How do we assure cost-effective digital IoT sensors and measuring devices have high integrity as decision-grade data providers for scaling nature based solutions?
The Problem: Nature tech promises to make the case for deeper investments in nature-based solutions easier to justify, by providing better clarity about their impact over time and by helping make them even more cost-effective. However, inexpensive IoT sensors and digital measuring devices can lack credibility as comparable, trustable data sources when there are no consistent or standardised processes for authenticating, calibrating and validating them, or for guaranteeing their cybersecurity. This is compounded when each device manufacturer has differing methods and bespoke measurement units. In 2021, IoT attacks rose 50% in just six months, due to configuration flaws (configuration, calibration and validation issues) and cryptographic key flaws (authentication and security issues). The lack of standardised processes for set-up, deployment and management currently weakens sensors’ and digital measurement devices’ viability as creators of decision-grade data. For example, this can cause investors in biodiversity net gain projects to demand more expensive or time-intensive methods to demonstrate biodiversity improvement, which in turn can make projects financially non-viable for farmers and land managers.
The Solution: Capital moves to nature at the speed of trust. These issues can be addressed by using standardised processes for configuring, calibrating, validating, authenticating and securing IoT sensors. Implementing international open standardised processes improves the quality and trustability of the data collected from digital devices/instruments. This resource outlines how devices can be set up and deployed to accurately collect data according to scientifically agreed processes, as defined by existing and emerging high integrity carbon and biodiversity codes. These processes also provide evidence that devices have been properly calibrated, and are complying with strong authentication, data validation and verification, and governance protocols for cybersecurity and data governance.
This site provides a knowledge base to guide you through applying the standardised processes for assuring the security, validation and management of data from digital devices and sensor instruments used on the ground, out in the field, manufactured by any provider.
These standardised processes will better enable investment in the nature-based solutions that will assist in the journey to nature positive net-zero. Reliable decision-grade data – gathered using calibrated and triangulated digital devices means nature tech can be an accountable, transparent and trustable tool.