Afero, Inc.

Stephen Sewerynek

Scott Zimmerman

Lucas Finkelstein

Shannon Holland

Chris Aiuto

Nickolas Heckman

Robey Pointer

Joe Britt

Chris Auito

Scott Bartlett

Daniel Altin

Clif Liu

A system, apparatus, and method for automatically provisioning a new IoT device. For example, one embodiment of a system comprises: an Internet of Things (IoT) service comprising: an IoT database to store user account data and IoT devices associated with each user account; an application programming interface (API) exposed to one or more online retail services to allow the online retail services to submit data related to IoT device purchases to the IoT service; a first IoT device purchased from the online retail service by a first user associated with a first user account on the IoT service, wherein in response to the first user purchasing the first IoT device, the online retail service is to transmit first identification data to identify the first IoT device and second identification data to identify the first user account; and device provisioning circuitry and/or logic to automatically add the first IoT device to the first user account on the IoT database in response to receipt of the first and second identification data.

System and method for pre-enrollment and network pre-configuration of internet of things (IoT) devices

An apparatus and method are described for sharing WiFi credentials. For example, one embodiment of a method comprises: generating a first secret on a first IoT device, the first IoT device having WiFi credentials stored thereon; sharing the first secret with a second IoT device; encrypting the WiFi credentials on the first IoT device using the first secret to generate encrypted WiFi credentials; receiving the encrypted WiFi credentials from the first IoT device at an IoT service; encrypting the encrypted WiFi credentials at the IoT service using a second secret to generate twice-encrypted WiFi credentials, the second secret known by the second IoT device; transmitting the twice-encrypted WiFi credentials from the IoT service to the second IoT device; decrypting, at the second IoT device, the twice-encrypted WiFi credentials using the second secret to generate the encrypted WiFi credentials and decrypting the encrypted WiFi credentials using the first secret to generate the WiFi credentials; and establishing a secure WiFi connection on the second IoT device using the WiFi credentials.

Apparatus and method for sharing credentials in an internet of things (IoT) system

A system and method are described for preventing security breaches in an IoT system. For example, one embodiment of a system comprises: an Internet of Things (IoT) device comprising a wireless communication module to establish communication with a plurality of IoT hubs over local wireless communication channels; advertising control logic to transmit first advertising beacons to the plurality of IoT hubs of a user indicating that the IoT device is connectable; the advertising control logic to begin transmitting a second advertising beacon to IoT hubs indicating that the IoT device is not connectable if the IoT device establishes a connection with a first IoT hub, the IoT hubs other than the first IoT hub to report the not connectable status of the IoT device to an IoT service; and a connection security module of the IoT service to determine whether the IoT device is connected to any known IoT hub upon receiving the not connectable status from one or more of the IoT hubs; wherein if the connection security module cannot identify a known IoT hub to which the IoT device is connected, then an alert condition is generated.

System and method for preventing security breaches in an internet of things (IoT) system

System and method for preventing security breaches in an internet of things (IOT) system

A system and method are described for establishing secure communication channels. For example, one embodiment of a system includes an IoT device comprising secret/counter processing logic/circuitry to generate a master secret, the master secret to be transmitted to an IoT service. The system may include one or more IoT hubs to receive the master secret from the IoT service over a first secure communication channel. At least one of the IoT hubs can use the master secret to establish a second secure communication channel with the IoT device.

System and method for establishing secure communication channels with internet of things (IoT) devices

An IoT system and method for selecting a secondary communication channel. For example, one embodiment of an apparatus comprises: one or more primary communication interfaces to establish a connection between an Internet of Things (IoT) device and an IoT service over one or more primary communication channels; one or more secondary communication interfaces to establish a connection between the IoT device and the IoT service over one or more secondary communication channels; a communication interface selection module to determine whether a primary threshold related to connection attempts over the one or more primary communication channels has been reached; in response to detecting that the primary threshold has been reached, the communication interface selection module to attempt to establish a connection between the IoT device and the IoT service over one of the secondary communication channels; the secondary communication interface to exchange data between the IoT device and the IoT service over the secondary communication channel.

Internet of things (IoT) system and method for selecting a secondary communication channel

A system and method are described for implementing latched attributes within an IoT system. For example, one embodiment of a method comprises: specifying an attribute for each of a plurality of items of data managed in an Internet of Things (IoT) device and/or an IoT service, at least some of the attributes comprising latched attributes having a current value and an indication of state changes to the latched attribute over a period of time; when an IoT device is unable to connect with the IoT service for a period of time maintaining an indication of any state changes occurring to the latched attribute over the period of time; upon establishing a successful connection between the IoT device and the IoT service after the period of time, transmitting the indication of state changes of the latched attribute from the IoT device to the IoT service; and analyzing the indication of state changes to determine whether to generate an alert condition on the IoT service.

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Foster City, CA, United States of America

Stephen Sewerynek