Enabling Trusted App Development @ The Edge

TL;DR

The paper introduces the Databox SDK, a platform enabling trusted, privacy-preserving IoT app development at the network edge, simplifying compliance and enhancing user control.

Contribution

It presents a dedicated edge platform and SDK that facilitate privacy-aware IoT app development, addressing regulatory challenges and user privacy concerns.

Findings

Over 3000 users engaged with the SDK across events.

The SDK helps developers address privacy and compliance issues.

Feedback indicates increased developer awareness of privacy issues.

Abstract

We present the Databox application development environment or SDK as a means of enabling trusted IoT app development at the network edge. The Databox platform is a dedicated domestic platform that stores IoT, mobile and cloud data and executes local data processing by third party apps to provide end-user control over data flow and enable data minimisation. Key challenges for building apps in edge environments concern i. the complexity of IoT devices and user requirements, and ii. supporting privacy preserving features that meet new data protection regulations. We show how the Databox SDK can ease the burden of regulatory compliance and be used to sensitize developers to privacy related issues in the very course of building apps. We present feedback on the SDK's exposure to over 3000 people across a range of developer and industry events.