SecurityWorldMarket

04/12/2021

New PSTI Bill brings new product security measures

London, UK

The UK government is introducing a new Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) Bill. Part 1 of the Bill for Product Security will apply to manufacturers, importers, and distributors in the supply chain for consumer connectable products; and Part 2 of the Bill will apply to telecommunications operators, infrastructure providers, landowners and occupiers, as well as professionals such as land agents and legal representatives.

The Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) Bill supports the rollout of future-proof, gigabit-capable broadband and 5G networks, and better protects citizens, networks and infrastructure against the harms enabled through insecure consumer connectable products.

The Product Security measures (Part 1 of the Bill) will ensure that consumer connectable products, such as smart TVs, internet-connectable cameras and speakers, are more secure against cyber attacks, protecting individual privacy and security. It will require manufacturers, importers and distributors to comply with new security requirements relating to consumer connectable products; and it will create an enforcement regime with civil and criminal sanctions aimed at preventing insecure products being made available on the UK market.

The product security measures follow extensive engagement with the National Cyber Security Centre, tech and retail industry stakeholders, consumer groups and academia.

Consumer connectable products, such as smart baby monitors and smart speakers, offer huge benefits for citizens and businesses to live better connected lives with a lower carbon footprint. It is a rapidly growing area of emerging technology: forecasts suggest that there could be up to 50 billion connectable products worldwide by 2030, and on average there are nine in each UK household.

However, the adoption of cyber security requirements within these products is poor, and while only 1 in 5 manufacturers embed basic security requirements in consumer connectable products, consumers overwhelmingly assume these products are secure. Information regarding the threats posed by insecure consumer connectable products and challenges within the existing market can be found in Product Security factsheet.

In order to address these problems the Product Security measures, Part 1 of the Bill, has been designed to provide ministers with powers to specify and amend minimum security requirements in relation to consumer connectable products; place duties on the manufacturers, importers and distributors that must be complied with in relation to these products; and provide powers to allow breaches of these duties to be enforced against.


Tags


Product Suppliers
Back to top