London, June 2, 2020: The United Kingdom Government has launched a £400,000 fund pot for innovators to design schemes to boost the security of Internet-connected (IoT) products.
According to an announcement put out on the British Govt Site by Digital Infrastructure Minister Matt Warman, the programme aims to support the development of the market of assurance schemes for consumer smart products, known as the Internet of Things (IoT).
So what are assurance schemes? These “demonstrate” that a device has undergone independent testing or a robust and accredited self-assessment process.
The move will mean manufacturers can choose from a variety of schemes to demonstrate their product has undergone independent testing or a robust self-assessment process in line with the government’s Code of Practice for Consumer IoT Security, said the announcement. It will also allow retailers to ensure they are stocking secure internet-connected devices, and could enable shoppers to make better informed decisions when buying new smart products.
We are committed to making the UK the safest place to be online and are developing laws to make sure robust security standards for consumer internet-connected products are built in from the start.
This new funding will allow shoppers to be sure the products they are buying have better cyber security and help retailers be confident they are stocking secure smart products.
People should continue to change default passwords on their smart devices and regularly update software to help protect themselves from cyber criminals.
– Digital Minister Warman
The move, led by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), comes as the government is progressing legislation to bring into law minimum security requirements for smart devices.
In a further move to boost the country’s cyber resilience at a time when the public increasingly relies on technology to stay connected, the government last month launched the new ‘Cyber Aware’ campaign which offers advice for people to protect passwords, accounts and devices.