Samsung Knox Matrix is the new security platform with which the South Korean giant wants to take the security of all its devices to another level, through a comprehensive approach that protects the entire ecosystem.
The ‘Knox’ security platform has met its first ten years since in 2013 it was presented at the MWC in Barcelona. Since then, it has received quite a few improvements, from the ‘TrustZone’ hardware-based security zone to the extra security layer provided by ‘Vault’. Now, in celebration, comes the announcement of a major update with “Samsung’s vision for a more secure future”.
Samsung KnoxMatrix
The surname of ‘Matrix’ is a beginning to know Samsung’s vision of the future in the cybersecurity section. The general idea is that connected devices in an ecosystem can protect each other as well as their users.
The company calculates 14,000 million connected devices. The figure does not stop growing as more users and more devices are added, from a simple cup of coffee. It is obvious that a greater number of devices generates greater risksas each individual device may have security issues that criminals can exploit.
While individual protections for a single device are and will continue to be an essential part of security, Samsung believes that this form of protection is not adequate to keep up. Exploitation of a device in an ecosystem can lead to attacks against other devices owned by the client or a company.
Knox Matrix creates a trusted network to which all devices that support it connect, using a private blockchain that “enables compatible devices to check each other for breaches and ensure security with intelligent threat monitoring”.
If a device on the network is successfully attacked, Know Matrix will immediately isolate the device so that it cannot be used to attack others in the same ecosystem. And further, since the company ensures that security will be strengthened the more devices a user has connected to this trusted network that includes three fundamental characteristics:
- Trust Chain. The devices will monitor all other devices on a trusted network for threats.
- Credential Sync. Protection of users as they move between devices.
- Cross Platform SDK. Will allow devices on multiple platforms to join the Knox Matrix “with consistent security standards”. It is currently limited to Android, Tizen, and Windows, but could be extended.
Samsung admits that development is a challenge due to the number of different types of products, operating systems, and security standards. The company plans to alert users about “potentially unsafe situations”specifically mentioning the use of old firmware.
Samsung KnoxMatrix will be released in 2024 on the Galaxy phones and tablets that the company launches, but the idea is to extend it to all the devices it sells, including its smart home appliances. An interesting project, but it remains to be seen how it is implemented because it is very ambitious.
