Weekly Intelligence Summary 3rd Dec

The UK government has proposed a new Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) Bill to protect users against security issues prevalent in Internet of Things (IoT) devices. The bill places security requirements on IoT device manufacturers, importers, and distributors, including rapid vulnerability disclosure and a ban on default passwords. To remain competitive in a world of high-speed technological change, many manufacturers release IoT devices that have unaddressed vulnerabilities. Although this bill is intended to eradicate such practices, it will be difficult for the UK to enforce, and is unlikely to have a significant impact in the following 12 months. For the legislation to see real success, consumer education and responsibility must also improve.