With a vast portfolio of smart locks, lock management systems, and connected readers, ensuring strong authentication, data integrity, and compliance with global regulations is essential.

To meet these challenges, ASSA ABLOY is leveraging the long-time IoT expertise of HID to implement HID PKI-as-a-Service. This strategic deployment is not just about protecting millions of connected devices but also about future-proofing ASSA ABLOY’s security infrastructure for years to come.

Cryptographic assurance: Securing every lock, inside and out

ASSA ABLOY boosts trust in its devices, preventing unauthorized clones or counterfeit products

A crucial aspect of this solution provides Genuine ASSA ABLOY products — an assurance that every smart lock, reader, and system within the network is verified as an authentic and authorized product. 

By leveraging PKI-based identity verification, ASSA ABLOY strengthens trust in its devices, preventing unauthorized clones or counterfeit products from entering the ecosystem.

For example, the inside of a lock can only pair with a matching outside component from ASSA ABLOY, ensuring the integrity and security of the entire system. This level of cryptographic trust not only enhances device security but also strengthens protection against counterfeit components or unauthorized modifications.

Meeting stringent security and compliance needs

As the industry faces increasing regulatory pressure, including the EU Cybersecurity Act and the upcoming Cyber Resilience Act, ASSA ABLOY needed a scalable, automated solution to manage over a million certificates annually.

HID’s expertise in certificate management provides enhanced security, reduced complexity

HID PKI-as-a-Service enables seamless device authentication, automated provisioning, and hierarchical key management, ensuring compliance with evolving security standards.

An essential part of the solution is the offline Root Certificate Authority (CA), which serves as the foundation for secure operations. HID’s expertise in certificate management provides enhanced security, reduced complexity, and operational efficiency across ASSA ABLOY’s global IoT ecosystem.

Driving innovation and efficiency

By integrating automated bootstrapping and customized attestation certificates, the implementation has significantly improved operational efficiency while minimizing manual effort. This allows devices, including those operating offline, to maintain secure provisioning and updates without requiring constant connectivity.

Additionally, the system is future-ready, designed to support emerging IoT protocols such as Thread, CoAP, EDHOC, and OSCORE, ensuring adaptability as the industry evolves.

Collaborative success

The success of this deployment is rooted in a strong alliance between ASSA ABLOY and HID

The success of this deployment is rooted in strong collaboration between ASSA ABLOY and HID. A dedicated steering group ensured alignment on global PKI policies and security objectives, leading to a smooth rollout with minimal disruption.

The implementation of HID PKI-as-a-Service wasn’t just about meeting current security requirements, it was about future-proofing our IoT ecosystem for security and scalability,” says Anders Calbom, VP & Head of Technology Solutions, ASSA ABLOY.

Major milestone in IoT security  

Anders Calbom added: “With the ability to manage over a million certificates annually, we’re now positioned to scale our security infrastructure alongside our business growth.”

This initiative marks a major milestone in IoT security, compliance, and operational efficiency. As ASSA ABLOY continues to innovate and expand, HID PKI-as-a-Service provides the secure foundation needed to drive future growth and digital transformation.

HID case studies

HID Helps In Automating The Access Control Management At Żabka

Enhancing enterprise security is high on the list of priorities for businesses across sectors. Within the retail industry, there is an additional focus on enabling new ways of working through management tools. Integrated solutions and applications help to create a robust security landscape and ensure a future-ready posture as organizations look to address emerging risks and create better experiences for next-gen employees. Physical access control (i.e., the readers on the door and the credentia...

BNY Innovates With Mobile Access Solutions

How do you rethink and transform building access for a 241-year-old company? BNY started by asking employees. The response was encouraging. The BNY team found that employees embraced the concept of mobile access solutions. The thought of implementing access solutions was already being considered by the company and the team was excited about the idea of providing a modern experience that allows employees worldwide to conveniently access their building spaces with a simple iPhone or Apple Watch....

HID Boosts Stockholm Transit With Digital Ticketing

HID, the pioneer in trusted identity and authentication solutions, announced that it successfully supported Stockholm's public transit authority, Storstockholms Lokaltrafik (SL), in transforming the daily travel experience for hundreds of thousands of passengers in the capital through a comprehensive digital ticketing modernization program. The initiative has eliminated paper tickets and enabled seamless contactless payments across buses, ferries, trams and metro stations. The technology u...