London, May 16, 2018: British standards company BSI has today launched a BSI Kitemark for Internet of Things (IoT) Devices, which it claimed was the first of its kind in the IoT space.
BSI said in a statement that the BSI Kitemark had been developed in response to the growth of Internet connected products. It was designed “to help consumers confidently and easily identify the IoT devices they can trust to be safe, secure and functional.”
It is estimated that every household in the UK owns at least 10 Web connected devices, with this number expected to increase to 15 by 2020. By the same time it is estimated that over a quarter of identified attacks will involve IoT devices, as recent high-profile breaches have demonstrated.
In March 2018 the Government’s Secure by Design review announced a series of measures to make connected devices safer to use. The Kitemark built on these guidelines by providing ongoing rigorous and independent assessments to make sure the device both functioned and communicated as it should, and that it had the appropriate security controls in place. Manufacturers of Internet connected devices will be able to reassure consumers by displaying the Kitemark on their product and in their marketing materials.
There are three different types of BSI Kitemark for IoT Devices, which will be awarded following assessment according to the device’s intended use – residential, for use in residential applications; commercial, for use in commercial applications; and enhanced, for use in residential or commercial high value and high risk applications.
Image Credit: BSI