Today the British Government announced new security laws to protect smart devices following on from a recent surge in pandemic sales.
We expect other countries to adopt similar laws which will challenge OEMs to “up their game” on cyber security, and in particular making sure the latest and most secure software is available via Over-the-Air updates for a guaranteed period of time.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) have stated that makers of a range of smart devices will need to tell customers upfront how long a product will be guaranteed to receive vital security updates to help protect people from cyber attacks.
The government is planning a new law for customers to be informed, at the point of sale, the duration the device will receive security software updates. This law will force OEMs and service providers to consider security as a vital feature, mandated in law.
The Secured by Design legislation is a response to calls for improved cyber security on smart devices. Security updates are a critical tool for protecting people against cyber criminals trying to hack devices. Requiring the duration of supported security updates will help to prevent people unwittingly using an unsupported, and hence vulnerable, device.
Foundries.io has security at the centre of everything we do. From the start we have enabled secure updates for devices using FoundriesFactory. Enabling secure devices to be developed and deployed as well as being maintained securely throughout their lifespan is critical for consumer confidence and security.
For customers currently using FoundriesFactory this announcement today will not worry them as they are already covered, and have all the features and processes in place to be able to commit to extended security vulnerability updates aligned with their product lifespan.
We expect other countries to follow the UK and to put similar laws in place in the near future.
Read the full announcement here: New cyber security laws to protect smart devices