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UK to introduce new laws to raise security for IoT devices

Security

CIO Bulletin
2019-05-02

The Digital Minister of the UK, Margot James, has set to motion a new proposal for laws which will help secure IoT devices. One of the laws drafted will look to mandate the IoT devices to be sold with a unique password.

In a press statement, the Digital Minister said that consumer products which are connected to the internet are insecure and put consumer privacy at risk. “These new proposals will help to improve the safety of internet-connected devices and is another milestone in our bid to be a global leader in online safety.”

The UK government wants to label products such as smart TVs, toys, appliances which use the internet to provide service. They will be making consultations to explore the options for their labeling scheme. The consultation will focus on unique passwords for IoT devices, manufacturers providing a public point of contact as part of their public disclosure policy and manufacturers stating the minimum length of time these devices are expected to receive security updates for.

After the government is done with consultation, the security label is going to be launched as a voluntary scheme which will allow consumers in identifying products with basic security features.