Devices, methods and systems to augment the security environment of internet-capable consumer devices

A protection method arranged to protect communication between a consumer application and a network-connected consumer device, the protection method comprising

• arranging digital communication with a network controller over a digital network, said network controller being arranged to digitally communicate over a digital network with an operating device running the consumer application and with the network-connected consumer device,
• providing computer program instructions comprising a consumer application part, and a protective part, the protective part being configured to run in a privileged mode, the consumer application part being a user applications which cannot access the program instructions or data of applications running in the privileged mode, wherein
• operating the network-connected consumer device by the consumer application part, and
• protecting by the protective part a command message for the network-connected consumer device by encrypting the command message with a public key and/or signing the command message with a private key, and sending the protected command message to the network controller, said network controller being arranged for decrypting and/or verifying the protected command message and forwarding the protected command message to the network-connected consumer device.

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer program instructions to protect communication between a consumer application and a network-connected consumer device, the computer program instructions including a consumer application part and a protective part, the protective part being configured to run in a privileged mode, the consumer application part being a user applications which cannot access the program instructions or data of applications running in the privileged mode, wherein the computer program instructions when executed by a processor system, causes the processor system to:

• arrange digital communication with a network controller over a digital network, said network controller being arranged to digitally communicate over a digital network with an operating device running the consumer application and with the network-connected consumer device,
• operate the network-connected consumer device by the consumer application part, and
• protect by the protective part a command message for the network-connected consumer device by encrypting the command message with a public key and/or signing the command message with a private key and sending the protected command message to the network controller, said network controller being arranged for decrypting and/or verifying the protected command message and forwarding the protected command message to the network-connected consumer device.

An electronic system comprising:

• an electronic operating device, a network controller, and a network-connected consumer device, wherein
• the electronic operating device is arranged to protect communication between a consumer application and a network-connected consumer device, the operating device comprising
• a communication interface arranged to digitally communicate with a network controller over a digital network, said network controller being arranged to digitally communicate with the operating device and the network-connected consumer device over the digital network, and
• a memory storing computer program instructions and a processor circuit connected to the memory for executing the computer program instructions, the computer program instructions comprising a consumer application part, and a protective part, the protective part being configured to run in a privileged mode, the consumer application part being a user application which cannot access the program instructions or data of applications running in the privileged mode, wherein
• the consumer application part is arranged for operating the network-connected consumer device, and
• the protective part is arranged to protect a command message for the network-connected consumer device by encrypting the command message with a public key and/or signing the command message with a private key obtained from a key storage of the operating device, the operating device being configured to send the protected command message to the network controller, the network controller being arranged to decrypt and/or verify the protected command message and to forward the protected command message to the network-connected consumer device, and
• the network controller comprises
• a communication interface for digital communication with the operating device and the network-connected consumer device,
• a processor circuit configured to
• receive the protected command message over the communication interface of the network controller, and
• decrypt and/or verify the protected command message and to forward the command message to the network-connected consumer device.