The UK has introduced a new law for Parliament review and approve to bring drastic security improvements in all consumer devices from phones, smart TVs, IoT devices, appliances, and more. The bill intends to set security standards for manufacturers and mandate all security lapses to be investigated, fixed, and reported to customers and the government.
Julia Lopez MP, the UK Digital infrastructure minister, said
"Our Bill will put a firewall around everyday tech from phones and thermostats to dishwashers, baby monitors and doorbells, and see huge fines for those who fall foul of tough new security standards."
One of the critical problems that this law is trying to solve is default admin passwords set by manufacturers that are freely available on the internet. The European Union and the U.S. are tackling similar issues regarding the security of consumer devices to improve security.
A government statement said:
"This new cyber security regime will be overseen by a regulator, which will be designated once the Bill comes into force, and will have the power to fine companies for non-compliance up to £10 million or four per cent of their global turnover, as well as up to £20,000 a day in the case of an ongoing contravention."
The law aims to make manufacturers comply with standards established by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport. It also seeks to update the Telecommunications Infrastructure Code on the installation of cellular towers and the benefits landowners will receive.
Source: UK Parliament Publications via The Register