The UK government is now cracking down on not just routers but also thermostats and other devices. The government has just introduced a new bill that is currently in its bid to help protect owners of smart devices from certain cybersecurity threats.
UK Government Aims to Protect Smart Devices
According to the story by TechRadar, the UK government is aiming to protect smart devices in people's homes from increasingly frequent cybersecurity threats. The government is doing this through a new bill.
The BCC says that The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill details specific rules that aim to shield consumers from potential cyber attacks. With that, the minister of media, data, and digital infrastructure Julia Lopez gave her remarks on the matter.
A recent research was highlighted by the BBC from consumer watchdog Which? that suggested that homes that are filled with smart devices could be exposing themselves to over 12,000 attacks in just a week. In relation to this, default passwords that are implemented on internet-connected devices will ultimately be banned and firms that fail to comply will be given a massive fine.
Bill to Put Firewall on Common Everyday Tech
According to Lopez, their bill will put a firewall around common everyday tech from phones and dishwashers to thermostats, doorbells, and baby monitors. The bill aims to put a huge fine on the products that fail to keep up with the tough new security standards.
The new bill includes a range of new devices from routers, smartphones, security cameras, smart speakers, gaming consoles, and internet-enabled toys, as well as other products. This bill looks to ban the use of easy-to-guess default passwords that are preloaded directly on devices.
Unique Products and Other Measures Required
The products are required to have unique passwords and other measures to help prevent them from resetting back to factory defaults. On top of that, manufacturers will also be required to inform their customers whether the product they are buying will receive security updates, patches, and how long they will be receiving them.
Most importantly, the rules also apply to UK businesses that are selling cheap products that are imported from overseas. This is an important matter crucially in light of the recent investigation that was able to find over a thousand of cheap smart gadgets that are replete with security and privacy issues when it comes to popular online marketplaces.
Fine Goes Up to $13.3 Million for Noncompliance
The surge in products in the market is also being stocked up to lead into Black Friday. The bill is also looking to appoint a regulator to be able to oversee any possible adherence.
The authority will be fining non-complying companies all the way up to over $13.3 million or £10 million. Non-complying companies could also be charged 4% of their global turnover along with a fine of up to $26,620 or £20,000 per day for certain ongoing contraventions.
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Written by Urian B.
