Matter has quickly become the most promising universal connectivity standard for the smart home, bringing together major ecosystem providers, OEMs, and device manufacturers around a single goal: seamless, secure interoperability. But interoperability only works if every device introduced into the home network is trustworthy. That trust depends on three interconnected pillars: device identity, firmware integrity, and secure operational control of the smart home fabric.
In a recent discussion with Keyfactor’s IoT security experts, these three pillars emerged as essential for understanding how trust is established and maintained in the Matter ecosystem. This blog breaks down each pillar to help OEMs, operators, and ecosystem partners understand what they need to secure, and how Keyfactor supports these requirements at scale.
What Problem Does Matter Solve in Smart Homes?
For years, the smart home ecosystem has been fragmented. Devices from different manufacturers often required unique apps, hubs, onboarding processes, and communication methods. Matter solves this by enabling devices regardless of their brand to seamlessly work together across ecosystems like Apple, Google, Amazon, and many others.
But interoperability on its own is not enough, users need assurance that devices are authentic, uncompromised, and communicating securely. Matter delivers this assurance by enforcing a security architecture rooted in strong public key infrastructure (PKI).
Every Matter device must be able to prove what it is, where it came from, and whether its software is trustworthy. Trust isn’t a one-time event at onboarding, it must be maintained throughout the device’s entire lifecycle.
Pillar 1: Device Identity in Matter — How DACs and NOCs Establish Trust
To prevent counterfeit or unauthorized devices from entering the home, Matter defines a certificate-based identity model built on two certificate types:
Device Attestation Certificates (DACs)
The DAC is a unique, factory-installed certificate embedded in every Matter device during manufacturing. Its role is straightforward but crucial:
- Prove the device was produced by a legitimate manufacturer
- Establish an unforgeable root of trust during onboarding
- Allow the commissioner (the device that adds new Matter devices to the fabric) to verify authenticity
DAC issuance is a high-volume process. OEMs may manufacture millions of units, each requiring a unique certificate and key pair—generated, protected, and delivered securely.
Why DAC issuance must be automated
Manual approaches risk delays, errors, and security gaps. Manufacturers need:
- Automated, compliant issuance workflows
- Secure key generation and storage
- A scalable PKI platform capable of handling high-throughput manufacturing environments
Keyfactor supports DAC generation through a horizontal PKI infrastructure built for large-scale IoT manufacturing, ensuring certificates are issued and managed consistently across production lines and geographies.
Node Operational Certificates (NOCs)
Once a Matter device is onboarded, it needs a trusted identity within the home network known as the fabric. This identity is provided through the NOC.
NOCs are used to:
- Secure device-to-device messaging
- Establish trust within the operational network
- Support encrypted communication
- Enable post-onboarding lifecycle operations
Unlike DACs, which are created at manufacturing time, NOCs are short-lived and issued when a device joins or asks to remain on the home network. This requires dynamic, real-time certificate issuance that scales to any household, device fleet, or operator environment.
Why operators and OEMs rely on scalable NOC issuance
Matter fabrics can consist of dozens, or in some deployments, hundreds of interconnected devices. Maintaining trust requires:
- Fast, reliable NOC issuance
- Consistency across large, distributed systems
- Strong lifecycle management as devices are added, removed, or updated
Keyfactor enables both OEMs and operators to automate NOC provisioning with centralized policies, high-volume issuance, and full visibility into certificate usage across environments.
Pillar 2: Firmware Signing and Secure Boot — Ensuring Software Integrity in Matter Devices
Trust doesn’t end at onboarding. Devices must continuously prove that the firmware they run, and any updates received, are legitimate and unaltered.
Matter devices rely heavily on signed firmware to protect against tampering, malware, and unintended modifications.
Why Firmware Signing Matters
Embedded devices are increasingly targeted by attackers who attempt to:
- Push malicious firmware updates
- Exploit vulnerabilities to gain persistence
- Hijack devices for lateral movement or botnet activity
To prevent these outcomes, Matter requires:
- Firmware signing at the OEM level
- Signature verification before installation
- Integrity validation during secure boot
This ensures that only firmware produced and authorized by the OEM can run on a Matter device.
Challenges for OEMs Managing Firmware Signing
Secure firmware signing is often complex because manufacturers must:
- Store signing keys in secure cryptographic hardware
- Prevent unauthorized personnel/tools from signing firmware
- Maintain audit logs and enforce policies
- Support distributed development teams and CI/CD pipelines
Any weaknesses in key protection or signing workflows can undermine the entire trust model.
Keyfactor’s Role in Firmware Integrity
Keyfactor simplifies secure firmware signing by providing:
- Key protection: Signing keys secured in HSMs or cloud key vaults
- Policy enforcement: Only approved individuals or systems can sign firmware
- Workflow integration: Seamless connection to build pipelines and OTA update systems
- Auditability: Full traceability of when, how, and by whom firmware was signed
This ensures every firmware release is authentic, tamper-proof, and verifiable by devices during secure boot.
Pillar 3: The Emerging Role of Operators as Trust Anchors in Smart Homes
Beyond manufacturers, a new and increasingly influential group is becoming central to Matter security: operators. These include:
- Internet service providers (ISPs)
- Telecom operators
- Hyperscale platform providers (“GAFAM”)
- Large ecosystem administrators
According to insights discussed in the interview, these organizations will play a critical role in managing trust at the network level.
Why Operators are a Natural Fit for Trust Management
Operators already maintain infrastructure within households: routers, gateways, modems, and consumer networking equipment. As Matter adoption grows, operators can:
- Serve as fabric administrators for home networks
- Issue and manage NOCs at scale
- Provide consistent trust services across millions of devices
- Enhance overall consumer security posture
They don’t need to build devices or apps: Matter solves that. What they can provide is the trust layer that ensures each device entering the home inherits a secure operational identity.
Why Operators Need Scalable PKI
Managing trust across millions of households requires:
- High-volume certificate issuance
- Automated lifecycle operations
- Reliable cloud or hybrid PKI architecture
- Policies tailored for diverse device ecosystems
These are all areas where Keyfactor delivers enterprise-grade PKI solutions designed to scale to operator environments globally.
What This Means for the Future of Matter and Smart Home Security
Matter represents a shift toward a more trustworthy, more interoperable smart home ecosystem. But achieving that vision requires:
- OEMs to implement strong device identity and firmware integrity
- Operators to take on a growing role in administering trust across household fabrics
- A unified PKI infrastructure capable of supporting both manufacturing and operational security at scale
Keyfactor is uniquely positioned to support this evolution by providing:
- PKI for device identity (DAC + NOC issuance)
- Secure code-signing for firmware integrity
- Scalable trust infrastructure for operators
As Matter adoption accelerates, the organizations that succeed will be those that treat trust not as an afterthought, but as an integrated part of the device lifecycle, from production through deployment and ongoing operation.
