Microsoft reveals new IoT platform based on custom Linux kernel

Microsoft aims to secure Internet of Things devices with its new Azure Sphere solution. — Picture courtesy of Weedezign/Istock.com via AFP

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SAN FRANCISCO, April 19 — It’s a minor revolution: Microsoft has presented its latest security-enhancing solution for Internet of Things (IoT) devices, based on a custom Linux kernel.

Azure Sphere is essentially a microcontroller directly connected to the Redmond firm’s cloud and managed by a new operating system based on Linux.

Azure Sphere is billed as a cloud service for securing Internet of Things devices.

The platform is aimed at addressing security issues, considered particularly concerning for everyday connected devices, which are rarely updated and often viewed by experts as being left wide open to hackers.