An increasing number of our everyday items are becoming connected to the internet. Children’s toys, doorbells, light switches, baby monitors, smart watches… the list is endless. The number of us living in ‘smart homes’ is growing rapidly, and whilst this is excellent for streamlining processes, improving our connectivity and saving us time, it can also put us at greater risk of cyber threats. Therefore, it is now more important than ever that regulation and controls are put in place to protect businesses and families from potential cyber-attacks, data loss and privacy invasion.
In light of this, we are excited to announce that we are launching an Internet of Things (IoT) security assessment scheme with an initial pilot project, which will certify devices from ten manufacturers free of charge. The scheme pilot is being partially funded by a grant from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) which IASME and two other organisations were successful in winning.
When asked about launching the pilot for the certification, Dr. Emma Philpott MBE, CEO of IASME, said:
“Following discussions with the IoT Security Foundation about the need for a low-cost certification scheme for IoT devices, we are excited to be able to be able to start this pilot project with help of UK government funding. We are looking forward to being able to deliver our scheme across the UK and to ensuring that it is just as practical, affordable and accessible as the Cyber Essentials scheme. IASME is determined to help manufacturers to demonstrate that their IoT devices have the most important security controls in place for not only their peace of mind, but also for the reassurance of their customers.”
IASME are well known for helping companies to improve their cyber security through certification and guidance alongside a network of 250 Certification Bodies across the UK. Therefore, we are looking to use this experience to develop an accessible and affordable IoT certification scheme in advance of new IoT security legislation being rolled out in the UK. The IoT assessment scheme pilot will be open to any IoT devices that are sold to UK consumers and IASME is looking for ten manufacturers to take part in the pilot, which is the first of its kind in the UK.
If you are a manufacturer interested in being involved in this pilot for free, please contact [email protected] for further information or click here to read the Pilot Overview for manufacturers.