oct. 19-20, 2016, in Chicago, the SCA said.
