David Manners November 24, 2021
Today, the government will introduce a bill to ensure that consumers are protected from hackers on their mobile phones, tablets, smart TVs, fitness trackers and other Internet-connected devices.
The new law will require manufacturers, importers, and distributors of digital technologies connected to the Internet or other products to ensure that they meet strict new cybersecurity standards-imposing hefty fines on those who do not comply.
The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) bill submitted to Parliament today will allow the government to ban universal default passwords, forcing companies to disclose to customers what they are doing to fix security vulnerabilities in connectable products and create a better understanding of these A public reporting system for vulnerabilities found in products.
The bill will also make it easier for operators to upgrade and share infrastructure, thereby accelerating the introduction of faster and more reliable broadband and mobile networks.
The reforms will encourage faster and more collaborative negotiations with landowners hosting equipment to reduce lengthy court proceedings that hinder improvements in digital connectivity.
Currently, manufacturers of digital technology products must abide by rules to prevent them from causing physical harm to people due to problems such as overheating, sharp parts, or electric shocks. But there are no regulations to protect consumers from cyber vulnerabilities, which may include fraud and theft of personal data.
The PSTI Act will respond to this threat by giving the minister new powers to introduce stricter safety standards for equipment manufacturers. This includes:
Prohibit the easy-to-guess default passports pre-installed on the device-such as "password" or "administrator"-which is the target of hackers. All passwords attached to the new device need to be unique and cannot be reset to any general factory settings.
Manufacturers of connectable products are required to inform customers at the point of sale and let them know the shortest time for the product to receive important security updates and patches. If the product does not come with a security update that must be disclosed. This will increase people's awareness of when the products they buy may become fragile so that they can make more informed buying decisions. Nearly 80% of these companies do not have any such systems.
The new rules require manufacturers to provide a public point of contact so that security researchers and others can more easily report product defects and errors when they discover product defects
Companies within the scope of the Act are responsible for investigating compliance failures, making compliance statements, and keeping appropriate records.
This new cyber security system will be supervised by a regulatory agency, which will be designated after the Act takes effect, and will have the power to impose fines of up to £10 million or 4% of its global turnover on companies that violate the regulations because of continued violations. Up to £20,000 per day.
Regulators can also issue notices to companies asking them to comply with safety requirements, recall their products, or stop sales or supply altogether. As new threats emerge or standards develop, the minister will have the power to pass secondary legislation to force companies to comply with further security requirements.
The new law applies not only to manufacturers, but also to other businesses, including brick-and-mortar stores and online retailers, which are able to sell millions of cheap imported technology products to the UK.
Unless retailers meet security requirements, retailers will be prohibited from selling products to customers in the UK, and important information about security updates needs to be passed on to customers.
The Act applies to "connectable" products, including all devices that can access the Internet, such as smartphones, smart TVs, game consoles, security cameras and alarm systems, smart toys and baby monitors, smart home hubs and voice-activated assistants, and smart Home appliances such as washing machines and refrigerators.
It also applies to products that can connect to multiple other devices but cannot directly connect to the Internet. Examples include smart light bulbs, smart thermostats, and wearable fitness trackers.
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