On 2 December 2020, the Council of the European Union approved its conclusions on the cybersecurity of connected devices. These resolutions are the result of recognising the key role these devices will play in further shaping Europe’s digital future, both from an industrial/business point of view, as well as in the daily life of consumers.
The increased usage of consumer products and industrial devices connected to the internet raises new risks for privacy, information- and cybersecurity. It is essential to minimise such risks in order to protect consumers, to strengthen Europe’s overall cyber resilience and to enhance the trust of citizens in digital solutions and technologies.
Recent initiatives of the Commission, like the cybersecurity certification framework as defined under the Cybersecurity Act (CSA), aim to raise the level of cybersecurity of connected devices. The Council’s conclusions underline the importance of assessing the need for horizontal legislation, to address all relevant aspects of cybersecurity of connected devices, such as availability, integrity and confidentiality.
The Council has emphasised the need to establish cybersecurity norms, standards or technical specifications for connected devices, and recommends strengthening efforts undertaken by European Standards Organisations in this matter. These steps will be reinforcing the ability to make resilient and secure infrastructures, products and services for building trust in the Digital Single Market and within the European society.
The H2020 IoTAC project aims to contribute to this work through its research and development activities. The project will implement a new modular IoT security gateway based on the security by design paradigm, with a strong access control component and will elaborate a composite certification concept in line with the evolving European initiatives.
For more information on the Council conclusions, see https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2020/12/02/cybersecurity-of-connected-devices-council-adopts-conclusions/
