The World Is Recognizing the Threats Posed by IoT (Internet of Things) Devices. 

UK Introduces New Cybersecurity Legislation for IoT Devices  

"The UK government has today introduced new legislation to Parliament that aims to better protect consumers’ IoT devices from hackers." 

The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) Bill 

The Product Security measures (Part 1 of the Bill) will:
✓ ensure that consumer connectable products, such as smart TVs, internet-connectable cameras and speakers, are more secure against cyber attacks, protecting individual privacy and security;
✓ require manufacturers, importers and distributors to comply with new security requirements relating to consumer connectable products; and
✓ create an enforcement regime with civil and criminal sanctions aimed at preventing insecure products being made available on the UK market.

Germany is proposing legislation in a similar vein that will hold manufacurers legally liable for damage caused by their unsecured devices.  The coalition agreement of the new German government announced “manufacturers are liable for damage negligently caused by IT security vulnerabilities in their products.”   . 

These proposed legslative steps come at a time when attacks either launched by or on IoT devices have increased tremendously over the last year.  An increase in these attacks on IoT devices have come as more professionals took their work home during the pandemic.  One researcher documented an increase of over 700% on attacks on IoT devices during the pandemic.  553 different devices from 212 manufacturers were identified as vulnerable to attack.

IoT devices comprise of many different types of electronics, from set top cable boxes to smart watches, all Internet connected. It was noteds that 65% of IoT attacks were against 3 common product catgories:
1. set-top boxes (29 percent)
2. smart TVs (20 percent)
3. smartwatches (15 percent). 

Frightening, but true: your cute little smart watch could be responsible for an Internet connected heart monitor somewhere to suddenly cease working.  The insecure nature of IoT devices is a real threat to security everywhere.  These smart devices are communicating with Command and Control Servers controlled by hackers the world over.  Researchers  found that: "The majority of compromised IoT devices, nearly 90 percent, were observed sending data back to servers in one of three countries: China (56 percent), the United States (19 percent), or India (14 percent).  I think that is pretty much what hacking is all about, no matter how it is accomplished.

Like the pandemic is a global problem that requires a global solution, computer insecurity is also a global problem requiring a global solution.  Germany and the United Kingdom are to be commended for tackling the problem of IoT device security seriously.  I must question, however, if the economies of Western Europe are large enough, and thus have the clout, to force these manufacturers into building better products.  This is especially true in the case of the UK, having backed out of the EU.  And, like with Covid, 40% of the US population will cry out something like this: "Keep your Gawd dammed gubermint hands off my smart frig!  The software in it is how Gawd made it, and that's the way it's gonna stay!"

Gerald Reiff